Military of the Fire Nation



The Fire Nation military is the unified military forces of the Fire Nation. It is the most powerful military force in the world. It would have won the war without the intervention of the Avatar.

The Fire Lord is always the top authority in the Fire Nation military. The Navy is commanded by a select few Admirals and the Army is commanded by a select few Generals. The War Minister develops and provides technology and equipment for the Fire Nation military.

A large number of personnel comprise the Fire Nation military, of which the majority are conscripts. The Fire Nation is the largest military in terms of number of personnel. The Fire Nation military also possesses advanced and powerful military equipment giving it huge military capabilities and power projection. Thus, it is considered to be by far the most powerful, most advanced, and premier military in the world, giving the Fire Nation a decisive advantage in any conflict.

Army
The Fire Nation Army is comprised of both normal foot soldiers, who normally wield spears, swords, and shields, and Firebenders. This army is undoubtedly the strongest in the world, capable of almost any military ground operation.

Infantry
Firebending soldiers are recognizable by their red and black armor and faceplates shaped like abstract skulls attached to their helmets, which are used for psychological warfare. Ranking officers do not wear faceplates. In the Fire Nation they wear headbands instead of helmets and they carry sabers instead of spears. In the Boiling Rock they wore a light armour and helmets with eye visors.

Non-benders typically use spears, swords, shields, crossbows, and knives as their means of warfare, and usually do not wear skull masks but wear cone helms.

Heavier Weapons
The Fire Nation Army occasionally use tanks for engagements. These tanks are heavily armored and equipped with fire ports (to allow the crew to fire projectiles, ranging from fireballs produced by Firebending to giant grappling hooks). They are built with the main body separated from the tracks with a complicated hydraulic suspension which enables them to right themselves if flipped over, but leaves them vulnerable to Waterbending.

The Fire Nation Army uses metal semi-automated catapults for larger operations. They work by using a large bar holding a metal net with a coal-ball inside it. The coal ball is ignited and a pedal is hit with a mallet causing the bar to fling over and toss the ignited coal-ball into the air.

The Army makes use of Komodo Rhinos. Outfitted with heavy armor around the face, they are used for pulling carts and for cavalry. Fire Nation soldiers mount these frightening beasts to terrorize their enemies.

The Drill
This siege engine is a massive drill, designed to breach the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. The drill was originally modeled by the Mechanist and took over two years to construct. As large as a village, it houses an entire brigade of Fire Nation engineers, who are needed to make repairs and clean out pipelines. The Drill is composed of two moving parts which are connected by a series of braces. It works by tearing chunks of stone from structures and grinding them down, dispensing them into water and channeling them out the rear.

History
The Fire Nation Army has been waging the War for the past 100 years. They were responsible for the destruction of the Air Nomads by the order of the late Fire Lord Sozin, but failed to kill Avatar Aang, who escaped before the Air Nomads were all killed. Forty years later, they attacked the Southern Water Tribe and killed or imprisoned all of the Waterbenders there, leaving only the non-benders to suffer constant Fire Nation raids for the next several decades. For the entire war, they have fought the Earth Kingdom and have succeeded in conquering most of their western territory. They have left much suffering and destruction in their wake.

Six years before Aang's awakening, General Iroh led the Army in attacking the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se in a 600-day siege. The Army destroyed the Outer Wall and attacked the Agrarian Zone, only to be pushed back when Iroh called a retreat after Earthbenders killed his son, Crown Prince Lu Ten. This failed attack would dishonor Iroh for years to come.

During the year in which Avatar Aang awoke from the iceberg, Admiral Zhao launched a massive invasion force to attack the Northern Water Tribe in what is now known as the Siege of the North. Thousands of soldiers and dozens of tanks attacked the Water Tribe Capital, but were met by the extremely powerful Waterbenders who defended the city. When Zhao killed the Moon Spirit, the Fire Nation Army had full control of the city, but were annihilated by Avatar Aang when he became one with the all-powerful Ocean Spirit. Any remaining survivors retreated, and Zhao was killed later on. The Moon Spirit was soon restored and the Water Tribe saved.



Sometime later, the Fire Nation Army conquered the massive Earth Kingdom city of Omashu, and replaced the imprisoned King Bumi with one of their governors. A few months later, after a successful coup d'etat led by Princess Azula and the Dai Li, the Fire Nation Army invaded Ba Sing Se, finally conquering the capital of the Earth Kingdom. However, the war did not end there. Aang, his friends, Water Tribe warriors, and Earth Kingdom soldiers attacked the Fire Nation Capital on the Day of Black Sun. The Fire Nation Army retaliated in full force with tanks and firebending, but with the solar eclipse and the enemy' improvised weapons, they were no match for their opponents. Unfortunately, Princess Azula distracted Aang from attacking the Fire Lord during the eclipse, allowing the Army to retake its capital and arrest the surrendering rebels. By the end of the war, the Fire Nation was peaceful once more, so it is almost certain that Zuko commanded the Fire Nation Army, Navy, and Airforce to stop attacking the other nations.

List of Known Commanding Officers

 * General Azulon
 * General Iroh
 * General Shu

Navy


The Fire Nation's navy comprises coal-powered ironclad warships. They vary from huge vessels like those of the Empire Class to smaller vessels like Zuko's original ship. These vessels serve many purposes, from ferrying and disembarking troops to providing bombardment with their catapults to creating blockades. The Navy is the largest and most powerful in the world, capable of dispatching hundreds of warships in larger operations.

In addition to its sturdy properties, the Fire Nation's use of metallurgy to remove impurities from the metal ensures that Earthbenders cannot damage their ships with their powers.

Equipment
The Fire Nation Navy uses metal semi-automated catapults for larger operations. These engines work by setting a ball of coal in a shovel-like placement that is attached to a machine. The placement is being held down by a rope. The coal-ball is ignited and the rope is cut with a sword. This causes the bar holding the placement to fling over and toss the ignited coal-ball into the air.

List of Known Commanding Officers

 * Admiral Zhao
 * Admiral Chan
 * Admiral Liang

Air Force


The Fire Nation is the only one of the Four Nations that has developed military flying machines, War Balloons and Airships.

Airships
Airships float using large fuel cells on the the bottom of the hull, and have dozens of small platforms from which Firebenders launch fire at enemies.

History
Towards the end of "The Northern Air Temple", the Fire Nation acquired a War Balloon, a hot air balloon designed by The Mechanist, an Earth Kingdom inventor who the Fire Nation had pressed into service designing weapons and technology. As stated by War Minister Qin, "This defeat is the gateway to many victories." In "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse", it was revealed that the Fire Nation had constructed many more War Balloons which are now fueled by Firebenders, as well as several massive metal airships.

Yu Yan Archers


The Yu Yan Archers are Colonel Shinu's highly skilled unit of archers, and are, according to Zhao, "capable of pinning a fly to a tree from 100 yards away without killing it."

Royal Guards
The Royal Guards are an elite group of Firebenders dressed in unique armor serving to protect members of the Royal Family.

Rough Rhinos
The Rough Rhinos are an elite group of Fire Nation cavalry. There are five members of the group, each of whom carries a different specialized weapon. They are highly skilled and able to ride their Komodo Rhinos silently through the brush.

Southern Raiders
The Southern Raiders are comprised of an elite force of vessels and soldiers tasked with launching the numerous raids on the Southern Water Tribe. Their insignia is a Sea Raven and their uniforms are slightly different from conventional Fire Nation armor, as they are mostly black and consist of a helmet with bird-like ornaments. As seen in "The Southern Raiders", their flagship is fairly advanced, with an unusually large conning tower. The goal of the Southern Raiders is to eliminate all Waterbenders from the Southern Water Tribe, as well as stealing supplies for the Fire Nation. These raiders are presumably the soldiers who captured all of the Waterbenders prior to the show's beginning.

Strategies
The Fire Nation military forces seems to favor a strategy that symbolizes their bending art. The Siege of the North showed that the Fire Nation uses heavy bombing with their fleets before overpowering the enemy with armored vehicles, heavy cavalry, and heavy infantry. After gaining a foothold the Fire Nation usually clears the area by advancing at great speeds with cavalry and tanks. After the first advancement they usually swarm over the area with infantry. Other strategies are not shown but they make use of maneuver warfare and encircling their enemy.