Timor Leste Military

The present force structure of the Timor Leste Defence Force consists of two Light Infantry battalions, a patrol boat force and the National Police.

My subjective opinion is that this force represents a capability that is beyond the present fiscal capacity of the Timorese government. What would be a POD required for the government of Timor Leste to have a paramilitary border guard force and a coast guard?

What is the difference between a patrol boat force and a coast guard?

None more their forecast plans of acquiring FAC's.

I am probably interested in avoiding the need in creating a light infantry based force.

Don't they need the sort of army that can undertake warlike actions if need be rather than just a heavily armed police force? That way if real trouble brews they can handle it up to a higher level rather than calling on us for everything. If the shit really does hit the fan they will have a decent force for us to reinforce so we don't always have to risk our lives for their security.

I think Cook has hit the nail on the head here.

If the mission for the existence of the East Timorese military is to prevent an invasion by a conventional armed force, then 2 infantry battalions is insufficient.

If the government realises that they cannot mount a credible defence against a conventional military, then their role is to act as a tripwire force until international forces arrive.

If this is the case and I believe it to be so... then their budget and society would be better served with a paramilitary force of let's say 600. As in the event of an invasion, it would be unlikely to concentrate their forces into a single formation. As with overwhelming firepower resting with the invader, their military would be quickly destroyed. Hence the conflict would degenerate into small unit engagements of probably platoon size and less.

So with that in mind, how could we create a POD so that Timor Leste opt for a gendarme / paramilitary rather than a conventional military?