The planetary defense services of Mon Cala, also known as the military forces of Mon Cala, constituted the armed forces serving the Mon Calamari monarchy. Traditionally, the King of Mon Cala held command as the Supreme Commander.
The King of Mon Cala functioned as the leader of Mon Cala's armed forces, holding the title of Supreme Commander. Dors Urtya, in his capacity as Regent of Mon Cala, possessed direct lines of communication to the Fleet Captains within the Mon Cala Imperial Trade Fleet. The military of Mon Cala consisted of various units, integrating both Mon Calamari and Quarren personnel. One such unit was the Mon Calamari Guard, which was made up of Mon Calamari troopers. Another unit, the Mon Calamari Knights, was also composed of Mon Calamari soldiers. Quarren warriors were integrated within Mon Cala's armed forces, due to their shared habitation of the planet and their allegiance to the Mon Cala King.
The military of Mon Cala also maintained naval capabilities. The Mon Cala Mercantile Fleet, primarily a commercial fleet, could be repurposed for defensive operations. The Mon Calamari Exodus Fleet represented a fleet that was formed from the merchant vessels that fled Mon Cala during the Imperial Era. During the Imperial Era, the Mon Cala Mercantile Fleet was reorganized into the Mon Cala Imperial Trade Fleet, operating under the supervision of the Imperial Navy.
The Mon Calamari Guard, consisting of Mon Calamari troopers, and the Mon Calamari Knights were examples of Mon Calamari units. The Mon Calamari Guard functioned as the personal security force for the King of Mon Cala, distinguished from other Mon Cala infantry by the display of the Guard's emblem. Quarren warriors were also integrated within the military structure, fighting alongside Mon Calamari forces in times of conflict. Furthermore, Mon Cala's military had the ability to utilize enormous ocean creatures as assets against opposing forces.
While the Mon Cala Mercantile Fleet was mainly a trading fleet without armaments, it could be utilized as a military resource, and was comprised of various Mon Calamari Star Cruisers. In the wake of Mon Cala's occupation, the Mon Cala Mercantile Fleet splintered, forming the Mon Calamari Exodus Fleet, and was re-established prior to 1 ABY as the Mon Cala Imperial Trade Fleet under the Galactic Empire. During the Galactic Civil War, the rank of Fleet Captain was bestowed upon Mon Calamari officers, and Imperial officers along with stormtroopers were stationed on board the ships.
During the Clone Wars, King Yos Kolina served as the Supreme Commander until his assassination. Following Kolina's death, his son Prince Lee-Char was designated to be crowned, but this was delayed due to political tensions with the Quarren. The Confederacy of Independent Systems, seeking to take the planet from the Galactic Republic, successfully influenced the Quarren Isolation League to secede from the Mon Cala monarchy, effectively removing Quarren warriors from the military. Despite not being formally crowned and therefore not yet King, Lee-Char, as prince, was entrusted with the role of Supreme Commander of the remaining elements of Mon Cala's military.
The internal conflict on Mon Cala escalated into the Battle of Mon Cala, where the Mon Cala monarchy, supported by the Galactic Republic, battled the Separatist-aligned Quarren Isolation League. Prince Lee-Char's Mon Calamari forces were reinforced by Republic Clone SCUBA troopers, Jedi, and subsequently the Gungan Grand Army, while the Quarren received support from aqua droids, Hydroid Medusas, and Karkarodon enforcers. After the leader of the Quarren, Chieftain Nossor Ri, recognized the alliance with the Separatists as a critical error, he and the Quarren pledged their allegiance to the Republic and the Mon Cala monarchy, fighting against the Separatists until their defeat. Consequently, Mon Cala's military was reconstituted, and Prince Lee-Char was crowned as the King of Mon Cala.
In 18 BBY, one year after the Republic transformed into the Galactic Empire, the relationship between the Mon Cala monarchy and the Empire faced economic strain. As tensions rose, the Empire deployed Governor Wilhuff Tarkin and the Sovereign to Mon Cala, while King Lee-Char secretly enlisted Jedi advisor Ferren Barr. Influenced by the Jedi's counsel and instigation, the political friction erupted into a war on Mon Cala. Mon Cala's military was mobilized to defend the surface cities against the Imperial invasion, deploying Mon Calamari troopers and Quarren warriors to counter the attacks. Following the complete evacuation of the surface cities and their subsequent capture by the Empire, Mon Cala's military unleashed massive enormous creatures that leaped from the ocean surface, crashing back down and obliterating all surface cities on the planet.
This offensive compelled the Empire to rely on aerial landing platforms to continue the underwater invasion. King Lee-Char delegated the defense of the planet's northern hemisphere to Commander Gial Ackbar, while the southern hemisphere and the Mon Calamari Shipyards were placed under the command of Admiral Raddus. Commander Ackbar initiated an attack on Imperial Colonel Bergon's platform, resulting in her death and inflicting a significant setback to the Empire, as she commanded the Imperial surface forces. Concurrently, Admiral Raddus utilized the Star Cruisers of the Mon Cala Mercantile Fleet to consolidate his forces and defend against Imperial armed forces. Eventually, the fleet of warships attempted to evacuate the planet, with some vessels successfully escaping and subsequently serving in the rebellion against the Empire.
During the First Order-Resistance War in 34 ABY, Mon Cala's military consisted of a fleet of various warships. Aftab Ackbar commanded the fleet from his flagship. General Organa led a Resistance mission to Mon Cala to secure the ships for the navy. The fleet assisted the Resistance in escaping when the First Order arrived to make an example of Mon Cala. Nossor Ri sacrificed himself by creating a diversion with his Mon Calamari fighter, allowing the fleet a window to escape. Following the destruction of another vessel, Aftab ordered the fleet to immediately jump to hyperspace to avoid imminent destruction. The ships within the fleet would prove essential in rebuilding the Resistance's naval forces.
Mon Cala's military possessed a variety of submarines within its armed forces. Under the Galactic Republic, the military employed OMS Devilfish submarines, and later, during the reign of the Galactic Empire, utilized another type of submarine capable of operating above the water's surface. Despite being illegal during the Clone Wars, the Quarren later used UTS Pikes during Imperial rule, along with a larger type of submarine.
Although initially unarmed, Mon Calamari Star Cruisers could be retrofitted into warships. These cruisers formed the core of Mon Cala's military and, eventually, the Rebel fleet.
Various models served within the military, including the MC75 Star Cruisers like the Aspiration, which was part of Admiral Raddus' exodus fleet. The mercantile fleet utilized a range of models, including the MC80A Home One Type Heavy Star Cruiser like the Aurora Flare and the MC80 Liberty Type Heavy Cruiser. Decades later, Aftab's MC95 Star Cruiser led the Mon Cala fleet.
Mon Cala's military was equipped with blaster spears, with the Mon Calamari and Quarren utilizing two distinct variants. Mon Calamari troopers were also outfitted with jet propulsion systems to facilitate effective underwater movement.
The debut of Mon Cala's military occurred in "Water War," the opening episode of the fourth season of the animated television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.