The Federation is a military group

[fireproof78]

For a short time (say a few years around the 2350s through the early 2360s), it’s reasonable to think from Picard’s dialogue that Starfleet was trying not to be a military anymore, the Cardassian conflict aside—heck, maybe because of it. But the universe just didn’t let that work out.

All Starfleet had to do was push for a new arm of the Federation government to act as a military.

Bam, Starfleet is no longer it.

But, Starfleet is on the front lines with multiple wars, with the Klingons, Tzenkethi, Cardassians,Talarian, among others. Just be like, "Hey, Federation Council, we are doing a lot of fighting. Can we get a dedicated fighting force?"

 

[BillJ]

All Starfleet had to do was push for a new arm of the Federation government to act as a military.

Bam, Starfleet is no longer it.

But, Starfleet is on the front lines with multiple wars, with the Klingons, Tzenkethi, Cardassians,Talarian, among others. Just be like, "Hey, Federation Council, we are doing a lot of fighting. Can we get a dedicated fighting force?"

Then no longer be at the front of the line for funding and new toys?

 

[BillJ]

You think about it, Starfleet's exploration is paid for by the blood of the Federation's enemies.

 

[BK613]

Philosophically, Starfleet is not a military even though technically, legally, they are, since they are the Federation's designated combatants in time of war.
'Tis like the tomato, which in the culinary world is a vegetable but biologically a fruit.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

You think about it, Starfleet's exploration is paid for by the blood of the Federation's enemies.

That's way over the top. More accurate: the need to massively fund the Federation's defense yields side benefits, in the form of starships that can explore the galaxy when they are not needed for patrols or combat.

 

[FredH]

All Starfleet had to do was push for a new arm of the Federation government to act as a military.

Bam, Starfleet is no longer it.

But, Starfleet is on the front lines with multiple wars, with the Klingons, Tzenkethi, Cardassians,Talarian, among others. Just be like, "Hey, Federation Council, we are doing a lot of fighting. Can we get a dedicated fighting force?"

Yeah, but they’ve already got thousands of hulls; it’s hard to imagine those suddenly not being used for military ops, even if Agency #2 suddenly gets thousands more through the miracle of replicator-assisted construction. And if they instead give all those hulls over to Agency #2 and Starfleet is suddenly just that building with the escalators and a bunch of survey shuttles — which would actually make more sense if they really just want to be Interstellar NASA — well, in terms of actual institutional politics, that’d be an intolerable comedown, wouldn’t it? (Except for the diehard science geeks over on Lower Decks, maybe.)

Plainly, in practice, Starfleet is the Starship Force, used for whatever policy-directed starship operations are needed. That incorporates everything non-private: diplomacy, scientific and cultural exploration, military, probably law enforcement when a case crosses “system lines”.

 

[Nerys Myk]

But is is it also a dessert topping?

 

[FredH]

But is is it also a dessert topping?

If you’re a Klingon.

 

[Nerys Myk]

If you’re a Klingon.

Is that a floor wax?

 

[FredH]

Is that a floor wax?

If you’re an Augment.