The Republic Special Weapons Group was an agency responsible for the development of advanced weapons technologies for use by the Galactic Republic. It was instrumental in the initial construction of the Death Star battle station, although with the transition into the Galactic Empire it was reformed into Project Celestial Power, under the Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research.
Despite the pacifistic leanings of the Galactic Republic during its last years, the Special Weapons Group existed as early as 32 BBY. Following the Battle of Naboo, it developed plans for both an automated battlemoon asteroid as well as a torpedo siege platform; however, because of a lack of necessity and funding, neither made it past the design stage.
During the Clone Wars, it fell under the authority of the Strategic Advisory Cell. After having been presented with the supposedly-captured Geonosian schematics of the "Ultimate Weapon," the group, headed by Professor Sahali, set out to build the mobile battle station before the Separatists could. To this end, it secretly recruited the top minds of the Republic, such as Doctor Gubacher and Lieutenant Commander Orson Krennic, who would recruit other top scientists, such as Reeva Demesne and Galen Walton Erso, into the program but keep them in the dark of the true purpose of their research.
With the end of the war and the reformation of the Republic into the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, the group was reformed into the Imperial Project Celestial Power, under the Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research, which Krennic would eventually rise to command.
- Star Wars: Rogue One: Rebel Dossier
- Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition