An Automated Defense System represented a computer program designed for defense. It utilized a combination of weaponry, such as laser cannons, turbolasers, or other armaments, to safeguard a ship, space station, or planetary fortress from incoming assaults. This was achieved without needing a manual operator. These systems could be connected to external weapons to defend against enemy ships or vehicles, or to internal automatic turrets for defense against enemy soldiers attempting to infiltrate the defended location.
Automated Defense Systems used for external defense were already in use before the time of the New Sith Wars. However, the programming of these early systems was rudimentary, capable only of reacting to predictable attack patterns. Most pilots were able to anticipate these patterns after only one or two attack runs, defeating the system with relative ease. Consequently, manually operated lasers became the preferred choice, as a human operator could match the unpredictable nature of a pilot's maneuvers, a capability that these early automated systems lacked.
A specific example of such a system was the one defending the fortress of Belia Darzu located on the infamous dark side planet of Tython. When Darth Bane ventured to Tython in search of Darzu's knowledge regarding the construction of Sith holocrons, he was engaged by two laser turrets functioning as part of such a system. After dodging the initial volley of attacks, Bane observed that the turrets followed the exact same attack pattern on his second attempt to engage them. Capitalizing on the predictable nature of their fire, he destroyed the two towers.
Interior defense systems saw broader application due to the confined spaces within a fortress or ship. This included usage within capital starships during both the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War.
The Rebel Alliance incorporated Automated defense systems within their base situated on Yavin 4.