The fleet assigned to the DS-1 Death Star Mobile Battle Station served as a complete Imperial Navy fleet, tasked with the defense of the Galactic Empire's planet-killing battle station. This armada was made up of hundreds of vessels, encompassing everything from dreadnoughts to assault gunboats, along with tens of thousands of TIE-series starfighters. As a component of the Death Star's military forces, this fleet was an integral part of the garrison. The sheer magnitude of both the fleet and the garrison necessitated a significant allocation of space within the battle station for personnel, equipment, hangars, and magazines.
Admiral Conan Antonio Motti, Chief of the Imperial Navy, commanded both the fleet and the garrison. He was known as a seasoned naval commander and one of the most decorated officers within the Imperial Navy. Despite the fleet's existence, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, the Death Star's commanding officer, opted not to include any naval escort when the battle station engaged in the Battle of Yavin.