The IGV-55 surveillance vessel, alternatively known as the Imperial listener ship and formally designated as the Gozanti-class espionage ship, represented a starship design employed by the Galactic Empire for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. Furthermore, these vessels possessed the capability to disrupt both sensors and long-range communications. Operated by the Information Office within Imperial Intelligence, these ships were tasked with monitoring communications and analyzing data streams to identify indicators of subversive or rebellious behavior. While sharing a resemblance to Gozanti-class cruisers, they featured extensive modifications, including the addition of numerous sensors and transmitter arrays.
In the year 2 BBY, a team comprising Imperial intelligence officers and slicers, under the command of Imperial controller LT-319, conducted operations aboard an IGV-55 surveillance vessel. This particular starship had been upgraded with a powerful signal array, enabling it to both transmit and intercept signals across vast distances. Under LT-319's direction, the team successfully hijacked the rebel astromech droid Chopper, intending to exploit him to locate the Phoenix Cell's secret base, Chopper Base. However, their scheme was ultimately thwarted by Chopper's owner, Hera Syndulla, who initiated a massive data overload that overwhelmed the vessel's systems and compromised its fuel cells, resulting in a catastrophic explosion that destroyed the ship and eliminated its entire crew.
Following the Battle of Endor, as Imperial forces began an encroached within the Bormea sector, jamming ships were deployed to provide support. These vessels were swiftly neutralized by Vanguard Squadron. Subsequently, additional jammers were deployed during the Battle of Galitan with the objective of preventing New Republic forces from transmitting a distress signal; however, these too met with destruction.
The initial appearance of the IGV-55 surveillance vessel occurred in "Double Agent Droid," which served as the nineteenth episode of the third season of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels. The ship's fundamental design concept, specifically its nature as a standard freighter extensively modified with supplementary sensor and transmitter arrays, drew inspiration from real-world Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. Similarly, the vessel's operations center, and by extension, the personnel under the controller's supervision, were influenced by the control rooms featured in George Lucas's inaugural feature film, THX 1138.