Imperial Special Operations, also known as Imperial Spec Ops, functioned as a branch of the Imperial Army within the Galactic Empire.
The covert operations group known as the Ghost Battalion, formally designated the Special Ops Group, achieved legendary status. On certain missions, for example the Subjugation of Sulon, they employed modified captured vehicles, or Imperial vehicles and S.O. commandoes in disguise. The intention behind this tactic was to falsely implicate the Rebel Alliance and accuse them of perpetrating terrorist acts and massacres.
Upon completing his studies at the Carida Academy, Kyle Katarn accepted a position within the special operations division. Meck Odom had put in a request to be assigned to Special Operations. This request was promptly approved, leading to his transfer to the Danuta research facility, the site of superlaser research for the Death Star.
During the Galactic Civil War, a highly durable variant of battle armor was designed specifically for officers serving in Imperial Spec Ops.
The Special Operations concept was originally planned for inclusion in the Star Wars: Dark Forces video game, with the agent Ruu San, protector of the Dark Trooper Project, representing this element; however, these elements were ultimately removed from the final version.