The New Republic Defense Fleet, also called the New Republic Navy, New Republic Starfleet, simply the New Republic fleet, or even the Republican fleet, served as the naval arm of the Defense Force belonging to the New Republic.
It was established using the Rebel Alliance Fleet following the Battle of Endor, initially under the leadership of Fleet Admiral Gial Ackbar, who held the position of supreme fleet commander. In the wake of Endor, the Fleet expanded by seizing Imperial vessels, but its size was later reduced due to the Military Disarmament Act after the Galactic Concordance was signed.
Despite being the largest military presence in the galaxy during the rise of the First Order, it was considerably smaller than the Republic Navy during the Clone Wars. When the First Order's Starkiller Base superweapon targeted and destroyed the Hosnian system, a significant portion of the Starfleet was stationed there. This attack resulted in the destruction of hundreds of cruisers and frigates, severely weakening the New Republic Defense Forces.
Following the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance Fleet transitioned into the New Republic Starfleet as the Rebel Alliance transformed into the New Republic. Fleet Admiral Gial Ackbar, a highly regarded Mon Calamari who commanded the rebel fleet at Endor, served as its primary commanding officer under the designation of supreme fleet commander. Wedge Antilles, a Starfleet pilot, participated in an undercover mission above Akiva, but was captured by Admiral Rae Sloane. The Starfleet subsequently engaged the Galactic Empire's military during the Galactic Civil War, participating in battles such as the Rebellion on Akiva and the Battle of Jakku. Throughout this conflict, the Fleet grew by acquiring Imperial ships.
In the months that followed the Battle of Endor, Admiral Ackbar obtained intelligence regarding Imperial fleet movements from an Imperial officer known as the Operator. This figure was revealed to be Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax, a protégé of the late Darth Sidious, who sought to eliminate his rivals within the Imperial military. The New Republic Starfleet also secured several victories against the Empire on Arkanis and Kuat. Moreover, the Starfleet destroyed five Super Star Destroyers and captured three others. These triumphs solidified the New Republic's authority and power.
Due to its widespread deployment across the galaxy, the New Republic Navy could not allocate military resources to search for Han Solo, who was leading a campaign to liberate the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk. Consequently, lieutenant Norra Wexley resigned from the New Republic Starfleet after Admiral Ackbar instructed her and her team to resume hunting Imperial fugitives. Following Han and Chewbacca's success in deactivating the inhibitor chips controlling the Wookiees, Wedge's Phantom Squadron and Admiral Ackbar's Home One defeated the Imperial Star Destroyers orbiting Kashyyyk.
After two rounds of voting, the Galactic Senate deployed the fleet under Admiral Ackbar and Commodore Kyrsta Agate to confront the Imperial remnants that had retreated to the planet Jakku under the command of Gallius Rax, who had declared himself Counselor to the Empire. Despite having a numerical advantage, the New Republic fleet struggled to penetrate the Imperial fleet's defensive formation, which formed a protective barrier around the Super Star Destroyer Ravager. Commodore Agate successfully used her Starhawk-class battleship Concord's powerful tractor beam projector to pull the Ravager down to the surface of Jakku. This action shifted the momentum of both the space and ground battles in favor of the New Republic.
After the Battle of Jakku, the New Republic and the defeated Galactic Empire formally ended hostilities by signing the Galactic Concordance, which imposed severe penalties on the remaining Imperial forces and restricted their capacity for warfare. Although some surviving Imperial forces retreated into the Core Worlds, Colonies, and Inner Rim, the New Republic Defense Force was instructed to maintain combat readiness as a precaution for at least a month after the surrender.
The New Republic shifted its focus to reshaping galactic politics, believing that the remnants of the Empire no longer posed a significant threat. Following the Galactic Concordance, the Galactic Senate, led by Chancellor Mon Mothma, officially enacted the Military Disarmament Act, which reduced the Republic Starfleet to a sizable but limited military force. While the Republic Defense Fleet remained the largest fleet in the galaxy at the beginning of the cold war, it was significantly smaller than the Old Republic's Navy during the Clone Wars. Due to the Disarmament Act's restrictions on the production of capital ships, the Republic Starfleet had to rely on Rebellion-era vessels such as the MC80A Home One Type Heavy Star Cruiser Home One for an extended period. Although the arms manufacturer Incom-FreiTek Corporation continued to develop new X-wing starfighter models like the T-85 X-wing starfighter for the New Republic Starfleet, military contracts were limited due to the disarmament policy and increasing corruption within the Galactic Senate.
Approximately two years after the Battle of Jakku, several former New Republic freighters fell into the possession of pirate groups, including Captain Viz Moshara, who acquired the Mon Cal freighter Radium Destrobar. During Magernon's Amnesty, New Republic fleet forces under the command of Captain Krull blockaded Substation Grimdock to prevent pirate ships from escaping with former Imperial "terrorists" and "death squads." This blockade was complicated by Solo and Lando Calrissian's mission to locate the Phylanx Redux Transmitter. Krull briefly detained Solo and Lando's team but released them after Organa convinced him they were on a secret mission sanctioned by the Galactic Senate. As compensation, Krull provided them with the shuttle Chevalier.
Pilbush, an Ewok, served in the New Republic Defense Fleet for a period of time. Around the time of Grand Admiral Thrawn's return from his exile and his campaign against the New Republic, the historian Chalm Plesk was embedded within the New Republic fleet. While Thrawn was eventually defeated, the conflict against Thrawn's forces influenced the balance of galactic power in the struggle between Neo-Imperialism and Neo-Republicanism.
By 28 ABY, New Republic starfighter pilots such as Joph Seastriker and Greer Sonnel were primarily assigned to escorting Senators like Leia Organa and Ransolm Casterfo on official missions and trips throughout the galaxy. Competitions like the Five Sabers were also widely watched by many Republic starfighter pilots, including Joph, Greer, and Temmin Wexley. New Republic senators were legally prohibited from using Republic pilots and starships for illegal activities such as smuggling or using false identities. Although the New Republic maintained a sufficient military and starfleet, some senators, such as Erudo Ro-Kiintor, advocated for increased government funding to bolster the defenses of individual worlds. In reality, this facilitated the channeling of significant central government funds to Centrist worlds, a faction within the Galactic Senate. Several New Republic military personnel, including Wexley, Seastriker, Greer, and Caluan Ematt, later joined the Resistance, a paramilitary organization established by Leia to address threats to the Republic.
Encouraged by the perceived weakness and "decadence" of the New Republic, the First Order began crossing the Borderland and launched multiple incursions into Republic territory, including the Suraz engagement. Despite the First Order's repeated violations of the Galactic Concordance through its rearmament program and breaches of Republic sovereignty, New Republic Command refused to authorize the Fleet to take action against the First Order, limiting starfighter units like Rapier Squadron to sector patrol duties. Despite evidence to the contrary, some Republic officers, such as Major Lonno Deso, dismissed the First Order as a minor but troublesome Imperial remnant that exaggerated its strength and importance through propaganda and fear. Certain Republic senators, like Erudo Ro-Kiintor, even secretly collaborated with the First Order by obstructing or blocking motions to increase funding for the Republic Navy.
Frustrated by the Senate and Starfleet's reluctance to confront the First Order, General Organa and other like-minded supporters, including Admiral Ackbar, formed the Resistance, a splinter group from the Republic's military that operated independently of the Republic chain of command. While the Republic tolerated the Resistance's activities, it was cautious about risking war with the First Order. The Resistance was joined by Republic Navy personnel such as the starfighter pilot Poe Dameron and his colleagues from Rapier Squadron, who shared General Leia's concerns about the First Order. However, other Republic officers, like Major Deso, viewed the Resistance as a nuisance for exaggerating the threat posed by the First Order.
When the First Order launched a preemptive strike against the Hosnian system in an attempt to destroy the New Republic, a significant portion of the Republic Starfleet was destroyed when Starkiller Base unleashed multiple blasts of phantom energy, obliterating Hosnian Prime and the other celestial bodies in the system. The attack also destroyed the Galactic Senate and killed numerous important individuals, including Chancellor Lanever Villecham and Korr Sella, an envoy from the Resistance sent by General Leia to implore the Republic to take action against the First Order.
Following the destruction of the Hosnian system, the surviving senators decided to disband the remaining New Republic task forces, fragmenting the remaining Defense Fleet to protect their respective home worlds.
A Fleet Admiral led the New Republic Defense Fleet, reporting directly to New Republic Command. While a portion of the Starfleet remained with the Galactic Senate, which rotated among different member worlds, the majority of the Starfleet was dispersed across various bases throughout New Republic space, including one on Mirrin Prime. Notable starfighter squadrons included Corona Squadron, Gold Squadron, and Rapier Squadron. In addition to the Starfleet, the New Republic's member worlds maintained local defense forces, whose operations were guided by individual Republic senators.
By 7 ABY, the Defense Fleet had established a cyber-warfare department headquartered at its headquarters on Chandrila. Conder Kyl, a veteran of the Galactic Civil War, served as the Chief of the cyber-warfare department. Another known employee of the Defense Fleet's cyber-warfare department was Peekpa, an Ewok slicer. Furthermore, the Fleet utilized several KX-series security droids.
The New Republic Defense Fleet possessed a wide array of vessels during its active period, ranging from capital ships to sub-capital ships.
The New Republic Defense Fleet employed a variety of types and models of capital ships during its active service. The New Republic acquired at least three Super Star Destroyers. One of the first capital ships directly commissioned by the New Republic for manufacture was the Starhawk-class battleship, which included the Starhawk prototype, the Starhawk-class Battleship Mark I, and the Starhawk-class Battleship Mark II. As battleships, the Starhawks of the New Republic were more heavily armed and armored than Imperial Star Destroyers. Despite stealing the Imperial II-class Star Destroyers, the captured Imperial spacecraft were sent to the Nadiri Dockyards for disassembly for the Project Starhawk. By the Battle of Jakku, numerous Star Destroyers served within the New Republic Defense Fleet, and were slightly retrofitted.
In addition to battleships, the New Republic Defense Fleet utilized a range of heavy cruisers, including both the MC80 Star Cruiser line's MC80A Home One Type Heavy Star Cruiser and the MC80 Liberty Type Heavy Star Cruiser. The MC85 Star Cruiser, another Mon Calamari heavy cruiser, was used throughout Republic history. Other Mon Calamari Star Cruisers of the cruiser-class included the MC75 Star Cruiser, the MC95E Star Cruiser, and the New Republic Cruiser line. Additional cruisers in the New Republic's arsenal included vessels such as the Immobilizer 418 cruiser, the Acclamator-class assault ship and the Defender-class cruiser.
The New Republic Defense Fleet employed a variety of sub-capital ships, including carriers. Frigates such as the Alderaanian escort frigate, the assault frigate, the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate, and the Nebulon-C escort frigate were used. Additionally, light cruisers such as the Carrack-class light cruiser served within the Republic navy. Corvettes such as the CR90 corvette were widely used, and the New Republic also possessed a modified Raider II-class corvette.
The New Republic employed smaller light craft, including the MG-100 StarFortress SF-17 bomber. Transports such as the GR-75 medium transport were deployed, as well as freighters such as the YT-1300 light freighter and gunships such as the UT-60D U-wing starfighter/support craft. During the Galactic Civil War, the New Republic used Lambda-class T-4a shuttles, and two years after the Battle of Jakku, the Defense Fleet used shuttles manufactured by Trivault Corp, even for the T-6 shuttle, and two stolen Zeta-class Heavy Cargo Shuttle.
The New Republic Defense Fleet, as part of the New Republic Starfighter Corps, utilized a variety of starfighters. These included interceptors such as the RZ-1 and RZ-2 A-wing starfighters, starfighter-bombers such as the BTL-A4 Y-wing assault starfighter/bomber and BTA-NR2 Y-wing starfighter, and other starfighters such as the HH-87 Starhopper, the A/SF-01 B-wing starfighter, the Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter, the E-wing starfighter, as well as the T-65B, T-65C-A2, T-70, and T-85 variants of the X-wing starfighter. The fleet also utilized starfighters from the Clone Wars era, such as the Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter.
The New Republic Defense Fleet made use of Harrikos-Fifteen Research Station, Parozha VII, an Imperial dockyard Fondor Shipyards, Ankot Station, the Brooksdion, and the Nadiri Dockyards.
The New Republic Defense Fleet was first presented in the canon novels Aftermath and Lost Stars by Chuck Wendig and Claudia Gray. Its New Republic Defense Fleet counterpart originated within Star Wars Legends in the 1991 Star Wars Legends novel Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn.