The New Republic military, officially known as the New Republic Defense Force, was the unified armed forces under the authority of the New Republic. It comprised the army operating on land, the defense fleet responsible for naval operations, and [special operations forces](/article/new_republic_special_forces]. The New Republic High Command provided oversight for all branches.
This New Republic Defense Force represented a revival of the military branch of the former Galactic Republic. It was built upon the foundation of the forces of the Alliance to Restore the Republic after their triumph over the Galactic Empire at the Battle of Endor. However, following continued action during the last phase of the Galactic Civil War, resources for training and funding were directed mainly towards local planetary defense forces. Consequently, the New Republic Defense Force experienced significant downsizing in accordance with the Military Disarmament Act after the end of the war.
Despite the emerging threat of the First Order from the Unknown Regions, and despite several star systems defected from the Republic to align with it, the New Republic did not perceive the First Order as a significant threat. The Senate even prohibited their military from engaging the First Order's military in combat. This led Leia Organa to establish the Resistance, a splinter paramilitary organization, to monitor the First Order's activities. This policy of non-aggression proved disastrous when the First Order's Starkiller Base destroyed the Hosnian system, which at the time served as the location of the Republic's capital world, Hosnian Prime, and its primary fleet. The military's fragmentation continued as key member worlds dissolved the unified task forces, recalling the remaining Defense Forces to safeguard their own territories.
In the waning days of the Galactic Civil War, the Rebel Alliance's victory against the Galactic Empire at the Battle of Endor resulted in the Alliance reorganizing and becoming the New Republic. Consequently, the Alliance Military was reformed into the New Republic Defense Force.
The newly formed New Republic Defense Force was deeply involved in action against the Galactic Empire as the Galactic Civil War came to a close. The New Republic Defense Force was involved in the rebellion on Akiva, the liberation of Kashyyyk, and the Battle for Kuat Drive Yards. Akiva was the first Outer Rim world to formally join the New Republic, and its first act was to eliminate corruption and crime on the planet. Members of Surat Nuat's gang chose to confront the New Republic in a final, futile attempt at glory, which quickly ended in their defeat.
Chancellor Mon Mothma advocated for the New Republic to demilitarize and transform its forces into a peacekeeping entity. As a result, the New Republic Defense Force was significantly reduced in size by the Military Disarmament Act in 4 ABY. This Act enabled the newly established Republic to prioritize political cooperation and served as a means to legitimize the mandated disarmament of the remaining Imperial forces. Furthermore, the disarmament policy led to restrictions on military contracts.
Following two rounds of voting, the Galactic Senate deployed the Starfleet, commanded by Admiral Ackbar and Commodore Kyrsta Agate, to assault the Imperial forces that had retreated to the planet Jakku under the command of Gallius Rax, who had declared himself Counselor to the Empire. Despite the Empire's ultimate defeat on Jakku, elements of the military, particularly the Starfleet, were instructed to maintain a state of high alert for any Imperial activity.
Even though the surviving Imperial forces retreated behind the agreed treaty-drawn boundaries after the signing of the Galactic Concordance with the New Republic, which encompassed regions in both the Core Worlds and Inner Rim, the Defense Force was still ordered to maintain combat readiness for at least one month following the surrender.
The significantly weakened Defense Force became stretched thin, allowing Imperial remnants, such as Gideon's Imperial remnant, to expand. By 9 ABY, Carson Teva of the New Republic Starfighter Corps suspected Imperial activity in the Outer Rim, emphasizing the importance of local support in addressing the issue, a concern that the New Republic government in the Core Worlds dismissed.
Even though the New Republic Defense Force possessed sufficient resources to defend the galaxy in 29 ABY, certain members of the Centrists faction within the Senate, composed of representatives from several former Imperial worlds, advocated for a more powerful chancellor with authority over economic and military matters. One such advocate was Senator Erudo Ro-Kiintor of Hevurion, who pushed for increased funding for individual planetary defenses. However, this was merely a guise to divert funds to Centrist worlds.
Secretly, Lady Carise Sindian served as an agent for the First Order, a secluded state in the Unknown Regions with ties to the Centrists party. They were covertly financing the Amaxine warriors and Rinnrivin Di in order to channel revenue into building their Navy.
During the Cold War between the New Republic and the First Order, Republic Command, in contrast to the New Republic Senate, recognized the First Order as a genuine threat. However, the Senate intervened, even ordering the New Republic Defense Force not to engage the Order in combat. Meanwhile, Leia Organa created the Resistance, an unauthorized military movement from within the Defense Force, believing that the First Order posed a significant danger to democracy in the galaxy. The Republic tolerated its activities, even though they were technically illegal.
Eventually, the New Republic obtained critical intelligence that needed to reach the Resistance. They assigned a squadron the task of delivering this intelligence to Commander Poe Dameron, which led to a conflict with the First Order during the mission.
When the First Order unveiled its true strength by firing Starkiller Base in 34 ABY, the Hosnian system was utterly destroyed by the superweapon's blast. This destroyed all planets and the surrounding starships of the New Republic Home Fleet. With the New Republic High Command lost in the cataclysm, the New Republic Defence Force was crippled as surviving senators prioritized defending their own homeworlds and colonies, and rushed to pull any remaining task forces to their positions, thereby dividing the Defense Forces to the extent that it could not stand against the advancing First Order, who would go on to conquer a lot of New Republic space in a short time span.
The New Republic Defense Force was under the command of the New Republic Command, a group of officers who directed the Defense Force.
During the early Cold War between the First Order and the New Republic, the Defense Force was instructed not to fire upon the First Order because the Galactic Senate was desperately trying to prevent another galactic war.