Systems force

Led by officers known as systems admirals, systems forces acted as the primary organizational link between the Sector-level Fleet commands and the individual ships and squadrons stationed in specific star systems. Consequently, the ships belonging to a single systems force would be dispersed across vast interstellar distances, positioned around numerous different worlds. However, instead of being geographically organized into distinct zones within their sector, each systems force was primarily structured as a collection of ships and resources tailored for a specific type of operation. Examples include: force superiority and force escort for space combat battlegroups; transport force and systems bombard for planetary assault taskforces; and force technical services and force support for non-combat logistical fleets.

The internal design of these force pools emphasized adaptability, enabling them to be reorganized into specialized taskforces for particular missions. However, each systems force was generally designed for a relatively focused range of operations. Within their assigned Sector, the ships and personnel of a single Systems Force could be deployed wherever their specific equipment and skills were needed.

While the Moff's authorization was required to concentrate more than one squadron of front-line warships in a single star system, ships from different systems forces could find themselves fighting in adjacent systems as necessary. Furthermore, within a given system, ships from one systems force might be replaced by ships from another as an operation progressed through different phases. For example, after ships from a Force Superiority group had neutralized a hostile planet's naval forces and orbital defenses, elements of a transport force or systems bombard might move in for siege or assault operations. It's also plausible that busy systems could have individual ships or small flotillas from multiple separate systems forces present simultaneously.

The task of reassigning ships to a constantly changing array of missions across a vast area of space was inherently complex for the systems admiral and their staff. This complexity was compounded by the presence of other systems forces operating concurrently within the same sector, some with overlapping mission objectives and others with interdependent capabilities that needed to be coordinated at different stages of an operation. Furthermore, the coordination of a systems force was complicated by the fact that many ships still lacked long-range communications equipment, and the star systems they were assigned to also lacked HoloNet transceivers. In such cases, courier vessels often provided the fastest means of communication between the widely dispersed units under a systems admiral's command.

• Force superiority was a space superiority force. It was made up of three battle squadrons, each led by an Imperial Star Destroyer, along with a light squadron for scouting. Facing a growing Galaxy-wide insurgency, these units were tasked with the Navy's main objective: complete control of the space immediately surrounding all Imperial worlds, and the reduction of hostile activity throughout all occupied star systems.
• Force escort represented the second type of Systems Force designed for space combat. Unlike a Force Superiority, which focused on destroying the naval power of the New Order's enemies, Force Escort was deployed to safeguard the Empire's commercial infrastructure and eliminate pirates and other local threats plaguing the system. Another distinction was that while the Empire's military doctrine dictated that a Force Superiority should steadily commit more resources to a situation until the enemy was defeated, a Force Escort was generally expected to accomplish each mission with the minimum necessary force and attention. Consisting of two heavy squadrons and two light squadrons, a Force Escort essentially functioned as a cruiser command, potentially augmented by a few older Star Destroyers for additional firepower.
• Transport force was organized around two troop squadrons, each capable of transporting the troops of a full field Army, along with two heavy squadrons and two light squadrons for escort duties. The Transport Force's eight massive KDY-Evakmar troop transports were designed to serve both as mobile depots for routing, coordinating, and supplying Army personnel assigned to Navy ships, and as platforms for large-scale planetary assaults. Similar to a Force Escort, a Transport Force might also include a few Victory-class Star Destroyers to serve as command ships and provide fire support.
• Systems bombard was comprised of three bombard squadrons and a screening light squadron, centered around twelve torpedo spheres. These were officially intended for the specific purpose of disabling planetary shields. However, Imperial planners also apparently envisioned torpedo spheres for bombardment operations against planets where Rebel forces were deeply entrenched and an Army assault would be excessively costly in terms of personnel and resources. In practice, they were seemingly used as a substitute for surface assaults against relatively lightly defended worlds, freeing up troops for other assignments. Nevertheless, it's unclear whether the Imperial Navy ever produced enough torpedo spheres to equip more than one Systems Bombard. Furthermore, it appears that the commanders of bombard squadrons found the limited number of light cruisers and corvettes assigned to support their torpedo spheres inadequate for the task. When a Force Superiority had failed to completely eliminate enemy naval forces from a system, the Admiral would deploy elements of the Systems Bombard's light squadron to reinforce the bombard squadron beyond its standard strength, a practice that was technically illegal and generally frowned upon by most Moffs.
• Force technical services or FTS consisted of eight large transports, based on the same fundamental design as those in a Transport Force, each protected by two Escort Frigates. These transports carried specialist engineers and were responsible for performing major overhauls or upgrades to ships' systems. Any work that didn't warrant dockyard time but exceeded the capabilities of the technicians in the ships' crews fell under the purview of FTS. If FTS determined that a ship was too severely damaged for them to repair, most of their ships were capable of towing it to a proper dock facility.
• Force support was made up of supply depots and transport ships, including over a hundred cargo ships ranging in size from corvettes to enormous FSCVs. Essentially, they represented the local manifestation of the Imperial supply chain. Unlike FTS, which had permanently assigned frigates, Force Support ships had to rely on Force Escort ships for front-line protection when needed.

• Imperial Sourcebook
• Imperial Sourcebook, Second Edition
• The Essential Guide to Warfare
• Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide