Imperial I - class Star Destroyer The Imperial I " - class Star Destroyer , also referred to as an Imperial " - class Star Destroyer or Star Destroyer , was a model of " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer in the service of the Imperial Navy . A wedge - shaped capital ship , it bristled with weapons emplacements , assault troop s , boarding craft , and TIE fighters . In the era of the Galactic Empire , its command bridge was staffed by the finest crewmen in the navy . At first , Star Destroyer s were deployed to sector s and systems caught in the aftermath of the Clone Wars , where they would crush any signs of sedition . During the Galactic Civil War the Destroyer ' s role changed to hunting down high value Rebel targets and bases . They fought in notable battles such as the Battle of Hoth and the Battle of Endor . The " Imperial II " - class Star Destroyer was a derivative of the " Imperial I " - class . Characteristics . Dimensions . With a length of 1 , 600 meter s , the wedge - shaped " Imperial I " - class Star Destroyer was 445 meters longer than its immediate predecessor , the " Venator " - class Star Destroyer , which had been developed for the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars . In keeping with the Empire ' s habit of favoring muted colors whenever possible , the hull of the Imperial - class was painted in gray , while the " Venator " - class of the Clone Wars - era had red markings denoting the Republic ' s diplomatic immunity . Crew requirements . " Imperial I " - class Star Destroyers had over 37 , 000 crew on board — 9 , 253 officers and 27 , 850 enlisted personnel . The complement of 9 , 700 stormtrooper s added to a total of 46 , 803 crew and passengers . With the bridge being located in the upper half of the ship , the officer ' s quarters were located right below it . To complement its impressive crew size , every " Imperial " - class vessel carried consumables for 2 years , with its liquid stores and holds for raw materials being located near its bow . Amidships , crew barracks , gunnery crew quarters , meeting rooms , training areas , and cell blocks were located in the vessels second ' step , ' with four gradually upsloping smaller ' steps ' eventually leading to the ships ' neck ' which connected it to its upper bridge section , deflector shield generators , and communications array . On the " side " of the ship existed the port lateral umbilical restocking vestibule . Like other Star Destroyers , a single Internal Affairs officer was stationed aboard the ship to scan the crew for signs of disloyalty and sedition , as well as interrogate any captured prisoners . As most ships in the Navy , Rebaxan Columni MSE - 6 series repair droid s were employed to serve as messenger , repair and custodial assistants . Armament and Shielding . The " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer bristled with weapons emplacements . 60 Taim & Bak XX - 9 heavy turbolaser batteries , 60 Borstel NK - 7 ion cannon s , and 10 Phylon 07 tractor beam projector s dotted its gray hull . At the very front of the ship existed the forward pursuit tractor beam array . The ship also featured six dual heavy turbolaser turrets , two quad heavy turbolasers , three triple medium turbolasers , and two medium turbolasers . The " Imperial I " - class also featured two dual heavy ion cannon turrets that lined the dorsal superstructure flanking the command tower . The turbolaser turrets of an ISD were hooked to large arrays of auxiliary power cells . At both " ends " of the Star Destroyer existed an aft starboard point defense laser canon . On the underside of the very tip of the ISD was the navigational deflector generator . It worked in tandem with the two bridge deflector shield domes . It carried shields strong enough to easily withstand a collision with a GR - 75 medium transport with no damage to the hull . Complement . Within its vast belly hangar bays , an " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer typically carried an impressive complement of troops , consisting of seventy - two TIE / ln space superiority starfighter s , eight " Lambda " - class T - 4a shuttles , twenty AT - AT walker s , thirty AT - ST or AT - DP walkers , and fifteen Imperial Troop Transport s . Despite its fighter complement , " Imperial I " - class vessels proved less effective against skilled rebel pilots than their " Venator " - class predecessors had been against droid starfighters . They were nonetheless essential in the Imperial doctrine of planetary containment and fast infantry deployment , and the vessel was noted as one of the most resource - intensive ships in the Imperial Navy . Propulsion systems . Powering the Destroyer were seven main engine units , including Cygnus Spaceworks Gemon - 4 ion engine s , and could accelerate to speeds of up to 975 kph . The ship however was not suited towards planetary atmospheres , in which full power was required to stay aloft . Any interruption in the power supply in atmosphere could be catastrophic to the vessel , despite all vital equipment being shielded . The primary power generator on board the ship was large enough relative to the rest of the craft to protrude with a ventral bulb . In order to jump to light - speed and enter hyperspace the " Imperial " - class was equipped with a Class 2 hyperdrive , while it was standard protocol to dump the ship ' s garbage before entering hyperspace in order to reduce the weight of the vessel . Bridge tower . A prominent feature of the " Imperial " - class was its bridge tower . Located atop the tower were twin deflector shield generator globes and a tractor beam targeting array . The command bridge itself featured two elongated pits set below floor level , whose walls were lined with monitors and control panels . In addition , six more duty station consoles were mounted freely in each pit . The superiors officers stood on a walkway surrounding the pits at the normal deck height . All the consoles were aligned perpendicular to the walkway . A small room behind the main bridge existed separated by a single blast door , which had access to advanced communications equipment and a holographic imaging table . This arrangement was considered beneficial for denoting rank hierarchy within the ship . History . The " Imperial " - class Star Destroyers were the technological successors of the " Venator " - class Jedi cruisers used by the naval forces of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars . After the Republic was turned into the Empire at the end of the Clone Wars , the self - anointed Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine decreed a massive military buildup . To meet interstellar defense needs , the great shipyards of the galaxy were fired up during the Clone Wars and remained lit well into the Age of the Empire . The enormous construction facilities at Kuat , Corellia , Ringo Vinda , Fondor , and elsewhere were converted from civilian graving docks into military starports capable of churning out " Imperial " - class Star Destroyers . Building upon the strengths of the Jedi cruisers , the bigger " Imperial " - class vessels became one of the most instantly recognizable symbols of the Imperial might , and were often titled intimidating names such as " Lawbringer " , " Relentless " and " Devastator " . Initially , the new Star Destroyers were deployed to sector s and systems that had once been beyond the reach of Republic law , where they would subjugate them and crush any signs of resistance or rebellion . Imperial Star Destroyers became symbols of this new order . Citizens weary of chaos and war cheered the sight of these giant dagger - shaped warships , while pirate s and slaver s quailed at the thought of confronting them . But a few citizens wondered if the imposition of Imperial law was worth the freedoms lost . Easily becoming the most recognizable symbol of Imperial power , the " Imperial " - class further demonstrated its tactical versatility by protecting galactic commerce and bolstering Imperial - backed governments . Many admirals , Grand Moff ' s , ISB agents and senior Imperial commanders utilized these ships as their personal command ship , with the ship ' s officer often being as intimidating as the ship itself — whose shadow alone could bring results . At the peak of the Empire , over 25 , 000 Imperial Star Destroyers were in existence , with the Empire ' s primary source of Star Destroyers and Destroyer - equipped shipyards located at the industrial manufacturing center of Kuat . Ultimately , these giant craft became the backbone of the Imperial Navy , hunting down Rebel task forces , blockading undisciplined worlds and serving as launch bases for planetary assaults . Eventually , the " Imperial I " - class Star Destroyer would be replaced by the " Imperial II " - class Star Destroyer . The " Devastator " was the last of the " Imperial I " - class Star Destroyers to lumber out of the Kuat Drive Yards before the facility began production on the " Imperial II " - class , although it was later upgraded to compete with these more advanced warships . The " Imperial " - class would ultimately see service in the First Order ' s Navy thirty years after the Battle of Endor , and would be regarded as a highly respected ship , with many of its design flaws rectified with the construction of the " Resurgent " - class Star Destroyer , a newer , more powerful vessel based on the Old Empire ' s dreaded warships .