Imperial Military / Legends The Imperial Military , also known as the Imperial armed forces or Imperial Service , was the armed forces of the Galactic Empire , and successor to the Republic Military . It was responsible for carrying out military operations throughout the galaxy as well as maintaining order on Imperial member worlds , governorships , colonies , and protectorates . The Imperial Military was a massive organization , as Palpatine did nothing to halt the massive military build up that had produced an army of troopers and enormous weapons of mass destruction following the Clone Wars . Its ranks were filled with tens of trillions of regular army soldiers , trillions of fleet crew , and a sizable force of stormtroopers . The Imperial Military was under the direct control of Imperial High Command . Although the Galactic Emperor acted as the Commander - in - Chief of the Military , Palpatine rarely ever left the confines of his palace on Coruscant , leaving a relative few military personnel ever actually seeing him face to face . As such , even though the various commanders merely carry out orders issued by the Emperor , they are considered to be the true positions of power in the New Order . The next highest rank was that of the Supreme Commander . The individual who held this title had complete control over the Imperial Military , and answered only to the Emperor . In the absence of an official Emperor , the Supreme Commander often became the " de - facto " leader of the Empire , as was seen in the cases of Grand Admiral Thrawn and Gilad Pellaeon . This position was held by several different Imperial officials over the course of the Empire ' s history , including Darth Vader , Thrawn , and Gilad Pellaeon . The Imperial Military was not only a physical superpower , but a mental one as well . Vader ' s stormtrooper division , the 501st Legion , known as " Vader ' s Fist , " inspired fear in any sentient species . The infamous Death Stars were used by Emperor Palpatine to frighten the galaxy ' s citizens into submission . These are only a few examples of the fact that pure fear of the Empire ' s might was often more effective than might itself . Much of the equipment used by the Empire was designed to enhance this effect , the fear - inspiring appearance of the AT - AT being one example of this phenomena . History . Foundation . The Imperial Military formed as a realignment of the Republic Military . Originally formed when then Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was authorized to create a Galactic Military under his Emergency Powers , the Grand Army of the Republic was formed by clones from facilities on Kamino . These clones were created from the DNA of Jango Fett under orders from Jedi Master Sifo - Dyas . Following the Clone Wars and the transformation from Republic to Empire , the clones were given new armor and weapons , and went from fighting droids to suppressing planetary uprisings on planets such as Naboo . Palpatine used the lack of a surrender from the Separatist leaders to continue to build up his army and navy , although he was aware that they were all dead . During the early stages of the Empire ' s formation , the Imperial Military initially found innumerable recruits among various cadets of the Academy , which had been an elite educational and training institution with campuses throughout the known galaxy . Shortly into the Empire ' s infancy , however , a military coup was instigated by the first graduating class of the various Military branches , helmed by the then - Imperial Academy headmaster Gentis , in order to end the Emperor ' s warmongering ways after stumbling upon the Imperial Crematorium , which also led to Palpatine being temporarily poisoned with Aorth - 6 . After the Kamino Uprising , Palpatine decided that having an entire army based on a single template was too dangerous , and began to diversify , although the [ [ 501st Legion / Legends | 501st Legion ] remained composed of Fett clones . According to the [ [ New Order / Legends | New Order ' s ] ] ideology of human supremacy , the stormtroopers remained on the whole , human . Early conflicts for the Imperial Military included the [ [ Reconquest of the Rim ] ] , which brought much of the [ [ Outer Rim Territories / Legends | Outer Rim Territories ] ] under Imperial control , and the [ [ Kwymar Suppressions ] ] . The Galactic Civil War . [ [ File : ATATAssaultFormation - TCGtBoH . jpg | right | thumb | 250px | AT - AT in attack formation during the Battle of Hoth ] ] After facing a droid uprising on [ [ Mustafar / Legends | Mustafar ] ] led by [ [ Gizor Dellso ] ] , the biggest threat to the Imperial Military was the [ [ Alliance to Restore the Republic / Legends | Alliance to Restore the Republic ] ] . The two sides fought for years , in a [ [ Galactic Civil War / Legends | conflict spanning the entire galaxy ] ] . The three biggest battles were at [ [ Battle of Yavin / Legends | Yavin ] ] , [ [ Battle of Hoth / Legends | Hoth ] ] , and [ [ Battle of Endor / Legends | Endor ] ] . At the time of the Battle of Yavin , the Imperial Military , according to Emperor Palpatine , was the largest fighting force in galactic history . Even though the Empire was victorious at Hoth , dealing a grievous blow to the Rebels , the Battles of Yavin and Endor resulted in major Alliance victories . In fact , Endor would see the end of the Empire ' s founder and his right hand man , [ [ Anakin Skywalker / Legends | Darth Vader ] ] , sending the Imperial Military into chaos . Defeat and restoration . Following defeat at the hands of the [ [ New Republic / Legends | New Republic ] ] , the Imperial Military split to follow multiple leaders , depending on their location and direct command . Several factions were led by officers and warlords such as [ [ Warlord / Legends | Warlord ] ] [ [ Zsinj ] ] , [ [ Ysanne Isard ] ] , and [ [ Grand Admiral / Legends | Grand Admiral ] ] [ [ Mitth ' raw ' nuruodo / Legends | Thrawn ] ] . Though they all came close to defeating the New Republic , especially Thrawn , all ultimately failed . When Palpatine returned , much of the military sided with him . After his final defeat in [ [ Operation Shadow Hand ] ] , they retreated to the portion of space known as [ [ Imperial Remnant | Imperial Space ] ] . They would later reunite with the New Republic to fight the Yuuzhan Vong . After about [ [ 40 ABY ] ] , the Imperial Remnant began to regain power ; after the [ [ Battle of Caamas ] ] in [ [ 130 ABY ] ] , it was once more the dominant faction in the galaxy . However , the Imperial Military was divided again when [ [ Roan Fel | Emperor Fel ] ] was forced out of power . Parts of the military remained loyal to him , and after its formation served the [ [ Galactic Federation Triumvirate ] ] . Organization . Headquarters . [ [ File : Imperial meeting SWGTCG . jpg | thumb | 200px | left | A meeting of military officers . ] ] The Imperial Military ' s [ [ Commander - in - Chief / Legends | Commander - in - Chief ] ] was the [ [ Galactic Emperor / Legends | Galactic Emperor ] ] [ [ Palpatine ] ] . However , the [ [ Supreme Commander ( Empire ) / Legends | Supreme Commander ] ] had direct control over the various Imperial forces . Another very high level organizational body was the [ [ Emperor ' s Advisory Committee on Military Affairs ] ] , which advised the Emperor on military affairs at least up until the Battle of Yavin . In addition , its highest organizational body was the [ [ Imperial High Command / Legends | Imperial High Command ] ] , which oversaw the highest levels of the three primary branches of the Imperial Military : [ [ Naval Command ( Imperial ) | Naval Command ] ] , [ [ Army Command ] ] , and [ [ Stormtrooper Command / Legends | Stormtrooper Command ] ] , alongside all support branches of the Imperial Military . High Command ' s role was to plan and coordinate the proper combination of [ [ Ground warfare | ground ] ] , [ [ Starfighter combat / Legends | air ] ] , [ [ Space warfare | space ] ] , and [ [ Special forces / Legends | special operations ] ] forces to achieve the mission objective . High Command was also responsible for synchronizing military efforts with the [ [ Commission for the Preservation of the New Order / Legends | Commission for the Preservation of the New Order ] ] , [ [ Imperial Intelligence / Legends | Imperial Intelligence ] ] , the [ [ Imperial Security Bureau / Legends | Imperial Security Bureau ] ] , and other intergovernmental partners . Although not actually part of Imperial High Command , the [ [ Battle Station Command / Legends | Battle Station Command ] ] was a similar high position that answered to Imperial High Command , and specifically headed the [ [ Battle Station Operations / Legends | Battle Station Operations ] ] branch , which was formed by Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin upon the completion of the Death Star . Administrative organization . Imperial High Command had authority over three service branches and seven support divisions . The [ [ Imperial Navy / Legends | Imperial Navy ] ] was the Empire ' s spacefaring force and projected power through [ [ Capital ship / Legends | capital ship ] ] such as the [ [ Imperial - class Star Destroyer / Legends | " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer ] ] , and controlled the Empire ' s [ [ TIE Series | TIE Fighters ] ] through the [ [ Starfighter Corps ( Galactic Empire ) | Starfighter Corps ] ] . The [ [ Imperial Army / Legends | Imperial Army ] ] was the Empire ' s planetary [ [ invasion ] ] and [ [ Control ( planetary assault tactics ) | occupation ] ] force and controlled the Empire ' s [ [ Ground Assault Vehicle / Legends | armored vehicles ] ] . The Army also controlled the [ [ Imperial Maritime Division ] ] , which operated aquatic vehicles and submersibles on ocean planets and surface rivers . The [ [ Stormtrooper Corps / Legends | Stormtrooper Corps ] ] , the smallest of the branches , was the elite of the Imperial Military , loyal only to Palpatine , and controlled the Empire ' s distinctive , [ [ Stormtrooper armor / Legends | white - armored ] ] [ [ Stormtrooper / Legends | stormtroopers ] ] , and was responsible for first strikes , shock action , and ensuring the loyalty of crews aboard Navy ships . The seven support divisions of the Imperial Military were the [ [ Imperial Department of Military Research / Legends | Imperial Department of Military Research ] ] , the [ [ Imperial Diplomatic Corps ] ] , the [ [ Imperial Engineering Corps ] ] , the [ [ Imperial Survey Corps / Legends | Imperial Survey Corps ] ] , the [ [ Imperial Exploration Corps ] ] , the [ [ Imperial Surgical Corps ] ] , and the [ [ Imperial Military Police ] ] . IDMR was the military ' s research and development branch for new [ [ Warship / Legends | warships ] ] , armaments and [ [ battlestation ] ] s . The Diplomatic Corps negotiated with hostile worlds with the aim of pacifying them without the use of force . The Engineering Corps was tasked with constructing strategic structures like garrisons , ore mines , power generators and space stations . The Exploration and Survey Corps was attached to the Imperial Navy and was used to expand the Empire ' s borders by finding new planets for conquest . The Surgical Corps was the Empire ' s medical branch and was also used to develop new [ [ bioweapon ] ] s . Finally , the Military Police ensured discipline in the ranks . Other branches of unspecified relationship to the main ten organizations were the [ [ Imperial Department of Munitions Resource Development ] ] , [ [ Imperial Transport ( organization ) | Imperial Transport ] ] , the [ [ Internal Safeguards Division ] ] , the [ [ Imperial Biological Weapons Division ] ] , the [ [ Imperial Palace Guard ] ] , the [ [ Imperial Officer Corps / Legends | Imperial Officer Corps ] ] , the [ [ Imperial Special Forces / Legends | Imperial Special Forces ] ] , an [ [ Unidentified Imperial program | indoctrination program ] ] , the [ [ Emperor ' s Demonstration Team ] ] , the [ [ Imperial Demonstration Team ] ] , and the [ [ Acolyte Program | Acolyte ] ] and [ [ Saber Program ] ] s . Although technically not actual branches with the Imperial Military , the [ [ Department of Public Works ] ] and [ [ Department of System Exploration ] ] had several of its funds diverted at the behest of Emperor Palpatine to fund the development of the two Death Stars as well as the " Eye of Palpatine " , and top - secret research into starfighter development , several of which were done illegally . The Imperial Advisor [ [ Coh Veshiv ] ] uncovered the latter instance , although this ended up inadvertently outraging his liege due to a breach in security . Although they are not actually part of the standard Imperial Military hierarchy , the [ [ Imperial Intelligence / Legends | Imperial Intelligence ] ] and [ [ Imperial Security Bureau / Legends | Imperial Security Bureau ] ] branches ( acting as the intelligence gathering branch and [ [ secret police ] ] branch , respectively ) nonetheless are important enough assets to various Imperial Military operations to allow them to work together with the Imperial Military , as their collected findings and work are vital for their various military operations , as well as to ensure the various branches are ideologically consistent . Similarly , while the [ [ Imperial Senate Guard ] ] s and [ [ Imperial Senate Sentinel ] ] s technically weren ' t part of the standard Imperial Military hierarchy due to being assigned for guard duty for matters related to the [ [ Imperial Senate / Legends | Imperial Senate ] ] , they nonetheless have sometimes been attached to and at times even commanded various Imperial Military units should the operation be important enough to require their presence . The [ [ Commission for the Preservation of the New Order / Legends | Commission for the Preservation of the New Order ( COMPNOR ) ] ] , similar to the ISB , was not actually part of the standard Imperial Military hierarchy , but it often was attached to it for largely the same reasons as the ISB ( which had itself been a creation of COMPNOR ) , with the inclusion of [ [ CompForce / Legends | CompForce ] ] , the military wing of COMPNOR , as an [ [ COMPNOR Regiment | actual regiment ] ] in the Imperial Military . Likewise , while not actually part of the Imperial Military , the [ [ Imperial Office of Criminal Investigations / Legends | Imperial Office of Criminal Investigations ] ] , and by extension its units the [ [ Sector Ranger ] ] s and [ [ Special Enforcement Officer ] ] s , sometimes worked with the Imperial Military if any criminal investigations happened to involve both parties , as the former had jurisdiction throughout most of the known galaxy . The Imperial Military was governed by various regulations . Imperial Military personnel followed and were disciplined under the [ [ Imperial Military Code ] ] . One regulation required all Imperial vessels to release garbage into the vacuum of space before making a hyperspace jump . Another was that , the moment when an executive vessel ( such as a [ [ Lambda - class T - 4a shuttle / Legends | " Lambda " - class T - 4a shuttle ] ] ) had lowered its ramp , all personnel within the docking area were to stand at attention . One specific set of codes was Section 12 - C , which defined capital offenses , which included but was not limited to incitement to mutiny , participation in mutiny , concealing mutineers or evidence of mutiny or planned mutiny and concealing saboteurs or evidence of sabotage or planned sabotage . Although technically not part of the Imperial Military , [ [ Privateer / Legends | Privateers ] ] have an unofficial relationship with the Imperial Military , often raiding enemy shipping under Emperor Palpatine ' s explicit permission via a letter of marque , with the Imperial Military tolerating their presence in the Outer Rim and letting them have free reign as long as it didn ' t interfere with their own affairs . Tactical organization . The Empire ' s strategy was described in the [ [ Tarkin Doctrine / Legends | Tarkin Doctrine ] ] promulgated by [ [ Grand Moff / Legends | Grand Moff ] ] [ [ Wilhuff Tarkin / Legends | Wilhuff Tarkin ] ] of [ [ Eriadu / Legends | Eriadu ] ] . Under the Tarkin Doctrine , the Empire ' s main operational theaters were the [ [ Oversector / Legends | Oversectors ] ] , which consolidated hundreds of smaller [ [ Sector / Legends | sectors ] ] to enable military operations without the interference of political borders . Individual sectors were controlled by [ [ Moff / Legends | Moffs ] ] and the Oversectors by [ [ Grand Moff / Legends | Grand Moffs ] ] , politico - military [ [ Governor / Legends | governors ] ] with control over all military assets in their sector . The original twenty [ [ Sector Army | sector armies ] ] of the [ [ Grand Army of the Republic / Legends | Grand Army of the Republic ] ] expanded dramatically until the Imperial Army composed of thousands of [ [ Sector army | sector armies ] ] and the Navy over a thousand [ [ Sector Group ] ] s . In addition , ambition for the highest posts was encouraged amongst officers to keep competition fierce ( with the penalty for failure being death ) , which likewise meant that a significant number of the Empire ' s commanders within the New Order being those of formidable military talents , owing to the New Order ' s valuing ruthless efficiency . However , in some cases , due to bureaucracy and political whims , incapable men were promoted to high posts . Personnel . Specializations . [ [ File : Snowtrooper Captain . jpg | right | thumb | An Imperial [ [ Cold assault stormtrooper | snowtrooper ] ] captain ] ] Under the Imperial Military ' s [ [ Non - huMan ] ] rule , members of the Imperial Military were almost invariably [ [ Sexes / Legends | male ] ] [ [ Human / Legends | Humans ] ] . Official Imperial policy regarded most [ [ Alien / Legends | alien ] ] species as being unfit for command or even self - determination . Those few alien or female military personnel , such as [ [ Bertroff Hissa ] ] , [ [ Mitth ' raw ' nuruodo / Legends | Mitth ' raw ' nuruodo ] ] , or [ [ Natasi Daala ] ] rose to high rank through concealing their backgrounds , obtaining powerful patrons , or through raw skill alone . The Empire used many foot soldiers in battle . The [ [ Stormtrooper / Legends | stormtroopers ] ] were the backbone of the Imperial military , serving as the Empire ' s shock troops , much like many of them did as [ [ Clone trooper / Legends | clone troopers ] ] during the [ [ Clone Wars / Legends | Clone Wars ] ] . Some stormtroopers were clones left from the Clone Wars , but [ [ Palpatine | Emperor Palpatine ] ] decided to start cloning other soldiers from different men and start non - clone recruitment after the [ [ Kamino uprising | Kamino Uprising ] ] . There were also specialized versions , such as [ [ Dark trooper ] ] s and [ [ Cold assault stormtrooper | snowtroopers ] ] , that were tasked with specific goals as well as to work in specific environments . Other specializations included the [ [ Vehicle Command Crewer | Army Pilots ] ] who drove the Empire ' s [ [ Walker / Legends | walkers ] ] and armored vehicles , the [ [ Imperial Army trooper ] ] s who were by far the most common soldiers in [ [ The galaxy / Legends | the galaxy ] ] , the Navy ' s [ [ Imperial gunner | Gunners ] ] , the [ [ TIE pilot ] ] s of the [ [ Starfighter Corps ( Galactic Empire ) | Starfighter Corps ] ] , [ [ Imperial Marine ] ] s , specialized stormtroopers trained for shipboard fighting , and the [ [ zero - G assault stormtrooper ] ] s trained for combat in the vacuum of space . [ [ Imperial officer / Legends | Imperial officers ] ] held command appointments over ships , troops and military units . Such men tended to be [ [ Core Worlds / Legends | Core Worlders ] ] , and lack of powerful connections within the military hierarchy could be a bar to high rank . Officers tended to be highly [ [ Humanocentrism | Humanocentric ] ] and fully supportive of the [ [ New Order / Legends | New Order ' s ] ] anti - alien policies . The most senior officers in the Imperial Military were the twelve [ [ Grand Admiral / Legends | Grand Admirals ] ] , a cadre of naval strategists , researchers , and [ [ New Order / Legends | New Order ] ] partisans appointed by Emperor Palpatine in [ [ 2 BBY / Legends | 2 BBY ] ] . Called the " Circle of Twelve " by Palpatine , they were assembled to be a leadership cadre for the entire Imperial Military . [ [ Imperial Missile Launcher Trooper ] ] s and [ [ Imperial Armored Missile Trooper ] ] s played the role of anti - air infantry during various ground operations . In addition , at least until [ [ 2 BBY / Legends | 2 BBY ] ] , the military also had [ [ Saber Guard ] ] s and [ [ Imperial Sith Acolyte ] ] s , which were trained force - sensitive warriors dedicated to lightsaber combat and force abilities , respectively , for use against force users . Training . The Imperial Military took over the ancient system of academies that had trained personnel of the [ [ Republic Navy / Legends | Republic Navy ] ] , [ [ Planetary Security Forces ] ] , and [ [ Judicial Forces / Legends | Judicial Forces ] ] for millennia . Navy recruits attended [ [ Sector Naval Academy | Sector Naval Academies ] ] , and the most promising graduates could be selected for advanced training at the [ [ Imperial Naval Academy ] ] on [ [ Prefsbelt IV ] ] or the [ [ Republic Navy War College | Navy War College ] ] on [ [ Anaxes / Legends | Anaxes ] ] . [ [ Imperial Army Officer Training Academy | Army Officer Training Academies ] ] similarly took in prospective soldiers , and the best [ [ Cadet / Legends | cadets ] ] might be assigned to the prestigious [ [ Raithal Academy / Legends | Raithal Academy ] ] or the [ [ Corulag Academy / Legends | Corulag Academy ] ] . The first graduates of the Academy , however , were infamous for instigating a military coup against Palpatine to end the latter ' s warmongering ways . [ [ Stormtrooper / Legends | Stormtrooper ] ] training took place at the [ [ Academy of Carida ] ] which used the planet ' s high gravity to build tougher , more resilient troopers . Training for [ [ TIE pilot ] ] s took place subsequently to basic training for Naval personnel at a [ [ flight school ] ] , typically aboard a [ [ Star Destroyer / Legends | Star Destroyer ] ] . Ranks . Officer ranks within the Imperial Military was denoted by a specific combination of colored squares and [ [ Code cylinder / Legends | code cylinders ] ] worn on the uniform . The Military divided rank into " Position " , " Line rank " , and " Specialist rank " . " Position " referred to an officer ' s current assignment on a ship or unit as opposed to permanent rank , and included the honorary titles of [ [ High Admiral ] ] and [ [ Warlord of the Empire ] ] , usually granted to [ [ Grand Moff / Legends | Grand Moffs ] ] , [ [ Grand Admiral / Legends | Grand Admirals ] ] and [ [ Grand General / Legends | Grand Generals ] ] . Other titles included [ [ Baron of the Empire ] ] and [ [ Tan ] ] . Ironically , the title of Warlord of the Empire would later become infamous for the splintering of the Empire post - Endor , where various rogue Imperial officers created fiefdoms that feuded with each other , to the extent that they were referred to as [ [ Warlord / Legends | Warlords ] ] . " Line ranks " were permanent ranks held by those who commanded ships , military units , or fleets . There were very few officers with permanent line ranks above that of Navy [ [ Senior Captain ] ] or Army [ [ Colonel / Legends | Colonel ] ] . " Specialist rank " was held by those in the technical branches and broadly mirrored the line ranks of the Imperial Army . Specialists promoted above the rank of [ [ General / Legends | General ] ] would be promoted into the line ranks but would receive honorary titles related to their branch . Equipment . Uniforms . Officers in the Army and Navy wore an olive - gray uniform tunic and trousers with matching caps and black leather boots . Officers in the Stormtrooper Corps wore identical uniforms but all - black in color , and in battle wore the same [ [ Stormtrooper armor / Legends | white armor ] ] as their soldiers but with rank insignia . Similar black - colored NCO uniforms were also prevalent among veteran pilots and prison guards . Enlisted personnel wore a variety of coveralls or [ [ jumpsuit ] ] s depending on role . [ [ Imperial Army trooper ] ] s wore gray battledress with partial body armor and helmets in combat . [ [ Imperial Navy trooper ] ] s wore black jumpsuits and large helmets , while [ [ Technician / Legends | technicians ] ] and [ [ specialist ] ] s wore gray jumpsuits with black caps . The most striking military uniforms were the [ [ Grand Admiral uniform / Legends | stark white uniforms ] ] of the twelve [ [ Grand Admiral / Legends | Grand Admirals ] ] , which also bore gold epaulettes to show the seniority of their rank . Around [ [ 0 BBY / Legends | 0 BBY ] ] , various Imperial officers had their hair cut in a way that exposed the sideburns , although this practice was discontinued some time after the [ [ Battle of Yavin / Legends | Battle of Yavin ] ] . Although technically not a standard uniform for the Imperial Military , various Imperials stationed at [ [ Restuss ] ] utilized the [ [ Crusader Mark III armor ] ] provided to them by Black Sun during the [ [ Battle of Restuss | battle ] ] against Rebel forces for the [ [ Star Core ] ] . The Rebels , likewise , wore [ [ Crusader Mark II armor ] ] during that time , and also developed by Black Sun as a way of profiting from the war by selling [ [ Crusader armor ] ] to both sides without tipping either side off . Ground Vehicles . [ [ File : AT - ST SWGTCG art . JPG | thumb | 200px | left | [ [ Walker / Legends | Walkers ] ] were the critical component of the Imperial Ground Forces . ] ] Walkers such as [ [ All Terrain Scout Transport / Legends | AT - STs ] ] and [ [ All Terrain Armored Transport / Legends | AT - ATs ] ] symbolized the might and resources of the Empire . They were giant weapons of war , feared by all . Many believed such weapons to be invincible . However , the AT - AT had two fatal flaws — its neck and its legs . ( Rebel Snowspeeder pilots exploited these weaknesses on Hoth . ) After the formation of the Empire at the end of the Clone Wars , many vehicles left over from that previous galactic conflict were used by the military , along with Separatist light vehicles , such as the [ [ DSD1 dwarf spider droid / Legends | Dwarf Spider Droid ] ] . Later on in the Empire ' s existence as the primary galactic power , older vehicles , such as the AT - AP , Juggernaut , ( Juggernauts were used in action on Hoth ) and cargo AT - TEs were used in the [ [ Outer Rim Territories / Legends | Outer Rim ] ] . Less widely known vehicles included the [ [ All Terrain Recon Transport / Legends | AT - RT ] ] , [ [ All Terrain Anti - Aircraft | AT - AA ] ] , [ [ All Terrain Attack Pod | AT - AP ] ] , [ [ All Terrain Personal Transport | AT - PT ] ] , [ [ All Terrain Tactical Enforcer / Legends | AT - TE ] ] , [ [ Mountain Terrain Armored Transport | MT - AT ] ] , [ [ HAVw A6 Juggernaut / Legends | HAVw A6 Juggernauts ] ] and the [ [ TX - 130T fighter tank ] ] . These units were not as famous as their counterparts but remained very dangerous to enemy units . Ships . [ [ File : Strang Conqueror . jpg | thumb | 250px | right | Admiral [ [ Victor Strang ] ] with his [ [ Superlaser / Legends | superlaser ] ] - equipped Star Destroyer , " [ [ Conqueror ( superlaser ) | Conqueror ] ] " ] ] Although [ [ Venator - class Star Destroyer / Legends | " Venator " - class Star Destroyers ] ] had served valiantly in the defense of the Republic during the Clone Wars , the rise of the Galactic Empire quickly turned the powerful vessels into symbols of fear and intimidation . The " Venator " and [ [ Victory - class Star Destroyer / Legends | " Victory " - class Star Destroyers ] ] were stripped of their Republic markings and became the first of many warships that would comprise the Imperial Starfleet . Despite the total collapse of the Confederacy of Independent Systems , the Empire ' s military spending would only increase , leading to the development of the [ [ Imperial - class Star Destroyer / Legends | " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer ] ] . Eventually , the former Republic vessels would be phased out in favor of the new " Imperial " class , which would become the primary symbol of Imperial space power . The [ [ Immobilizer 418 cruiser / Legends | Immobilizer 418 cruiser ] ] , also known as the " Interdictor " - class heavy cruiser , " Interdictor " - class Star Destroyer , or " Interdictor " - class medium frigate , was a 600 - meter - long cruiser built on the standard Vindicator - class heavy cruiser hull . This vessel was equipped with 4 [ [ Gravity well projector / Legends | gravity well projectors ] ] , massive devices that projected pseudo - gravity that could prevent a vessel from escaping into [ [ Hyperspace / Legends | hyperspace ] ] . The New Republic captured the remaining Immobilizer 418s , and upgraded their gravity - well projectors . The Empire used many capital ships as frigates . Some of the most common were the [ [ Victory II - class Star Destroyer ] ] and the [ [ Carrack - class light cruiser / Legends | " Carrack " - class light cruiser ] ] . They varied in size and power , but each was still a force to be reckoned with . They were more specialized than Star Destroyers , and though Star Destroyers were the backbone of the Fleet , frigates were more commonly used , unless a major battle was at hand . The culmination of the Star Destroyer design came in the form of the [ [ Executor - class Star Dreadnought / Legends | " Executor " - class Star Dreadnought ] ] , which was larger and more powerful still . Several " Executor " - class ships were known to have been constructed , including the original " [ [ Executor / Legends | Executor ] ] " , the " [ [ Lusankya ] ] " , the " [ [ Iron Fist ( Executor - class ) | Iron Fist ] ] " and one other Super Star Destroyer of unidentified class which served much later on fighting against the Yuuzhan Vong . The fleet also used two [ [ Eclipse - class dreadnought | " Eclipse " - class Super Star Destroyers ] ] during [ [ Operation Shadow Hand ] ] . These mighty ships were equipped with superlasers powerful enough to melt a planet ' s crust . Starfighters . [ [ File : TIEs SoG . jpg | thumb | left | 250px | TIE fighter formation . ] ] The Empire had millions of [ [ TIE Series ] ] [ [ Starfighter / Legends | starfighters ] ] , coming in many varieties . All varieties of the TIE ( except for the TIE Defender , TIE Hunter , TIE Avenger , TIE Phantom , and the TIE Advanced X1 ) , however , lacked shields . This made the craft more vulnerable than the other ships used in the Imperial Military , forcing the [ [ TIE pilot | pilots ] ] to fly with greater precision , demanding the highest skill from each one . The [ [ TIE / LN starfighter | TIE Fighter ] ] was the Empire ' s most common fighter . Though the fighter had no shields , it was very fast , and , most important to Palpatine , it was cheap . There were many variations on the original , such as the [ [ TIE / IN interceptor / Legends | TIE Interceptor ] ] , the [ [ TIE / sa bomber / Legends | TIE Bomber ] ] , and the [ [ TIE / D Defender / Legends | TIE Defender ] ] . With the exception of the Defender , all were relatively cheap and extremely efficient . The Imperial R . O . E . ( Rules Of Engagement ) stated that Imperial TIE Fighters must have a 3 to 1 ratio advantage over enemy fighters in order to engage . Beating the enemy in numbers was a key part of Imperial strategy . Behind the scenes . In [ [ A . C . Crispin ] ] ' s book , " [ [ The Paradise Snare ] ] " , it is subtly hinted that [ [ The Imperial March ] ] is " the martial theme of the Imperial Navy . " " [ [ Death Star Designer ] ] " provides a few information on the color symbolism in the imperial military . It says " no one is ever fired or telekinetically executed for choosing Imperial Grey . It ' s the traditional color for imperial ships and stations " . It also talks about " Sith Black " , which " adds a touch of ancient dread to any battle station " . " Stormtrooper White " is said to be " the perfect choice for the battlestation designer that knows that what we don ' t see is more terrifying than what we do " . Finally , " Republic Red " follows the teaching of " co - opting the legacy of republican traditions " . Notes and references . [ [ Category : Darth Krayt ' s Galactic Empire military units | ] ] [ [ Category : Empire - in - exile military units | ] ] [ [ Category : Fel Empire military units | ] ] [ [ Category : Imperial military units | ] ]