Trade Federation Droid Army The Trade Federation Droid Army , also known simply as the Federation Army , was a private , automated defense force maintained by the Trade Federation to protect its valuable shipments from piracy . It was used by the Trade Federation to invade the planet Naboo and was later incorporated into the Separatist Droid Army during the Separatist Crisis . Description . As the Trade Federation ' s private security force , the Trade Federation Droid Army , or the Federation Army , protected important Federation cargo from pirate s , despite the galaxy being ostensibly at peace , as well as act as the Federation ' s own military forces . As Viceroy of the Trade Federation , Nute Gunray had the capacity to command the army . Few in the Galactic Senate had any real understanding of how powerful their battle droid army was , and those who did know were paid handsomely to look the other way , resulting in peaceful civilizations and worlds without military defenses becoming easy targets for invasions by the Trade Federation . History . Trade tensions . During the final decades of the Galactic Republic , the Trade Federation , a wealthy interstellar trade and shipping conglomerate , was allowed to maintain a private , automated defense force . By 32 BBY , the Galactic Senate had passed legislation , Prop 31 - 814D , that forced the Trade Federation to pay taxes in the previously untaxed Free Trade Zone s . As a result , the Trade Federation decided to retaliate by blockading the Mid Rim world of Naboo and force the people of Naboo to sign a treaty legitimizing the military operations . Invasion of Naboo . Seeking to settle the trade dispute , Supreme Chancellor of the Republic , Finis Valorum , sent an envoy to the blockade . The envoy , consisting of the " Radiant VII " and a pair of Jedi ambassador s , Jedi Master Qui - Gon Jinn and Padawan Obi - Wan Kenobi , was initially welcomed by the Federation , but after Viceroy Nute Gunray learned of the identities of the ambassadors and at the behest of Darth Sidious , the Federation Army attacked the Jedi and destroyed the " Radiant VII " . After the Jedi discovered the Federation Army being loaded unto landing craft , they decided to split up and stowaway on separate transport s . The subsequent invasion of Naboo saw the deployment of the Federation Army to the planet ' s surface by landing craft . After grouping their forces , the Army captured the capital city of Naboo , Theed , and captured Queen Padmé Amidala . The Federation Army then established prison camps throughout the city , including Camp Four and secured the Theed Hangar and Theed Royal Palace . As Amidala , her security staff , and the Jedi managed to escape to Tatooine and then to Coruscant , the Trade Federation Droid Army secured control of the entire planet , and began searching for the rumored underwater cities of the Gungan s . When Amidala and her companions returned to Naboo , they regrouped with the Gungans and assembled their forces . The Naboo gathered their forces as well as the leaders of the underground resistance that had taken arms agains the Trade Federation , while the Gungans assembled their Grand Army . In the ensuing Battle of Naboo , the Federation Army was split on three fronts ; one battle in the Great Grass Plains against the Gungan Grand Army , one in Theed against a strike force of Naboo Security Forces as they attempted to capture Gunray , and another in orbit above the planet against Bravo Flight , who sought to destroy the Droid Control Ship that would disable all Federation Army battle droids . By the end of the battle , the Federation Army was deactivated when the control ship , the " Saak ' ak " , was destroyed and Gunray was captured . The Clone Wars . A decade later by 22 BBY , the Trade Federation and its army were still active and were integrated into the Separatist Droid Army along with the droid army of the Techno Union and the resources of the InterGalactic Banking Clan , Corporate Alliance , and the Commerce Guild , who would wage war against the Galactic Republic , resulting in the pan - galactic Clone Wars . Organization . As a droid army , the Trade Federation extensively employed the use of OOM - series battle droid s , OOM command battle droid s , OOM pilot battle droid s , Security Battle Droid s , and droideka s . For cleanup of destroyed army droids , the Federation utilized the PK - series worker droid . Vehicles and machinery . The Trade Federation Droid Army was equipped with a variety of ground and space vehicles . It made use of Multi - Troop Transport s , Armored Assault Tank s , and Single Trooper Aerial Platform s for ground operations . For space - capable vehicles , it made use of C - 9979 landing craft s and Variable Geometry Self - Propelled Battle Droid , Mark I starfighter s . Using " Lucrehulk " - class LH - 3210 cargo freighters and a Droid Control Ship , they were able to blockade entire planet s and deploy their army . Weapons and equipment . The common weapon used by the battle droids of the Trade Federation ' s army was the E - 5 blaster rifle . Comlink booster pack s were worn on the backs of most OOM - series battle droids . Behind the scenes . The Trade Federation Droid Army first appeared in the theatrical 1999 film , . It was first identified in " Ultimate Star Wars " , a canon reference book released in 2015 .