Fleet organization

Space fleets were generally organized into hierarchical groups for specific strategic purposes. Vessels could operate in those groupings in various situations either permanently or over a short period of time.
==Unit==
Ships of the same type were referred to as units. Starfleet used several destroyer units during Operation Return. ()
==Squadron==
Squadrons were a small group of generally three to five ships. Although the exact number of vessels could vary, a Klingon squadron of Birds-of-Prey consisted of five ships , whereas a squadron of Jem'Hadar attack ships usually was comprised of three. ()
Starfleet only organized small ships like their attack fighter in squadrons. ()
==Wing==
A wing was a grouping of several ships for a specific purpose. Depending on the military, a wing could consist of a different number of ships. Usually, wings were named by the specific mission type. The UFP Starfleet used attack wings and tactical wings. The command of a permanent wing such as the seventh tactical wing required an officer superior to the rank of captain in command, other non-permanent wings such as cruiser or Galaxy wings could also be commanded by a captain. ()
In the Klingon Defense Force an attack wing consisted of at least seven Birds-of-Prey and two capital ships, mostly . ()
==Battle group==
Battle groups consisted of a variable number of ships, usually gathered temporarily for a specific combat-related mission. Starfleet assembled a small battle group to assist the during a Reman incursion. ()
Near the end of the Dominion War in 2375, General Martok of the Klingon Empire organized a fleet of 1,500 ships into small battle groups for hit-and-run attacks against the Dominion. ()
==Task force==
A task force was a fleet of ships for a special task such as assault, protection or diplomacy and was generally bigger than the relatively small battle group. Like the battle group, the number of ships in a task force could vary greatly: There were small task forces consisting of only nine ships and large ones consisting of several hundred. ()
In Starfleet, a task force was usually commanded by an admiral, or in some cases a captain. ()
==Numbered fleet==
Starfleet organized all ships in numbered fleets. A numbered fleet consisted of several hundred ships, all localized in a specific region of space. There were at least nine numbered fleets operating in Starfleet. ()
The Cardassian military used the term "order" rather than "fleet".
==Admiralty==
In the 18th century, the Admiralty was the highest authority responsible for all naval operations; this term was used to describe all ships and vessels in a space fleet.
In Starfleet this authority was known as Starfleet Command and Commander-in-Chief. ()
The Cardassian military took its orders from the Cardassian Central Command, while the highest military authority within the Dominion were the Founders.
==See also==
* Military organization
==External link==
* 
Category:Military units