Galactic Alliance Defense Force

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The Galactic Alliance Defense Force (GADF) also known as the Galactic Alliance Armed Forces or the Galactic Alliance military were the military forces of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. Like its predecessor, the Combined Defense Forces of the New Republic, the GADF comprised the Galactic Alliance Defense Fleet, Galactic Alliance Starfighter Corps, and the Galactic Alliance Army.

History

After the Fall of Coruscant

Following the near total breakdown of the New Republic government in the aftermath of the Battle of Coruscant, the remaining senators and military units regrouped on Mon Calamari, which had thus far been outside the invasion corridor. As the government struggled to re-establish order and elect a new Chief of State, the New Republic Defense Force remained on the defensive, scattered amongst numerous worlds and commanders. Some, like Admiral Traest Kre'fey, continued to take orders from the Defense Force high command. Others, like Garm Bel Iblis, gathered remaining fleet units and held on to individual regions of space, acting independent of the government. All of this began to change following the Chief of State election. When Cal Omas was elected the new Chief of State, the government began to reform and reorganize. The new stability in the government was coupled by the return of aging retired admiral Gial Ackbar, who worked with Chief Omas and then-current Supreme Commander Sien Sovv to ready the New Republic military for a major offensive. Following the major victory at the Battle of Ebaq 9, the New Republic was reorganized into the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances.

Victory over the Yuuzhan Vong

The Galactic Alliance Defense Force was initially established out of the former New Republic Defense Force following the reorganization of the government into the new Galactic Alliance. The fleets of the Galactic Alliance slowly began to turn the tide of battle, liberating key worlds like Fondor and Yag'Dhul. Despite some setbacks, like the Battle of Bilbringi, the Defense Force continued to gather its strength in preparation for the coming end of the war. The fleets of the Defense Force defended Mon Calamari from invasion and led the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar.

Post war years, 30- 35 ABY

Following the end of the war against the Yuuzhan Vong, the Defense Force remained active. It was expanded to five strategic fleets, a direct nod to the previous five fleet structure of the old NRDF. With the majority of the known galaxy allied with the new government, the Defense Force concentrated on routing out the numerous pirate bands that rose up following the war. As the galaxy continued its reconstruction, the Defense Force worked alongside the New Jedi Order in bringing stability and maintaining the peace.

The Swarm War

The first major conflict that the Defense Force fought following the resolution of the Yuuzhan Vong war occurred in 35 ABY, when the Killik hives were rediscovered in the Unknown Regions. The subsequent campaign, known as the Swarm War, nearly erupted into full scale galactic conflict. Defense Force fleets participated in numerous engagements, including the defense of the Roche Asteroids and the Battle of Tenupe.

Second Galactic Civil War

In the years following the resolution of the Swarm War, some of the more independent Alliance member worlds began to view the government as a new Empire, due to increased regulations. This crisis threatened to blow up into a new civil war. As diplomatic efforts on both sides began to break down, the Defense Force deployed a task force of the Second Fleet to Corellia in a display of military might.

Shortly after the breaking of the blockade, Commenor and Bothawui joined Corellia, and the Confederation was formed, along with the newly unified Confederation Fleet. Other planets soon followed; Fondor, Bespin, and Adumar prominent among them. During this time, the GADF and the Confederation Fleet were locked in a state of standoff, with both sides concentrating more on preparing for an inevitable war rather than a direct assault; instead making sporadic and minor raids against each other.

Thus the Battle of Gilatter VIII was the first major fleet action against one another. Actions intensified in Bothan Space, as Alliance fleet units engaged a Bothan flotilla during the Battle of Bothawui.

Sith–Imperial War

SWLEG22-PC — Galactic Alliance Core Force

The Sith–Imperial War ended with the defeat of the Galactic Alliance, following the loss of their capital of Coruscant. While most of the galaxy was subsequently once again under the control of the new Empire, the remnants of the Galactic Alliance military, in the form of the Galactic Alliance Core Forces, continued the fight against the Empire, which itself broke off into two rival factions, one of which stayed loyal to the deposed Emperor Roan Fel. The other remained under the control of Darth Krayt, who usurped Fel's throne and claimed the Empire for himself. It was against the Sith's faction that both the Core Forces and Roan Fel's faction continued to fight against.

Organization

Command

The Galactic Alliance Defense Force was under the overall command of the Supreme Commander, who was appointed by the Chief of State and approved by the Senate. The Supreme Commander, who in keeping with tradition was a full admiral, served as the highest uniformed officer in the Defense Force, answering only to the Chief of State. The GADF mantained its headquarters on Coruscant, in the new Defense Force Command Compound. Presumably Galactic Alliance High Command also had oversight of the Defense Force.

Fleet

The naval forces of the GADF was known as the Galactic Alliance Navy, or Defense Fleet. The overall structure of the fleet was modeled on the older New Republic Navy, with five strategic fleets serving as main units of operation for the Alliance. It presumably also maintained static sector fleets, coupled with private planetary navies. These federal forces were augmented by fleets of various member states, like the Imperial Remnant or Hapes Consortium.

For the first year of the Alliance's existence, the fleets remained fairly unorganized, grouped to individual commanders or assigned to various key worlds, like Kuat, Mon Calamari, Corellia, or Kashyyyk. In the final months of the war, the Defense Force was reorganized into the system modeled after the old Defense Force. Numbered fleets were established, forming a strategic arm of the Alliance military.

Original fleets of the navy:

As of the Second Galactic Civil War, the Alliance government added the following fleets:

Galactic Alliance Troopers — A Venom Assault Trooper, Galactic Alliance Commando, Intelligence Officer and naval officer.

The fleets were reorganized as such before the Sith–Imperial War:

Marines

In addition to the fleets, the navy kept marines as ship-to-ship assault and defense units, just as they did previously in the New Republic Navy.

Starfighter Corps

The Defense Force's Starfighter Corps was the successor of the New Republic version. Rogue Squadron was just as famous as it was in the previous.

Army

Like its forerunner the New Republic Army, the ground forces of the Galactic Alliance were the less glamorous of the three components of the Defense Force, but no less important. Alliance ground forces and commando units played a major role in several ground engagements during the latter portion of the Yuuzhan Vong War, including the capture of Ylesia and the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar.

Carriers and assault ships

Frigates

Corvettes

Reconnaissance

Starfighters

Support ships

Logistics vessels

Landing craft and dropships

Shuttles

Known ships

Alliance
Admiral Ackbar
Anakin Solo
Ansta
Blue Diver
Bounty
Corellian Way
Coriolis
Daring
Dauntless
Dodonna
Dpso
Elegos A'Kla
Firethorn
Galactic Voyager
Guardian
Harbinger
Healing Star
Justice
Pride of Honor
Pride of Selonia
Megador
Memory of Ithor
Mon Adapyne
Mon Mothma
Ocean
Olovin
Peacebringer
Ralroost
Ranger
Rebel Dream
Redheart
Redma
Resolute
Revival
Right to Rule
Spritespray
Starsider
Trucemaker
Viscount
Vortex Wind
Welmo Darb
Yald

Sources

The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Legacy Era Campaign Guide
Corellia in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)

In other languages

español

Wookieepedia