The Imperial Army was a branch of the Imperial Military that had the primary responsibility of prosecution of ground-side military operations, under the oversight of Army Command. It was formed by re-organizing the Grand Army of the Republic and kept its previous command structure. During the Imperial era, one of the Army's most common duties was the maintenance of planetary garrisons throughout the galaxy, as well as waging war on the Alliance to Restore the Republic.

Numbering in the tens of trillions^[1], the Army utilized a wide range of equipment and vehicles in support of its infantry. Army units were often reinforced by stormtroopers, although the command structure for the two organizations remained separate. On garrisoned worlds, the Army operated in conjunction with Imperial Starfleet, stormtroopers, and the local constabulary to maintain order and security.

After the defeat of the Emperor, the Army would be split up between various Imperial warlords up until the Imperial Reunification. A century later, the split of the Fel Empire and the new Imperial Civil War would also lead to the splitting of the Imperial Army among the two factions.

Contents 1 Organization 1.1 Eccentricities 1.1.1 Combat, command and support 1.1.2 Augmentation 1.2 Squad 1.2.1 Line Squad 1.2.2 Heavy Weapons Squad 1.2.3 Sharpshooter Squad 1.2.4 Engineering Squad 1.2.5 Repulsorlift Squad 1.2.6 Heavy Weapons Repulsorlift Squad 1.2.7 Scout Squad (Lance) 1.2.8 Armor and Artillery Sections 1.3 Platoon 1.3.1 Line Platoon 1.3.2 Assault Platoon 1.3.3 Artillery Platoon 1.3.4 Repulsorlift Platoon 1.3.5 Heavy Weapons Repulsorlift Platoon 1.3.6 Armor Platoon 1.3.7 Special Mission Platoon 1.3.8 Scout Platoon 1.4 Company 1.4.1 Line Company 1.4.2 Drop Company 1.4.3 Artillery Company (Battery) 1.4.4 Assault Company 1.4.5 Attack Armor Company 1.4.6 Breakthrough Armor Company 1.4.7 Repulsorlift Company 1.4.8 Special Missions Company 1.4.9 Scout Company (Troop) 1.5 Battalion 1.5.1 Line Battalion 1.5.2 Assault Battalion 1.5.3 Repulsorlift Battalion 1.5.4 Artillery Battalion 1.5.5 Armor Battalion 1.5.5.1 Light Armor Battalion 1.5.5.2 Heavy Armor Battalion 1.5.6 Special Missions Battalion 1.6 Regiment 1.6.1 Line Regiment 1.6.2 Assault Regiment 1.6.3 Repulsorlift Regiment 1.6.4 Artillery Regiment 1.6.5 Armor Regiment 1.6.5.1 Vanguard Armor Regiment 1.6.5.2 Line Armor Regiment 1.6.6 COMPNOR Regiment (CompForce) 1.7 Battlegroup 1.7.1 Line Battlegroup 1.7.2 Reinforced Battlegroup 1.7.3 Armored Battlegroup 1.7.4 Mobile Battlegroup 1.7.5 Auxiliary Battlegroup 1.7.5.1 Ground Support Wing 1.8 Corps 1.8.1 Line Corps 1.8.2 Atrisian Corps 1.8.3 Armor Corps 1.8.4 Mobile Corps 1.9 Army 1.10 Systems Army 1.11 Sector Army 2 Divisions 2.1 Branches 2.2 Specilizations 3 Vehicles 3.1 Artillery 3.2 Armor 3.3 Heavy cavalry 3.4 Command and combat support 3.5 Combat service support 3.6 Aerial assault 3.7 Mechanized infantry 3.8 Motorized infantry 3.9 Reconnaissance 3.10 Aquatic 3.11 Planetary defenses 4 Appearances 4.1 Non-canon appearances 5 Sources 6 Notes and references 6.1 In other languages 7 External links

OrganizationEdit

See Rank insignia of the Galactic Empire for the rank structure of the Imperial Army.

EccentricitiesEdit

Combat, command and supportEdit

As with the rest of the Imperial Service, the Army made a strong distinction between “combat elements”, and “command elements” or “support elements”. Any commander, even a sergeant, was considered part of the "command element" and was not counted among the troopers, despite the fact that they were expected to take part in the fighting.^[2] Since unit commanders were considered supernumeraries, the average size of an Imperial Army formation tends to have a larger headcount than an equivalent strength formation in the Grand Army of the Republic.

AugmentationEdit

The uniquely Imperial concept of 'augmentation' was intended to allow the rapid integration of reinforcement units into an existing force while minimizing the number of (relatively scarce) senior officers required.^[2]

On a small scale, augmentation could be compared to unit “attachments”, while on a larger scale it could be compared to an active cadre for reserve divisions. The full extent of augmentation could be impressive. For example, a baseline armored battlegroup had 10,090 troops out of 16,346 total, with 1,132 repulsorlift vehicles and 318 tanks. If every unit was augmented to its full capacity, a full-strength armored battlegroup would have 318,062 troops out of 324,318 total, with with 36,084 repulsorlift vehicles and 14,480 tanks.^[2]

Augmentation proceeded according to that unit's official Order of Battle (OB), especially for units of company-size and larger; a line company was augmented first by a heavy weapons platoon, followed by a second heavy weapons platoon, and then two line platoons. In rare instances an Army unit was augmented in ways other than dictated by the OB. The most common happened when an army commander organized survivors from a battle, creating haphazard units regardless of the OB. The second was when units were augmented with local auxiliaries. Finally a commander could order a special augmentation which he felt was critical to accomplishing his mission. If he succeeded his superiors would overlook this infraction, while failure meant he faced harsh justice.^[2]

Augmentation at the lower levels was more fluid. A squad could be augmented with another squad, in which case the sergeant of the first squad was given the brevet rank of "lead sergeant." More often squads were augmented with a heavy weapons detail. Doctrinally platoons followed the same augmentation process as larger units, but in practice were far more flexible, often swapping units with other platoons or fielding extra equipment taken from the parent company.^[2]

Perhaps in an effort to facilitate this process, support in the Army was noticeably decentralized. For example, armored and repulsorlift platoons included organic mechanic sections not accounted for in the order of battle (OB), while higher command did not have the usual assortment of support units common in other militaries.

Augmented squads operated together with another squad. Usually, squads were augmented with an additional three-man detail, armed with a heavy or medium repeating blaster.

SquadEdit

The nine basic types of squads were the building blocks of the Army. Each squad consisted of eight Imperial Army troopers and was commanded by a sergeant. The other eight troopers were given the numbers one through eight, with number one being a brevet corporal and second-in-command. Both sharpshooter and engineering squads were part of “Special Missions” units. Regular Imperial units did not have designated marksmen or engineering support. The symbol for this level of organization was:|

Line SquadEdit

Infantry units were called “line” units in the Army, and the line squad was considered the backbone of the army. However, high losses against the Rebel Alliance caused the Empire to rethink how they could improve the line squad as cost-effectively as possible. This led to the process of equipping each squad with a Light repeating blaster to increase their short range firepower. However, only in three Sectors were more than half of the squads equipped with these blasters by the time of the Battle of Yavin.^[2]

Heavy Weapons SquadEdit

These squads were armed with either two- to three-man Medium repeating blasters or three-man Heavy repeating blasters. Heavy Weapons squads were usually attached to other platoons in order to provide additional firepower.^[2]

Sharpshooter SquadEdit

These squads consisted of troopers who had shown accuracy above standard with their weapons. They were also trained in demolitions and several other skills. Due to their above average skill, briefing and training, these soldiers could improvise on the battlefield, should their leaders be killed. Sharpshooter squad sergeants appointed a new brevet corporal before each mission, depending on the skills needed for it. These squads were equipped with light repeating blasters.^[2]

Engineering SquadEdit

Engineering Squads were composed of troopers trained in combat and various non-combat technical skills. They were able to handle nearly all equipment and gear found on a mission. Although they used standard weapons, individual squads were equipped with additional gear, such as thermal detonators, medpacs or Portable Sensor Arrays. Each squad included an experienced demolition expert from a Sharpshooter Squad.^[2]

Repulsorlift SquadEdit

These mechanized squads had the same composition as line squads with the addition of two light repulsorlift transports. Each vehicle had a crew of four, consisting of a mechanic, a driver, a sensor/tech officer and a gunner/commander. The sergeant's vehicle was equipped with an additional DER and operator located in the transport compartment.^[2]

Heavy Weapons Repulsorlift SquadEdit

Heavy Weapons Repulsorlift Squads had additional armaments built into their vehicles, such as a heavy repeating blaster, a 4.4 grenade launcher or light laser cannon. These weapons could be dismounted and used by the infantry for additional firepower.^[2]

Scout Squad (Lance)Edit

A scout squad was also called a scout “lance”. Consisting of five personnel including the sergeant, they were generally equipped with speeder bikes. Scout troopers were trained to repair and maintain their bikes, which reduced the need for support personnel. In contrast to the more usual practice, the Empire emphasized unit heritage and pride in its scout squads, which were often recruited from worlds with a strong tradition of mounted warriors.^[2]

Armor and Artillery SectionsEdit

There were two types of armor and artillery sections: heavy and light. Heavy sections consisted of one vehicle. Light sections had two vehicles, but those vehicles were individually smaller than the one in the heavy section. Artillery sections could be assigned to provide support for another platoon if the commander had time before a battle to plan, but armor sections only ever acted as part of an armored platoon.^[2]

PlatoonEdit

Platoons were commanded by lieutenants, assisted by a Sergeant Major as deputy. A platoon consisted of four squads, giving it strength of 38 men, although this varied depending on the kind of platoon. The symbol for a platoon is a kind of L.^[2]

A platoon was authorized to request fire support but, typically, not directly. The centralized fire support scheme required the request to be routed up to battalion level, where arrangements were made. Often, an artillery company was assigned to several platoons in a process known as "grafting." The company’s captain then had to allocate his fire support depending on the battle situation.^[2]

Mechanized units were a blanket term covering repulsorlift and heavy weapons repulsorlift units, as well as armored platoons. These units included specialized and distinct command vehicles, in addition to maintenance sections in transport vehicles.

Line PlatoonEdit

The line platoon was the standard light infantry formation of four line squads for a total of 38 troopers. Prior to combat, the lieutenant was suppose to assign his sergeant major to the squad that would come under the most pressure, and move between squads as the battle dictated. In practice the more pragmatic lieutenants stayed with one squad and commanded the platoon through their DH77 headcomm and other less-sophisticated methods. Officially it could be augmented with four additional line squads for a total of 74 troopers.^[2]

Assault PlatoonEdit

Also known as a heavy weapons platoon, this unit was made up of two line squads and two heavy weapon squads. Usually up to two or three additional medium or heavy repeating blaster details were assigned to this kind of platoon. It had strength of 38 to 47 men with an average of 41. Fully augmented it included two armor sections and two additional line squads.^[2]

Artillery PlatoonEdit

Also called a line, this platoon had four artillery sections with either four heavy or medium artillery pieces, like the SPMA-T, or eight light vehicles. The standard complement was 38 men and 4 to 8 vehicles. It could be augmented with two additional artillery sections, a line squad and a heavy weapons squad.^[2]

Repulsorlift PlatoonEdit

This Platoon contained four repulsorlift squads (one of which was a heavy weapons squad) and a command element, together 56 men and 11 vehicles. The command element served as mobile command base and coordination center and consisted of two modiefed light transport vehicles with heavier armor and more powerful repulsors to compensate. In combat the lieutenant's vehicle operated from where he could best direct the platoon while the sergeant major's was assigned to the lead squad. The platoon also included a support vehicle which carried spare parts. It was operated by a crew of four (who doubled as mechanics) and carried eight technicians. Augmented platoons include two more repulsorlift squads and two more heavy weapons repulsorlift squads.^[2]

Heavy Weapons Repulsorlift PlatoonEdit

This was similar to a repulsorlift platoon, but was entirely composed of heavy weapon repulsorlift squads, and could be augmented with four more heavy weapon repulsorlift squads.^[2]

Armor PlatoonEdit

Armor Platoons were composed of repulsorlift tanks, the equivalent vehicle or walkers. Like the artillery platoons, these platoons had either four heavy vehicles or eight medium or light ones, with the heavy configuration being the most common. The lieutenant rode in a modified medium command tank (often having a second crewman to wield a heavy repeating blaster) that allowed for superior visibility in conducting the battle. The sergeant major was assigned to either another vehicle or to protect the support element, two Heavy Transport Vehicles that carried spare parts and resupply components. Each HTV was crewed by three crewmen/mechanics and carried four technicians. Together a platoon consisted of 34 to 42 men and 7 to 11 vehicles, but could be augmented to include four more armor sections.^[2]

Special Mission PlatoonEdit

Special Mission Platoons were organized much like standard line platoons, but designed around accomplishing missions which required a few elite men rather than normal military operations. It was composed of two sharpshooter squads, an engineering squad and a heavy weapons squad, though these squads were often split in equal sub-units, containing troopers of all squads and allowing greater flexibility. Special mission platoons were often used for Political gain operations, and could be augmented with a second engineering squad, two more sharpshooter squads and a second heavy weapons squad.^[2]

Scout PlatoonEdit

A Scout Platoon consisted of two scout lances, known together as a scout squadron, and two line squads. While the lieutenant was officially in charge of the entire platoon, tradition had him commanding the scout squadron, replacing the sergeant in the command lance, while the sergeant major commanded the infantry. A baseline scout platoon had 29 men and 10 speeder bikes, while a fully augmented platoon had three more scout lances and a third line squad for a total of 53 troopers and 25 speeder bikes.^[2]

CompanyEdit

A Company consisted of four platoons for 152 troops. The additional command and logistic staff raised the personnel count to 180 men. Companies were the smallest units where staffs were integrated in the form of specialized medical, technical, and logistic sections, as well as an executive officer also in charge of intelligence. Not surprisingly, various supplementary droids could be found at this level that allowed the unit a certain degree of independence. A captain with a staff of four officers equal to a lieutenant in rank was in command of the company.

• SC1: Company’s lieutenant (Second-in-command)
• SC2: Logistics (+8 support personnel and 88 droids)
• SC3: Medical (+4 support personnel and 8 droids)
• SC4: Technical (+11 support personnel and 22 droids)

For longer missions where no support would be available, additional droids would be added to the company. The organization symbol of a company was an upside down squarish U.^[2]

Line CompanyEdit

A line company was a standard, run-of-the-mill infantry company, having four line platoons for a total number of 152 troopers and a total of 180 men. It could be augmented with two heavy weapons platoons and two additional line platoons.^[2]

Drop CompanyEdit

Drop companies were essentially line companies given additional support staff and designed to operate independently for missions of up to six weeks. The support staff was given additional training for survival in hazardous environments and taught this information to the troopers. Ideally the enlarged support staff could keep the company going until they run out of ammunition, though realistically keeping the company functional after a month on a planet's surface was considered a good job. The drop company could be augmented first with a heavy weapons platoons, then two additional line platoons, and finally an armor platoon.^[2]

Artillery Company (Battery)Edit

With only 23 support personnel and 70 droids, artillery companies or batteries had a smaller staff than other companies. Composed of four artillery platoons, a battery had 16 heavy/medium artillery pieces or 32 light pieces for 152 troops. It could be augmented with two heavy weapons squads and two additional artillery platoons.^[2]

Assault CompanyEdit

Also known as a heavy weapons company, this unit had two assault platoons and two line platoons. Depending on the configuration of the platoons, a heavy weapon company had 152 to 170 troopers, giving it a total strength of 180 to 198 men. The line platoons were all equipped with light repeating blasters, though in later years each platoon replaced one of these for a medium repeating blaster. It could be further augmented with essentially a second assault company of two assault platoons and two line platoons.^[2]

Attack Armor CompanyEdit

This kind of company contained three armor platoons and a heavy weapons platoon. The number of troopers in this company varied from 200 (16 heavy tanks + 9 heavy repulsorlifts) to 232 (28 light tanks + 9 heavy repulsorlifts). Additional, the company had a modified heavy tank as a command vehicle for the captain. Fully augmented companies had an additional armor platoon, followed by a heavy weapons platoon, a line platoon, and finally a third heavy weapons platoon.^[2]

Breakthrough Armor CompanyEdit

Breakthrough armor companies had four armor platoon and a total of 21 to 37 tanks (depending on the platoon’s configuration), one of which was a heavy command tank. Unlike other companies, the support element of this company stayed with the battalion’s headquarters and does not travel into the combat zone. Since the company was usually cut off from any supply lines, the mission profile of a breakthrough company was to break enemy lines and holdings until further troops would arrives. Under these conditions, the company could only operate for a maximum of 72 hours without significant supply problems. Four more armor platoons could augment this company to its full size.^[2]

Repulsorlift CompanyEdit

Consisting of two line platoons and two repulsorlift platoons, a repulsorlift company had 188 troops, 32 support personnel, 22 combat vehicles, 8 transport vehicles and 1 command vehicle. Each repulsorlift platoon carried the line platoons for deployment in combat. An augmented company could have a scout platoon, two additional repulsorlift platoons and a line platoon.^[2]

Special Missions CompanyEdit

Three special mission platoons and an augmented scout platoon made a special missions company. It had a command element of 28 and 136 troops, with support personnel omitted if the mission was of short duration. The augmented scout platoon was smaller than a normal scout platoon but consisted entirely of scout lances. They were also modified to carry additional spare parts and munitions, and generally saw far more combat than scout platoons normally saw. Each company could be augmented with two additional special mission platoons and two repulsorlift platoons.^[2]

These companies operated on planets considered hostile to the Empire, even those nominally a part of it, and expected to operate without much support. In rare instances when it was needed, naval support missions of line-size or greater would appear suddenly from hyperspace and launch scores of containers of various sizes onto the planet's surface. Normally only five contained actual supplies, the rest being decoys, and once received the naval support either left or stayed to provide additional orbital support.^[2]

Scout Company (Troop)Edit

A scout company, also known as a troop, contained four scout platoons plus the support and command element, for a total of 116 troopers and 40 speeder bikes. The whole command element was mobile, using high-powered command speeders instead of bikes, as was the support element, though it was smaller than in other company types due to the independent nature and "lean and mean" mentality of scout troops. Scout troops could be enlarged with four additional scout platoons.^[2]

BattalionEdit

A Battalion was commanded by a Major and considered the smallest military unit appropriate for surface operations. Command and support elements were pooled together and, unlike company command elements, stayed out of the battle zone. The size of the support staff was double that of a company and included five staff officers equal to a captain in rank.

• SB1: Battalion’s captain (Second-in-Command, Intelligence)
• SB2: Logistics (+16 support personnel)
• SB3: Medical (+8 support personnel)
• SB4: Technical (+22 support personnel)
• SB5: Security (+38 security platoon)

A security platoon was considered a support unit, not a combat unit, and maintained order within the battalion. Usually commanded by the SB5 officer, the major could assume command of the platoon if the HQ was under attack. The total personnel of a standard battalion HQ was 90 men and 145 droids, which included around 97 mouse droids. A battalion's symbol was a rectangle.^[2]

Line BattalionEdit

That was the most common type of battalion used by the Imperial Army. A line battalion contained three line companies and one heavy weapons company. That made a total of 810 men including 608 troopers, 18 more if the heavy weapons company was fully equipped. It could be augmented with two additional line companies and heavy weapon companies.^[2]

Assault BattalionEdit

Assault Battalions were used in urban environments and attacks on a single enemy stronghold. In addition, they were given priority over line battalion when it came to artillery support from artillery or capital ships. With one line company, two heavy weapons companies and a repulsorlift company and with one assault company always fully equipped, the assault battalion had a strength of 662 troopers, 206 support personnel and 31 repulsorlift vehicles. Augmented battalions had an additional line company, heavy weapon company, artillery battery and repulsorlift company.^[2]

Repulsorlift BattalionEdit

The main advantage of this battalion was its speed with three repulsorlift companies and a scout troop. It was also one of the few battalions with an entirely mobile HQ. These battalions could be used for recon, pursuit, skirmish and lighter raids. It only entered battles when additional firepower was needed. The total strength was 680 troopers, 272 support personnel, 115 repulsorcraft (18 of them attached to the HQ) and 40 speeder bikes. Additional units could include an armor company and three more repulsorlift companies.^[2]

Artillery BattalionEdit

An artillery battalion had three artillery batteries and, as protection, a heavy weapons company. A full battalion had 608 troopers, 202 support personnel, 96 light or 48 medium/heavy artillery pieces and several other repulsorlift vehicles to move the artillery tubes if necessary. Augmented artillery battalions had three additional artillery batteries and a second heavy weapons company.^[2]

Armor BattalionEdit

This kind of battalion offered the most effective combination of speed and firepower, although it lacked defensive capabilities at stationary targets. Its primary objective was mobile defense and attack. The composition of an armor battalion was one breakthrough armor company, two attack armor companies and one repulsorlift company. Like a repulsorlift battalion, the HQ was completely mobile. The HQ had 23 additional men and consisted of 24 HTVs. Armor Battalions were divided in ‘light’ and ‘heavy’ battalions, and could be augmented with a second heavy repulsorlift company and three more armor companies.^[2]

Light Armor BattalionEdit

In light battalions, the armor companies only had light tanks and more personnel like a heavy battalion. It was deployed in situations where no large enemy forces or heavy defenses could be awaited – a typical situation when fighting the Rebellion. The only drawback was that the there was no landing barge large enough to transport the whole Battalion. Together there were 695 troops, 401 support personnel, 93 light tanks and 55 repulsorlift vehicles.^[2]

Heavy Armor BattalionEdit

This was the heavy version of the light battalion. It had roughly half of the tanks, but these were all heavy or medium models. Together there were 601 troopers, 399 support personnel, 53 heavy/medium tanks and 55 repulsorlift vehicles.^[2]

Special Missions BattalionEdit

The largest Special Mission formation was the Battalion. Support personnel were support-trained engineers and the staff and the security platoon were all experienced veterans. This was because, unlike all other HQs, the HQ was expected to fight. The total numbers were 544 troops, 202 support personnel and 88 speeder bikes. Four more special missions companies could be used to augment the battalion's size.^[2]

RegimentEdit

A Regiment was a combined arms formation containing approximately 2,500 troops and 1,000 support personnel and commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. The structure and staff complement were the same as a battalion's, but with more droids (>200). A Regimental HQ had a large repair workshop with nanomanufacturing capabilities and was able to produce nearly all needed spare and repair parts.^[2]

Usually the regiment's headquarters commanded the troops from orbit, unless command continuity was disrupted or the unit was engaged in a long term (over one month) or independent campaign. A regiment's symbol was roughly flag shaped.^[2]

Line RegimentEdit

A line regiment contained two line battalions, one assault battalion and one repulsorlift battalion. They were usually stationed on worlds with none or a low threat level. However, by combining assault and repulsorlift battalions, a line regiment could deploy a fast response to an attack without using its whole strength. Together there were 2,558 troops, 972 support personnel and 130 repulsorlift vehicles. Fully augmented line regiments had a second assault battalion, a third line battalion, an artillery battalion and a second repuslorlift battalion.^[2]

Assault RegimentEdit

Assault regiments were pure combat units. Their job was to attack and conquer an identified rebel stronghold or area. Once the battle was over, a line regiment would replace the assault regiment. Two assault, one line and one heavy armor battalion made such a regiment with a total of 2,545 troops, 1,001 support personnel, 121 repulsorlift vehicles and 53 heavy tanks. At full strength it also contained a special missions battalion, a second line battalion, a third assault battalion and an artillery battalion.^[2]

Repulsorlift RegimentEdit

Repuslorlift regiments were dropped in large areas with light and scattered resistance where there was a need for quick response. Three repulsorlift and one armor battalion made up a repulsorlift regiment and its HQ, which was completely mobile, would drop with the regiment more often than any other. Imperial commanders often used this to tempt rebels into attacking the HQ, seeking to destroy it an render the regiment ineffective, whereupon they were trapped and destroyed. Depending on the size of the armor battalion (heavy or light), the strength of a repulsorlift regiment was 2,641 or 2,735 troops, around 1,305 support personnel, 53 or 93 tanks, 400 repulsorlift vehicles and 120 speeder bikes. Augmented regiments could essentially doubl in size with three more repulsorlift and a second armored battalion.^[2]

Artillery RegimentEdit

During the formation of the Imperial Army, artillery had been given the least priority. The common thinking among the army was that artillery would play no significant role on modern battlefields. The Rebellion, however, proved them wrong and attempts were made to quickly revitalize this force. A normal artillery regiment consisted of three artillery battalions, one assault battalion and a scout company. Officially they would be attached to a battlegroup and operate as a single unit, though due to some complaints by junior officers smaller artillery units were assigned at the regimental or battalion level, although this was not reflected in the OB. There were 2,425 troopers, 1,095 support personnel, 144 medium/heavy or 288 light tubes, 53 tanks and 199 repulsorlift vehicles in the most common configuration. It could be expanded with a repulsorlift regiment and three more artillery battalions.^[2]

Armor RegimentEdit

Armor regiments had the most firepower of all regiments but they lacked the numbers in infantry for any garrison duty. Because of this, armor regiments had never been deployed alone, only in battlegroup formations. There were two kinds of armor battalions, ‘line’ and ‘vanguard’.

One well-known regiment was the 112th Repulsorlift Armor Regiment commonly known as Hell's Hammers. The Regiment fought at the Battle of Turak IV, Battle of Absit and the Battle of Spuma. It used the S-1 FireHawke Heavy Repulsortank and the 1-H Imperial-class repulsortank.^[3]

Vanguard Armor RegimentEdit

A vanguard regiment was composed of three armor battalions and 1 repulsorlift battalion. Together there were 2,483 troopers, 1,559 support personnel, 262 repulsor vehicles and several tanks. Augmented regiments had four additional armored battalions.^[2]

Line Armor RegimentEdit

A line armor regiment had more repulsorlift vehicles, but also used more firepower by having heavy armor battalions attached. In two heavy armor battalions and two repulsorlift battalions there were 2,562 troops, 1,432 support personnel, 304 repulsorlift vehicles and 106 heavy tanks. It was expanded with a third repulsorlift battalion, an assault battalion and two additional armored battalions.^[2]

COMPNOR Regiment (CompForce)Edit

CompForce regiments (composed of fanatical but ill-trained COMPNOR troops) had the same basic structure as an army line regiment, but without the security platoons or augmentation plan. Their fanaticism and loyalty to the cause was deemed reason enough to dispense with these platoons as unnecessary, which was just one of several reasons the regular army disliked CompForce.^[2]

BattlegroupEdit

In the Grand Army of the Republic, many divisions were associated with particular places (such as planets) or beings. The Imperial Service preferred a more 'unified' system. Except for a few elite formations, all Army units were stripped of their old designations. To further highlight the change, the term 'Division' was replaced with 'Battlegroup'. These formations were intended for major offensives and had sufficient strength to assault one major or several lesser points of resistance on a planet.^[2]

A Battlegroup's commanding officer (CO) was typically at least a High Colonel, although it was possible for the CO to be as senior as a Major General (the 1st Tapani Assault Battlegroup was one such example).^[4]A Battlegroup had the usual principle staff of five officers of a rank of a major (SG1 to SG5), but in addition the SG5 (Battlegroup "Headquarters" officer) had a 4-man "substaff" (SG51 to SG54). The staff had a total of 188 support personnel and was protected by two security platoons of 76 troopers.^[2]

Line BattlegroupEdit

Battlegroups with three line and one assault regiment were considered “line” formations. However, by the Battle of Tiems this unit was considered obsolescent as the Rebellion grew in strength. Within the military there was much debate about converting all line battlegroups into reinforced battlegroups, but resource and reorganization difficulties prevented any wide-spread changes. A line battlegroup had 10,219 troopers, 4191 support personnel, 511 repulsorcraft and 53 heavy tanks. It could be augmented with two artillery regiments, a fourth line regiment and a repulsorlift regiment.^[2]

Reinforced BattlegroupEdit

Also known as an assault battlegroup, reinforced battlegroups consisted of two line regiments, an assault regiment and an armored regiment. These formations were seen as a good mix of offensive power and staying power. They had 10,210 troopers, 4,680 support personnel, 676 repulsorlift vehicles and 212 tanks. Fully augmented it had an artillery regiment, two additional assault regiments and a repulsorlift regiment.^[2]

One well-known assault battlegroup during the Galactic Civil War was the 1st Tapani Assault Battlegroup commanded by Major General Tessala Corvae. It was based on the planet Tallaan.^[4]

Armored BattlegroupEdit

Armored battlegroups were used to attack the enemy when they had several concentrations of strength spread over a sizeable area. With four armored regiments, the battlegroup could hit these concentrations in succession one or two at a time. There were 10,090 troops, 6,256 support personnel, 1,132 repulsorlift vehicles and 318 tanks in a battlegroup and it could be quickly doubled in size with four more regiments thanks to augmentation.^[2]

Mobile BattlegroupEdit

The advantage of this battlegroup was its speed. On planets where the Rebellion held areas close to the Empire’s, this battlegroup could make quick attacks and responses towards enemy attacks. Three repulsorlift regiments and one line armor regiment gave this Battlegroup strength of 10,248 troops, 5,858 support personnel, 1,342 repulsorlift vehicles and 265 heavy tanks. It was augmented with an artillery regiment, two more repulsorlift regiments and a second armor regiment.^[2]

Auxiliary BattlegroupEdit

Unlike traditional battlegroups, auxiliaries had no commander and did not operate as a unit. This battlegroup was merely a concentration of available resources for the corps commander and was composed of three CompForce regiments and a Ground Support Wing. In total the battlegroup had 7,674 troopers, 2,456 support personnel, 390 repulsorlift vehicles and 40 TIEs. If needed it could be augmented with three line regiments and a repulsorlift regiment.^[2]

Ground Support WingEdit

The Army insisted on its own wing of support fighters for ground missions, while the Navy wanted to keep control of its TIEs. The result was this downsized wing of 40 TIEs organized into ten flights. Six flights made two squadrons of TIE/lns, while three flights made a TIE bomber squadron and one flight of TIE/fcs served as spotters. These wings were also stationed in prefabricated garrison bases. The wing had forty pilots, twenty-five sensor techs, twenty-five controllers and one hundred and ten ground crewmen.^[2]

CorpsEdit

A Corps was commanded by a Major General and considered sufficient force to retake a a recently-seceded world. Such worlds still had a sizable loyalist population, while the Rebels had not had enough time to set up an organized defense. Even so, the corps could typically expect to be outnumbered by at least four to one. It was up to the operational skills of Imperial commanders to arrange local superiorities and defeat the enemy in detail. The whole formation could be transported inside a single corps transport, which was one of the seldom examples of cooperation between army and navy.^[2]

Each Corps HQ was extensive, with five staff officers (SP1 to SP5) each of which had his own two staff officers (SP11 through SP52). Security for the HQ was provided by a company of 152 men plus six extra perimeter platoons of 38 men each commanded by either the SP1 officer or the general. The 3 COMPNOR regiments assigned to the corps were supported by (an inadequate number of) 144 CompForce personnel organized into three platoons. The remainder of the corps HQ had 388 support personnel including one Imperial Intelligence operative and 50 ISB agents. While both were charged with gathering intelligence, the former often provided fifteen to twenty percent of the intelligence used by the corps while the latter also functioned as political officers.^[2]

The corps HQ also formed the basis of the Imperial garrison of a world, which was why there were more HQs than there were corps in the Imperial Army. These garrison HQs served as organizing points for rapid mobilization, and in a crisis quickly took command of units as they were transferred into the theater of operations. The typical military strength of these HQs was four battalions, with two stormtrooper, one AT-ST and one AT-AT being the most popular, as well as a ground support wing. For garrison duties the HQ also contained numerous civilian personnel, including medical, diplomatic and scientific personnel, who were in practice if not technically under the major general's command.^[2]

An industrial complex with over 2000 droids (MSE-6, I2F-5 and I2F-73) was frequently attached to corps HQ as well. The complex was capable of producing almost all of the items required by a corps, from blaster packs to repulsorlift engines, using even the crudest raw material. So long as the complex was kept running, the corps could operate without resupply indefinitely.^[2]

Line CorpsEdit

There were three line and one assault battlegroup in a line corps for a total of 48,541 troopers, 20,658 support personnel, 2,599 repulsorlift vehicles and at least 371 heavy tanks. It could be expanded with a mobile battlegroup, two more line battlegroups, and an armor battlegroup.^[2]

Atrisian CorpsEdit

Named after the famous Atrisian Assault Corps of the planet Atrisia that inspired the politics of the Empire, the Atrisian corps were among the elite of the Empire. Such a corps contained two assault battlegroups, a line battlegroup, and an armored battlegroup, giving it 48,403 troops and, 3,385 repulsorlifts and 795 heavy tanks. Fully-expanded Atritian corps had a mobile battlegroup, a third assault battlegroup, a second armor battlegroup and a second line battlegroup.^[2]

Armor CorpsEdit

This corps was suited for operations where firepower was more needed than agility. Three armor battlegroups and a mobile battlegroup gave the armor corps a strength of 48,192 troops, 26,602 support personnel, 5,128 repulsorcraft and 1,219 heavy tanks. Augmentation could double the corps numbers with three more armor battlegroups and a second mobile

Mobile CorpsEdit

A mobile corps was the exact opposite of an armor corps: with its repulsorcraft vehicles the mobile corps could deliver fast strikes against rebel positions. Composed of three mobile and one armor battlegroup, the mobile corps had a strength of 48,508 troops, 23,107 support personnel, 5,548 repulsorlift vehicles and 1,113 tanks. It could be augmented with three more mobile battlegroups and an assault battlegroup.^[2]

ArmyEdit

An Army was commanded by a full General. The support element of an army is as large as two battalions for a total of 1,855 men and twice as many droids. It had five staff (SA1 to SA5) and ten substaff (SA11 through SA52) officers, a security company (152 men) and six independent perimeter platoons (total 228 men), 200 ISB agents for agent intelligence or counter-intelligence, 3 companies of COMPNOR "observers" (each 152 men plus a command element of 5), 4 Imperial Intelligence representatives and 784 support personnel.^[2]

An Army would have one of each type of Corps and was meant to fit into a naval troop squadron. That gave an army 193,644 troopers, 100,042 support personnel, 16,660 repulsorcraft and at least 3,498 heavy tanks. Augmented armies doubled the number of each type corps they could have starting with line corps.^[2]

Systems ArmyEdit

A Systems Army was commanded by a High General and consisted of anywhere from two to six armies. They were organizationally separated from the Surface Army and corps HQ over which they had oversight. Systems armies were primarily bookkeeping formations, and the only force directly attached to a High General's command was the headquarters unit, which had the same strength as an army HQ. The primary function of a systems army was to deploy reinforcements and naval support to its child armies rather than to fight as a single unit.^[2]

Sector ArmyEdit

The sector army could be commanded by a Moff or delegated to a Surface Marshal. A sector army could have up to eight systems armies under its command and was supposed to fit within an Imperial Assault Fleet. The total numbers of a sector army were 774,576 troopers, 405,733 support personnel, 66,640 repulsorcraft and 13,922 heavy tanks. Its HQ element was of the same size as that of an army or systems army (1,855 men total).^[2]

DivisionsEdit

BranchesEdit

• Army Command
• Assault Armor Division

SpecilizationsEdit

• Imperial Army troopers
• Imperial Army pilots
• Imperial commandos
• Field Commanders
• Imperial land assault troopers

VehiclesEdit

ArtilleryEdit

• 440 Super-Heavy Armored Chassis
• All Terrain Anti-Aircraft
• All Terrain Attack Pod
• All Terrain Ion Cannon
• Artillery crawler
• C-136 "Grandfather Gun"
• G-003 Tri-Tracker Anti-aircraft Artillery
• Leveler I medium concussion missile launcher
• Mobile artillery
• Self-Propelled Heavy Artillery
• Self-Propelled Medium Artillery
• SP.9 anti-infantry artillery vehicle
• Turbolaser System I
• Unstable Terrain Artillery Transport
• V-188 Penetrator
• WW-676 repulsorlift mortar
• XR-85 tank droid

ArmorEdit

• 1-H Imperial-class repulsortank
• All Terrain Armored Transport
• All Terrain Armored Heavy Transport (Fel Empire & Krayt's Sith Empire)
• All Terrain Tactical Enforcer
• All Terrain Heavy Enforcer
• Heavy Assault Vehicle Transport B5 Juggernaut
• Heavy Assault Vehicle/wheeled A5 Juggernaut
• Heavy Assault Vehicle/wheeled A6 Juggernaut
• Heavy Assault Vehicle/repulsorlift A9 Floating Fortress
• Heavy Assault Vehicle/repulsorlift C10 Siege Tower
• S-1 FireHawke Heavy Repulsortank

Heavy cavalryEdit

• 1-L Imperial-class repulsortank
• 2-M Saber-class repulsor tank
• All Terrain Advance Raider
• All Terrain Experimental Transport
• All Terrain Kashyyyk Transport
• All Terrain Personal Transport
• All Terrain Riot Control Transport (Fel Empire & Krayt's Sith Empire)
• All Terrain Scout Transport/Assault
• DSD1 dwarf spider droid
• Mark 1 droid walker
• Imperial pummel
• Imperial speeder
• Infantry Support Platform
• Mountain Terrain Scout Transport
• PX-10 Compact Assault Vehicle/wheeled
• Sniper airspeeder
• SV-50 Swift-Strike Speeder
• Swift Assault 5 Hoverscout
• TIE Crawler
• TIE Mauler
• TX-130T fighter tank
• Ultra-Light Assault Vehicle

Command and combat supportEdit

• 1-M Imperial-class repulsortank
• Combat Attack Transport
• Gravtruck
• Heavy recovery vehicle
• Heavy Transport Vehicle
• Light Assault Vehicle/repulsorlift QH-7 Chariot
• PX-4 Mobile Command Base
• Tracked Mobile Base
• Tracked Shield Disabler
• XP-38 sport landspeeder

Combat service supportEdit

• 6500 ATV
• 8880 limousine landspeeder
• All Terrain Construction Transport
• All Terrain Tactical Enforcer (cargo transport)
• Armored hover train
• Imperial cargo trader
• Imperial dropship
• Imperial Dropship Transport
• Imperial transport
• Imperial ground-skimmer-sl
• Low Altitude Assault Transport/carrier
• Low Altitude Assault Transport/vehicle
• Unstable Terrain Artillery Transport

Aerial assaultEdit

• Hover Combat Carrier
• HSP-10 pursuit airspeeder
• Imperial Escort Fighter
• Imperial Side Gunner vehicle
• Imperial Sniper Vehicle
• INT-4 Interceptor
• Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry
• Lancet Aerial Artillery
• Multi Altitude Assault Transport
• Rapid Deployment Airspeeder
• Shadow V Combat Airspeeder
• Skim fighter

Mechanized infantryEdit

• All Terrain Armored Transport
• All Terrain Armored Heavy Transport (Fel Empire & Krayt's Sith Empire)
• All Terrain Open Transport
• Armored Personnel Carrier
• Battlespeeder
• CAP-2 Captivator
• Heavy Assault Vehicle Transport B5 Juggernaut
• Heavy Assault Vehicle/wheeled A5 Juggernaut
• Heavy Assault Vehicle/wheeled A6 Juggernaut
• Heavy Assault Vehicle/repulsorlift A9 Floating Fortress
• Imperial Troop Carrier
• Mountain Terrain Armored Transport
• MTV-7 Multi-Terrain Vehicle
• PX-7 troop transport
• Reconnaissance Troop Transporter

Motorized infantryEdit

• Bantha-II cargo skiff

ReconnaissanceEdit

• 64-Y Swift 3 repulsor sled
• 74-Z speeder bike
• All Terrain Recon Transport
• All Terrain Scout Transport
• Imperial patrol landspeeder
• Imperial patrol speeder (landspeeder)
• Imperial patrol speeder (tank)
• Repulsor scout
• Storm Skimmer Patrol Sled
• Sub-ter rover
• Swamp crawler
• XR-10 Shadowhawk Speeder Bike

AquaticEdit

• Acklay-class mobile fortress
• Amphibion
• Aquatic Destroyer
• Aquatic Terrain Armored Transport
• Aquadon CAVa 400
• Explorer Submergible
• Imperial submarine
• Imperial transport (aquatic)
• Shark underwater fighter
• TIE fighter boat
• A-Q5 Waveskimmer

Planetary defensesEdit

• DF.9 anti-infantry battery
• v-150 anti-orbital ion cannon

AppearancesEdit

Star Wars: Battlefront Star Wars: Battlefront II Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Star Wars: Empire at War Star Wars: Force Commander  Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight (Mentioned only) Imperial Commando: 501st Deader than a Triton Moon Death Star  Death of a Rebel Base Star Wars Missions 7: Ithorian Invasion Star Wars Missions 8: Togorian Trap (Mentioned only) Star Wars Missions 9: Revolt of the Battle Droids Star Wars Missions 10: Showdown in Mos Eisley Star Wars Missions 12: The Vactooine Disaster Star Wars Missions 18: Rogue Squadron to the Rescue Star Wars Missions 20: Total Destruction Star Wars Missions 15: Voyage to the Underworld Star Wars Missions 16: Imperial Jailbreak Star Wars: Empire: To the Last Man Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike "The Battle of Cadinth" - Star Wars Galaxy 2 X-wing: The Bacta War (Mentioned only) Heir to the Empire Dark Force Rising The Last Command Dark Empire Bloodlines (Mentioned only) Star Wars: Legacy 3: Broken, Part 3 Star Wars: Legacy 4: Noob Star Wars: Legacy 5: Broken, Part 4 (Appears in flashback(s)) Non-canon appearances Star Wars: Visions of the Blade

SourcesEdit

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back toy line Star Wars: Return of the Jedi toy line Star Wars: The Power of the Force (1985) A Guide to the Star Wars Universe Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, First Edition The Star Wars Sourcebook Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back Star Wars Miniatures Battles Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition Imperial Sourcebook, Second Edition Death Star Technical Companion, Second Edition Dark Empire Sourcebook Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, Second Edition Star Wars: The Power of the Force (1995) Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin, Second Edition Heroes & Rogues Instant Adventures Alliance Intelligence Reports Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, Second Edition Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Hoth Limited Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Hoth Limited Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Hoth Limited Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook Classic Adventures: Volume Four - The Best of the Journal Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded Imperial Entanglements The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook Lords of the Expanse Star Wars Adventure Journal 9 Rules of Engagement: The Rebel SpecForce Handbook "Special Military Unit Intelligence Update"—Star Wars Adventure Journal 15 Hideouts & Strongholds Star Wars: Rebellion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide Arms & Equipment Guide Star Wars Trading Card Game: Battle of Yavin The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Endor Limited Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Endor Limited Star Wars Trading Card Game – The Empire Strikes Back (Card: Rebel Trench Defenders) Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive Alien Anthology Ultimate Adversaries Star Wars Miniatures: The Force Unleashed The Official Star Wars Fact File 100 The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji Legacy Era Campaign Guide The Battle of Turak IV on Hyperspace (article) (content now obsolete; backup links 1 2 on Archive.org) Rebellion Era Campaign Guide Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Agents of Deception (Card: Imperial Army Captain) The Unknown Regions  AT-AT drivers in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)

Imperial Army
Grand Army of the Republic ← 19 BBY–5 ABY Imperial Navy (concurrent) New Republic Army →

Notes and referencesEdit

External linksEdit

• Fully Augmented Imperial Sector Army calculations