Fleet Profiles, Doctrines, and designs: Alliance to Restore the Republic (Star Wars)

History and development:
At the end of the Clone Wars the Galactic Republic was reorganized into the first Galactic Empire. Almost immediatly however there was resistance to the New Order. During the late Clone Wars a group of Senators known as the Delegation of 2000 who were concerned with the growing power of Chancellor Palpatine and feared that he might not relinquish his emergency powers at the end of the Clone Wars. Famous members of this group included Padme Amidala, Bail Organa, and Mon Mothma.

Early armed resistance against the Empire is difficult to track and varies between both legends and canon. These early groups included planetary militias, Seperatist hold outs, and Jedi who survived Order 66. A common thread for these groups however is that most were wiped out with little difficulty by the Imperial Military. What was needed to fight the Empire was a coordinated and galaxy wipe resistance group.

In secret, members of the delegation of 2000 began to form and support anti-Imperial groups with funds and intelligence, slowly building a network of operatives and until at last the Alliance to Restore the Republic was ready to step onto the Galactic stage as the center piece of resistance against the Empire.

Almost immediatly the Rebel Alliance was at a sever disadvantage to the Galactic Empire. The Empire had a near total stranglehold on any shipyards capable of building or maintaing capital ships. The warships the Alliance were able to get their hands on at this stage were typical a mixture of light duty military ships in use by local defense fleets, out dated hold overs from the Clone Wars, and converted civilians starships armed for combat.

At this stage three main stays of the Alliance navy entered service with their forces. The first being the CR90 Corvette, a blockade runner and light escort ship. The second the GR-75 medium Transport which would serve primarily as troopship, freight hauler, and extremely light escort. The third and final ship of this era that we be a staple of the Alliance navy was the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate. The Nebulon-B is of particular interest as the ship was designed to serve in an anti-starfighter capacity for the Galactic Empire. The Nebulon-B however would go onto be the work horse of the Alliance navy often serving as a flagship amongst groups of smaller ships.

In terms of starfighters the Alliance early on made heavy use of older model star fighters such as the BTL Y-wing starfighter and Z-95 Headhunter. These old but still effective craft formed a major part of Rebellion starfighter forces.
However as the Alliance grew in strength and power they gained access to probably the most iconic design for their fighting forces. This ship would be ideally suited to the Rebel Alliance logistics limitations and strategic needs. This ship would become a legend and out of universe a science fiction icon, the T-65 X-wing starfighter.

The X-wing was ideally suited to the rebels needs as a long range multirole strike fighter. Equipped with shields, hyperdrive, and capable of housing an on board astromech droid the X-wing was a powerhouse in a dog. More importantly the X-wing was suitable for the Alliance's limited industrial capacity and easy for new pilots to learn to fly with even just a few hours in a simulator as its cockpit design mimicked the layout of civilian model craft.

The X-wing would prove invaluable to the Alliance cause at the Battle of Yavin IV where handful of X-wings and Y-wings successfully destroyed the first Death Star. This victory would boost morale throughout the Alliance and lead to a surge in recruitment. The Rebel Alliance also began to regularly field more powerful star ships such as the MC80 Star Cruiser otherwise known as the Mon Calamari Cruiser, a ship that could hold its own against dreaded Imperial Stardestroyers.

Along with the X-wing the Alliance fielded other unique starfighter designs to shore up their battle lines. These included the RZ-1 A-wing interceptor, a fighter built to counter the sheer numbers of Imperial TIE Fighters, and the B-wing starfighter, a heavy attack craft designed to take out Imperial escort ships and even threaten Star Destroyers.

While the defeat at the battle of Hoth would force the Alliance navy to scatter it would eventually regroup and under the command of Admiral Ackbar would attack the second Death Star, orbiting the forest moon of Endor. The battle of Endor would turn out to be a massive trap but thanks to the skilled leadership of commanders such as Lando Calrissian, Han Solo, Wedge Antillies, and of course Ackbar himself the Alliance navy was able to emerge victorious. More to the point Emperor Palpatine was killed aboard the Death Star II crippling Imperial Command.

The Rebel Alliance would continue to fight the Galactic Empire and eventually go on to form the New Republic with the Alliance navy forming the core of its new star fleet.

Fleet Doctrine and Organizational Structure:
In both legends and canon the Alliance Navy was badly out numbered, out gunned, out classed, and out produced by the Imperial Navy. The vast majority of Alliance ships could not even consider one on one gunnery duels with their Imperial counter parts. The Alliance navy also could not easily replace lost capital ships.

What the Alliance could produce in great numbers were numerous star fighters. Indeed, the Alliance Starfighter corps effectively became its own independent branch of the military though working in close consort with the Alliance Navy. The Starfighter corps became the primary offensive and defensive arm of the Alliance Navy.

Typical Alliance tactics called for rapid hit and run assaults on Imperial targets, typically using Starfighters with light capital ships such as corvettes and gunships running support.

However in instance where the Alliance navy was forced to stand and fight it would typically adopt three lines of battle. The first line would be made up of picket ships, corvettes and light frigates who would screen against enemy starfighters. The second line would be made up of light cruisers and assault frigates who would back up the first line. The third would be made up of the heavy cruisers and other heavy capital ships of the fleet, these would keep their distance relying on long range fire power to support the battle line.

In other instances however the Alliance navy has been observed forming into more loose battle clusters that still roughly follow the three line format but instead wrap around the third line ships to provide them with superior defensive fire support or even shield them with their hulls and shields. In both instances Alliance Starfighters would form the primary offensive element of the fleet, picking away at enemy ships.

Rebel Alliance fleet organization in both legends and in canon began with a cell based structure. Individual cells could range from a mere handful of members to large fleet and ground elements. The Alliance Navy would typically remain scattered to avoid capture or destruction by the Empire, converging only for major strike operations such as the Battle of Endor.
The typical organization the Alliance Navy could be broken down along five levels. At the bottom was an Element, a single starship.

Next was a Section, typically a small number of light capital ships commanded by a senior captain, this formation could sometimes also be known as a Flotilla. The exact numbers of ships that a Section would contain is unclear but is likely to be less than six.

Third is a Squadron, by far the most common Alliance fighting force typically made up of three or four sections of ships. A Squadron may have access to heavy capital ships in its ranks. A squadron would typically be commanded by a senior captain, commodore, or line admiral.

Fourth is the Battle Group, a mostly theoretical organization of two to four Squadrons. Battle Groups were rarely deployed as the Alliance could rarely afford to commit so many resources to any one engagement or risk so many ships being together at the same time. Battle groups would be under the command of a line admiral.

The last and largest is the Fleet, a force of three to six battle groups led by a fleet admiral. Given how rare battle groups are in the Alliance Navy, a full fleet would be exceedingly rare.

All of this organization and doctrinal development points to one over arching concern, the preservation of the Alliance's limited supply of heavy Capitol ships. This is not to say that the Alliance would not send these ships into battle but that they would not risk them carelessly. Any deployment of heavy Capitol ships such as MC-80 Mon Calamari cruiser was a calculated risk by Alliance high command.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths-
- Excellent Starfighters
- Highly adaptable and robust shield technology
- Excellent mobility

Weaknesses-
- Limited logistical capacity
- Bulk of fleet is either slightly out of date or repurposed for military usage
- Poorly suited to battles of attrition

NEW SECTION!
Ships of the line-
This secton is a quick over of ships used by this navy, their commonality, origins, and intended role.
Rebel Capital ships-
Universal:
Imperial II-class Star Destroyer (Typically captured or stolen from the Empire, on occasion sympathetic Imperial officers might desert and take their ship with them, Imperial II-class ships, along with other Imperial Star Destroyers, were extremely rare in the Alliance navy)
MC80 Star Cruiser (The Mon Calamari Cruiser, the mainstay heavy capital ship of the Alliance navy. The Mon Calamari built as many of these ships as they could though they were never as numerous as the Imperial Star Destroyer)
MC80 Home One type Star Cruiser
MC80 Liberty type Star Cruiser
Lucrehulk-class battleship (A Clone wars Era Seperatist ship, made some apperance with Rebel forces early in the galactic civil war usually as a command ship or heavy carrier)
Providence-class carrier/destroyer (A Clone wars Era Seperatist ship, made some apperance with Rebel forces early in the galactic civil war usually as a command ship or heavy carrier)
Venator-class Star Destroyer (A Clone wars Era Repulic ship, the Alliance made use of a handful of these ships when they could get them. Out gunned by modern Imperial star destroyers they typically served as carriers and command ships)
Recusant-class light destroyer (A Clone wars Era Seperatist ship, made some apperance with Rebel forces early in the galactic civil war usually as a heavy cruiser)

New canon exclusives:
MC75 Cruiser (An early Mon Calamari Cruiser, the MC75 is no where near as well armed as the MC80 but early on was the best the Rebels could get, these ships appear to have been phased out in favor of the MC80)

Legends exclusives:
Bulwark-class battlecruiser (A Clone wars Era Seperatist ship, made some apperance with Rebel forces early in the galactic civil war usually as a heavy cruiser)
Dauntless-class Heavy Cruiser (Dedicated Alliance Heavy Cruiser, second only to the MC80 in terms of numbers serving with the Alliance Navy)
Liberator-class Cruiser (Small but excellent Carrier-Cruiser used by the Rebel Alliance, commonly held in the third line of battle)

Rebel Medium ships-
Universal:

New canon exclusives:

Legends exclusives:
Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruiser (A Pre Clone wars cruiser, used extensively by both the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War)
MC40a Light Cruiser (A Mon Calamari light Cruiser, used sporadically throughout the Alliance typically as a second line starship within a battle fomation)
Strike-class medium Cruiser (An Imperial medium cruiser, a handful of these ships fell into the hands of the Rebel Alliance and were used sporadically)
Acclamator-class assault ship (Clone wars era frigate and transport, used sparingly by the Alliance mostly in the early stages of the war)
Ton-Falk-class Escort Carrier (Imperial Escort Carrier, a small number were captured by the Alliance)
Assualt Frigate Mark I (Essentially a converted Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruiser, the Assault Frigate Mark I was faster than the Dreadnaught-class and saw heavy use in the Alliance navy)
Assualt Frigate Mark II (A unique rebel Alliance design built off of lessons learned from the Assault Frigate Mark I, it has more robust shields and armor while remaining fast nimble)
MC30 Frigate (A Mon Calamari Torpedo Frigate used in both and anti-starfighter capacity and as a bombardment ship within the fleet)
Munificent-class star frigate (A Clone wars Era Seperatist ship, made some apperance with Rebel forces early in the galactic civil war usually as a frigate)
CC-9600 Frigate (Combat assault ship, ideal for troop deployment and line combat duty, limited numbers produced)
CC-7700 Frigate (Expensive Alliance Interdictor, very few produced)

Rebel Light ships-
Universal:
Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier (In Legends the Quasar Fire is a converted civilian cargo ship while in Canon it is a dedicated starfighter carrier)
DP20 Frigate (A conversion of the CR90 Corvette sometimes known as a Correlian Gunship. Used as an escort and light attack ship)
EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate (An Imperial designed Alliance navy mainstay, the work horse of the Alliance navy able to be used in a vareity of roles.)
Pelta-class Frigate (A Clone wars Era Republic medical ship, used in a variety of roles with conversions as a starfighter carrier, command ship, and fleet escort)
CR90 Corvette (A civilian market Corvette, heavily used by the Rebel Alliance as a fleet escort and light attack ship)
CR25 Troop Carrier (A Clone wars Era Republic light troop transport, used in limited numbers by the Rebel Allaince)
GR-75 medium transport (A civilian market transport use by the Rebel Alliance in a variety of roles ranging from escort to troop ship)
E-9 Explorer (A scout ship sometimes used as a fleet escort)
Braha'tok-class gunship (A light gunship used by the Rebel Alliance, reasonably well armed for its size)
GX1 Short Hauler (A converted cargo ship used by the Rebel Alliance)
Consular-class Cruiser (A pre Clone wars Republic starship, these converted diplomatic transports were used by as light escorts and anti-starfighter ships)

New canon exclusives:
Hammerhead Corvette (A throw back to the Old Republic, the Hammerhead Corvette was used in a variety of roles by the Rebel Alliance as a transport, escort, and light attack ship)

Legends exclusives:
Carrack-class light cruiser (A Clone wars Era Republic ship, typically more heavily used by the Galactic Empire though a few found their way into the Alliance navy)
Lancer-class frigate (Imperial Anti-starfighter frigate, a handful ended up in Alliance hands)
Interceptor-class frigate (A pirate frigate, well armed though somewhat fragile, the Rebel Alliance made use of a handful of these ships)
Alderaanian Gunship (A relatively unknown ship class used as a fleet escort and attack ship)
CR92a Assassin-class Corvette (A dedicated military conversion of the CR90 Corvette, well armed and equipped for ship to ship engagements)
CR70 Corvette (An older model of the venerable CR90 Corvette, saw some Alliance service)
IPV-1 System Patrol Craft (An anti-piracy ship used heavily in planetary defense forces)
Marauder-class Corvette (A ship used by a variety of forces including the Rebel Alliance ad the Galactic Empire. Small but well armed for its size.)

Rebel fighters-
Unviseral:
N-1 Starfighter (Royal Naboo starfighter, saw limited use by Alliance forces)
Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing Starfighter (Late Clone wars Interceptor, used in limited numbers by the Alliance early in the war)
Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighter (Late Clone wars era heavy fighter, still considered excellent fighter bombers during the Galactic Civil war and saw service on both sides in a variety of roles)
Belbullab-22 starfighter (Recognizable as the personal craft of General Grevious, these ships were still considered high quality during the Galactic Civil war and saw service on both sides)
B-wing starfighter (Alliance dedicated Heavy fighter bomber, ideal for destroying Imperial warships)
BTL Y-wing starfighter (Clone wars era light bomber and strike fighter, Alliance versions stripped off most of the crafts armor notably making no two Y-wings identical)
RZ-1 A-wing interceptor (Dedicated light interceptor starfighter)
T-65 X-wing starfighter (Alliance mainstay multirole fighter)
Z-95 Headhunter (Predecessor to the T-65 X-wing and Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighter, considered old when the Clone Wars were new)
TIE series fighters (Saw some use in Alliance forces, typically captured or stolen, used usually for infiltration missions)
LAAT/i gunships (Clone wars Era Gunship, used by the Rebel Alliance in some numbers)

New canon exclusive:
Fang fighter (Mandalorian starfighter, saw limited use by the Rebel Alliance)
UT-60D U-wing starfighter/support craft (Dedicated Light transport and ground support aircraft, used heavily by the Rebel Alliance particularly in the early phases of the Galactic Civil war)

Legends exclusive:
R-41 Starchaser (Old used early on before being phased out in favor of the X-wing, already out datted by the end of the clone wars)
R-22 Spearhead (Prototype A-wing production line)
BTS-A2 Long Range Strike Fighter/Bomber (Basically a double Y-wing, originally intended to replace the Y-wing but proved impractical for cost reasons)
Cutlass-9 Patrol Fighter (Clone wars era fighter used by the Alliance, widely accessible on the civilian market)
H-60 Tempest Bomber (Predecessor to the B-wing, Clone wars era bomber sold off after the war, proved inflexible and was fazed out in favor of the B-wing)
R60 T-wing Interceptor (Intended to replace the A-wing, was a total failure and phased out of service)

6060503
That was significantly more extensive than I initially expected.

On an unrelated note.

Hype

6060602
I will admit I kind of rushed to history and development section, there fine details are fairly different.

Also max Hype.