Battlefleet
A Battlefleet comprises the vessels responsible for protecting a sector of the Imperium. A battlefleet is commanded by a Lord Admiral and is the largest operational naval organisation, usually consisting of between 50 and 75 ships of varying size. Depending on the importance or enemy threat level of a sector this number may be more or less.[1] For example, Battlefleet Solar is home to thousands of ancient, planet-killing battleships by itself.[7]
Organisation
A battlefleet is made up of destroyers, frigates, cruisers, and battleships, as well as countless small vessels such as transports, shuttles, messenger craft and long-range patrol craft. In addition there will also be numerous non-warp travel ships such as system patrol ships and defence monitors. These are all backed up by stationary defences such as space stations, orbital defence platforms, orbital mines, and ground-based defence lasers and missile silos.[1]
A battlefleet's roles include routine patrols, protecting merchant shipping from pirates and alien attack, transporting and escorting Imperial Guard, giving orbital support for planetary armies and providing vessels for exploration fleets.[1]
Each battlefleet is divided down into a number of Battlegroups. The majority of battlegroups are not permanent but are assembled to perform particular functions along the lines of task forces, convey escorts or patrol flotillas.[1]
Battlefleets are usually named after the sector they protect, but are sometimes named after the Sector Naval Base from which they are based - for example Battlefleet Bakka.[6]
Other Uses of "Battlefleet"
"Battlefleet" is also sometimes used as a generic terms to include naval forces from any of the five Imperial Segmentums. These are Battlefleet Solar[2], Battlefleet Obscurus[3], 'Battlefleet Ultima[4], Battlefleet Tempestus[5], and Battlefleet Pacificus.
See also
Sources
- 1: Battlefleet Gothic Rulebook, pg. 86
- 2: Gathering Storm: Rise of the Primarch Part 3
- 3: Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One, pgs. 118–119
- 4: Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, pg. 216
- 5: Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two, pg. 88
- 6: Battlefleet Gothic Magazine Issue 2, pgs. 31-41
- 7: Imperial Knight Companion, pg. 80
