Naval Depot
Depots serve as focuses for naval efforts, supplying a fleet's every need, providing construction and repair facilities, and producing and testing experimental ship prototypes. A depot generally occupies an entire system. Facilities, materiel, and personnel are extensive enough to repair and resupply a large fraction of the fleet at any time. A depot may be isolated from outside contact for years at a time without serious setbacks. As depots cover large parts of a system, there is no distinction between orbital and surface berthing.
In peacetime, the main function of a depot is the design and testing of ships. A large staff of naval architects (the cream of the area) and construction personnel is maintained at every depot. A Depot may operate a training fleet and academies, mothball fleets, research, command and control and other functions necessary to maintain the Imperium Navy.
In wartime, depots serve as repair and resupply centers for fleets. In emergencies, the depot's construction yards can be pressed into service for full scale production of military ships.
Since a depot is obviously a very sensitive installation, security is tight. An extensive array of both entry and exit codes are employed to insure no unauthorized vessels enter or leave the system. Contingents of marines and system defense boats are stationed throughout the system, and are constantly ready for action.
There is usually no more than one naval depot per sector, placed in systems where they will be close enough to the expected action to be useful, but far enough back to insure that they will not be captured.
DEPOTS OF THE IMPERIUM
Imperial depots are traditionally named for the sector in which they are placed; for example, the Imperial depot in Corridor sector IS named Depot/Corridor
| Name | UWP | Base | Remarks | Allegiance | Gas Giant? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depot ( Deneb 1613) | A100644-G | D | Na Ni Va | No | |
| Depot ( Corridor 1511) | A686354-F | D | Lo Ni | - | G |
| Depot ( Vland 2728) | A594677-9 | D | Ag Ni | Vl | |
| Depot ( Lishun 1219) | D788367-7 | D | Lo Ni | - | |
| Depot ( Antares 2021) | B544556-C | D | Ag Ni | An | |
| Depot ( Gushemege 3016) | A3406AB-E | D | Ni Po De | St | |
| Depot ( Dagudashaag 3121) | A310244-D | D | Lo Ni | Im | |
| Depot ( Core 1518) | A86A422-F | D | Ni Wa | Im | |
| Depot ( Fornast 1811) | A878210-A | D | Lo Ni | Im | |
| Depot ( Ley 1420) | A453532-A | D | Ni Po | Im | |
| Depot ( Ilelish 1022) | B362558-C | D | Ni | Il | |
| Depot ( Zarushagaar 1920) | A6888CF-6 | D | - | ||
| Depot ( Massilia 0301) | B78A777-C | D | Wa Ri | Im | |
| Depot ( Delphi 0832) | A583447-A | D | Ni | Ma | |
| Depot ( Delphi 1205) | A787200-A | D | Ni | Ma | G |
| Depot ( Daibei 0326) | A9B9520-F | D | Ni | Da | G |
| Depot ( Diaspora 2018) | C000765-D | D | As Na | - | |
| Depot ( Old Expanses 1213) | A00055A-F | D | As Ni | So | |
| Depot ( Solomani Rim 1911) | A00066D-F | D | As Ni Na | So |
Allegiance Abbreviations: - = No continuing control, An =Antares, Da = Daibei, II = Ilelish, Im = Imperial, Ma = Margaret. No = Norris, So = Solomani. St = Strephon, VI = Vland
Non-Canon
Feel free to enter further information and/or personal experiences with this Imperial Installation.
Digest Group Publishing (DGP) outlined the early understanding of depots in the MT product line.
Looking at the UWP the starports, government types of these depot worlds, leads one to question the validity of the data. What depot could not be a Starport A? Tech level 6? They should be AxxxN67-F, where population N is fairly consistent e.g. 5 or greater. Law level could be B, but uniform in any case. Restricted travel zones simply make sense for military installations.
Essentially Depot standards should closely follow Imperium Tech Level. Not all depots are completely alike. We know Lishun is being considered for closure/replacement, Antares is a mobile base station, Corridor is the biggest/busiest, and Deneb in TNE requires the development of other Depots to support demand. Differences need to be clearly communicated.
At least one referee has recommended the division of depots into different types.
Other star cultures with large naval structures should have addressed logistics, command and control with something similar to a depot system. This is not discussed in canon.