Imperial Navy

The Imperial Navy is the premier space navy of the Third Imperium.

• It is the "Regular Navy" of the Third Imperium.
• It is supplemented by the Colonial Navy, or more accurately many colonial navies, which is comprised of the many starbourne fighting forces of the many smaller states that owe fealty to the Emperor.
• Naval personnel are colloquially known as "spacers".

Library Data Referral Tree

Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information:
Third Imperium:

• Imperial Navy (IN)
  • Colonial Navy
    • Subsector Navy
    • Planetary Navy
  • Imperial Star Marines (ISM)
  • Imperial Naval Intelligence (INI)
  • Naval Depot
• Imperial Army (IA)
  • Close Orbit and Airspace Control Command (COACC)
  • Ground Force Command (GFC)
  • Nautical Force Command, a Wet Navy (NFC)
  • Colonial Forces (Planetary Defense Forces)
• Imperial Interstellar Scout Service (IISS)
  • Express Boat Network
  • Imperial Intelligence (ImpInt)
• Mercenaries
  • Imperial Rules of War
  • Mercenary Slang
  • Repatriation Bond

Description (Specifications)

The Third Imperium shall support Free Trade among its members. No member shall engage in piracy or smuggling, nor allow its territory to be used for piracy or smuggling, nor shall it issue letters of marque or reprisal or other permission for ships operating within its territory to engage in piracy or smuggling.

The Third Imperium shall defend its territory forcefully enforcing Imperial Rule within the borders of Imperial Space. It expresses the will of the Emperor.

These are the mandates of the Imperial Navy.

Image Repository

Combatant Largecraft & Bigcraft

1. TBD

Non-combatant & Paramilitary Largecraft & Bigcraft

1. TBD

Combatant & Noncombatant Smallcraft

1. TBD

Goals (Mission)

"An interstellar community operates under many unique restrictions, most notably the fact that it consist of many island-planets set in an ocean of vacuum. Such a society must take control of that ocean. Its instrument is the Navy.

The Imperium is a remote, centralized government possessed of great industrial and technological might; but due to the sheer distances and travel times involved within its star-spanning realm, the Imperium is unable to be everywhere at once. As a result, the Imperium allows a large degree of autonomy to its subject worlds, calling only for some respect for its overall policies, and for a united front against outside pressures.

To monitor the space lanes, the Imperium maintains a Navy. Because these forces can never be everywhere at once, local provinces (subsectors) also maintain navies, as do individual worlds. This three tiered structure of Imperial, subsector, and planetary navies produces a flexible system for patrolling space, while putting the limited resources of the Imperium to best use."

- Grand Admiral Marc William Miller from the Master Naval Manual, in the introduction to Book 5 High Guard (pg. 1), written in 1110 (paraphrased).

Strategy & Doctrine (Operations)

New Strategy: Once again the Imperial Navy was at peace, with little more to occupy it other than anti-piracy patrols. Until, in 1082, the Zhodani invaded the Jewell Subsector, kicking off the Fourth Frontier War. This was brought to a close by the Battle of Two Suns in 1084.

Following what is often called the False War, the Admiralty began a fundamental reexamination of their strategy. Prior to that, naval policy had favored a "crust" strategy, with major fleet elements well forward in potential trouble spots such as the Spinward Marches. For decades this strategy had been effective due to the tremendous technological and material lead enjoyed by the Imperium over its neighbors. The Fourth Frontier War demonstrated, however, that the Imperium's lead had narrowed to the point that a clear superiority could no longer be achieved at all points along the frontier.

The new strategy came to be known as the "elastic defense" posture. Priority in the new strategy has been placed on a minimum of fleet assets initially in the actual border areas, but with much larger reserves available for commitment to any one region in the event of war. Within the frontier itself, colonial forces have been strengthened and centered around selected "islands of resistance," high population, high technology worlds capable of withstanding protracted sieges. These forward elements are intended to delay any hostile advances and disrupt sieges of key worlds, until major reserves can intervene and reestablish the status quo.

This new strategy proved effective when the Zhodani Consulate and Outworld Coalition forces started the Fifth Frontier War in 1107. The Metal Worlds in the Sword Worlds Subsector were captured and an armistice was signed, ending the war in 1110.

Rank & Grade (Hierarchy)

Some of the organizational ranks and grades used by this force are included in the following table:

Imperial Navy Ranks
Commissioned Officers
O12 » Grand Admiral
O11 » Sector Admiral
O10 » Fleet Admiral
O9 » Vice Admiral
O8 » Rear Admiral
O7 » Commodore
O6 » Captain
O5 » Commander
O4 » Lieutenant Commander
O3 » Lieutenant
O2 » Sub-Lieutenant
O1 » Ensign
O0 » Cadet / Midshipman
Enlisted (Ratings)
E9 » Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO)
E8 » Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO)
E7 » Chief Petty Officer (CPO)
E6 » Petty Officer First Class (PO1)
E5 » Petty Officer Second Class (PO2)
E4 » Petty Officer Third Class (PO3)
E3 » Able Spacehand (ASH)
E2 » Spacehand (SH)
E1 » Spacehand Apprentice (A)
E0 » Spacehand Recruit (R)

History & Background (Dossier)

The Imperial Navy began its life as the Sylean Federation Naval Service during the expansion of the federation, and in its life as the SFNS fought many wars and battles against other empires around and within the final borders of the Sylean Federation. Theirs was not a peaceful life in the later years of the Federation, but the experience and loyalty engendered in the service was to stand it in good stead in the future.

Historical Overview

Please see the following article for more information:

• Imperial Navy/History

Tables of Organization (Organizational Structure)

The Grand Strategic direction of the Navy is undertaken by the Emperor and administered by the Admiralty Board.

Fleets are the highest operational level of naval organization and are composed of naval squadrons. Particularly large fleets are often called Grand Fleets.

Please see the following article for more information:

• Imperial Navy/Organization

Representative Equipment & Classes

The following sub-units and types form this fleet:

• Imperial Civilian Starships
• Imperial Paramilitary Starships
• Imperial Military Starships

Selected Ship Classes & Types

Some ship types and classes that are widely used within Imperial Space include:

1. Adlerstein class Fleet Courier
2. Antiama class Fleet Carrier
3. Arakoine class Strike Cruiser
4. Atlantic class Heavy Cruiser
5. Azhanti High Lightning class Frontier Cruiser AKA Lightning class Frontier Cruiser
6. Broadsword class Mercenary Cruiser
7. Brown class Jump Ship
8. Chrysanthemum class Destroyer Escort
9. Donosev class Survey Scout
10. Empress Troyhune class Planetoid Monitor
11. Fer-de-lance class Destroyer Escort
12. Fiery class Close Escort
13. Flash class System Defense Boat
14. Gazelle class Close Escort
15. Ghalalk class Armored Cruiser
16. Gionetti class Light Cruiser
17. Hadrian class Battle Rider
18. Kinunir class Battle Cruiser
19. Kokirrak class Dreadnought
20. Lylvir class Light Assault Troop Carrier
21. Midu Agashaam class Destroyer
22. Penaru-8 class Light Cruiser
23. P. F. Sloan class Fleet Escort
24. Plankwell class Dreadnought
25. Skirmish class Light Carrier
26. Sulieman class Scout/Courier
27. Tigress class Dreadnought
28. Wind class Strike Carrier
29. Xavier class Express Boat

Selected Smallcraft

Some smallcraft types and classes that are widely used within Imperial Space include:

1. Assault Lander class Marine Gig
2. Automated Attack Craft
3. Bombardier class Ground attack Fighter
4. Bubble class Fuel Cutter
5. Carrier Support Fighter
6. Constable class System Defence Fighter
7. Damgarrii class Passenger Launch
8. Darlene class Gig
9. Dryad class Fighter
10. Gillow class Launch
11. Gnat class Light Fighter
12. Grigrot class Strike Fighter
13. Grizzly class Heavy Fighter
14. Gyro class Turret Wing Fighter
15. Iramda class Fighter
16. Kestrel class Fighter
17. Khuilrakh class Light Fighter
18. Likuurka class Bomber
19. Magnum class Heavy Fighter
20. Manta class Escort Fighter
21. Model 292 class Life Boat
22. Nolrrgarrai class Strike Fighter
23. Paulos class Troop Transport
24. Rampart class Fighter
25. SK-3 class Lifeboat
26. Stardart class Fighter
27. Sylea class Heavy Fighter
28. Sylean class Heavy Fighter
29. Type F class Fighter
30. Type FH class Heavy Fighter
31. Type FL class Light Fighter
32. Type FM class Medium Fighter
33. Wildbat class Fighter
34. Wildcat class Fighter

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)

This military is primarily located in the following areas:

• Imperial Space

Military Facilites: Depots

No information yet available.

World Listing: 1105

This military is known to regularly operate on the following systems and worlds:

No world articles for Imperial Navy

References & Contributors (Sources)

This article is missing content for one or more detailed sections. Additional details are required to complete the article. You can help the Traveller Wiki by expanding it.

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Marc Miller. Starships (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), TBD. (Classic Traveller Book 2)
• Marc Miller, Frank Chadwick, John Harshman. High Guard (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), TBD. (Classic Traveller Book 5)
• Timothy B. Brown. Fighting Ships (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), TBD. (Classic Traveller Supplement 9)
• Marc Miller. Fighting Ships of the Shattered Imperium (Game Designers Workshop, 1990), TBD.
• Martin Dougherty, Neil Frier. Grand Fleet (Avenger Enterprises, 2005), TBD.
• Bryan Steele, Stuart Machin, Dom Mooney. Fighting Ships (Mongoose Publishing, 2009), 1-126.
• Martin Dougherty. Sector Fleet (Mongoose Publishing, 2010), TBD.
• Dom Mooney. Power Projection: Fleet (BITS, 2003), TBD.
• Ken Burnside. Squadron Strike: Traveller (Ad Astra Games, 2018), TBD.
• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis), Captain, and Lead Naval Architect Ronald B. Kline, Jr. of the Imperial Navy
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science