Imperial Small Craft Organization

The smallest unit that Imperial TOE/small craft carries is the Element. It is expected to fight as one craft, regardless of the number of craft actually in it.

Element = 2 fighters (usually TIEs)
1 drop ship
1 shuttle (except TIE deritives)
1 Blastboat
2 space capable probe droids

The smallest unit considered for a deployment by the Navy is a Flight.

Flight = 2 Elements
1 Landing Barge
1 Light or Medium Transport
1 Customs or System Patrol Craft

The smallest unit that is preferred for deployment by the Navy is a Squadron. Note that an Army Squadron and Navy Squadron are different units.

Navy Squadron= 3 Flights
1 Bulk Transport
Squadron types (Navy):
Fighter = 12 fighters, usually TIE/ln
Interceptor = 12 interceptor fighters, usually TIE Interceptors, but sometimes TIE/ad, TIE/ln+, or other low production craft. In older wings made of TIE's, the TIE/ln is considered an interceptor.
Bomber = 12 TIE/gt's, TIE/ae's or TIE Bombers.
(Often augmented with TIE/fc. If using TIE Bombers, may be augmented with TIE/fr's and/or TIE/ew's.)
Recon = 4 TIE/rc, TIE Interceptor/rc's, TIE/fr's or Vanguards
8 TIE/ln's (Often an element of /ln's is replaced with /rc's. If using Int/fc's, TIE/ln's usually replaced by Interceptors.)
Scout = 4 TIE/fc's, TIE Interceptor/fc's, TIE/fr's
8 TIE/ln's (Often an element of /ln's is replaced with /fc's. If using Int/fc's, TIE/ln's usually replaced by Interceptors.)
Hunter = 2 TIE/fc's
2 TIE/rc's
(TIE/fc and /rc May be replaced with Intercpetor/fc's and /rc's, or TIE/fr's. If using TIE/fr's, one may be replaced with an TIE/ew)
8 TIE/ln's (may be replaced with TIE Interceptors if using Int/fc's and /rc's)
(often augemented with TIE/gt's, or occasionally TIE Bombers or blastboats.)
Transport Squadron = 3 light to medium transports,
1 transport often replaced with 2 cargo shuttles
Strategic Transport = 1 bulk transport
Support Squadron = 2 transport flights,
100 ground personnel,
20 security troops.
Intended to support remote operations.
Shuttle Squadron = 6 shuttles, usually mixed types
Drop Squadron = 6 drop ships. Intended to quickly place troops on the ground.
Landing Squadron = 3 landing barges. Intended to place large numbers of troops on he ground with their armour and artillery support.

Army Squadron = 5 Elements (usually older TIEs, such as the TIE, TIE/ln and TIE/gt.)

The smallest unit assigned to a ship if the Navy had it's wishes is the Group. Groups are usually only assigned to escort ships acting alone. If they are working in a team, 2 Groups for a Short Wing, while three Groups with three mother ships is the preferred. The Army does not use Groups.

Group = 2 Squadrons
Group Types:
Escort Group: 1 fighter squadron
1 composite squadron (2 TIE/fc's, 0-2 /rc's, 0-2 /gt's, the remainder /ln's
Assault Group: 1 drop squadron
1 bomber squadron (usually with graft TIE/rc's)

The largest unit of small craft usually considered is a Wing. A wing is the standard book keeping unit of small craft, and varies in size between Army and Navy. Wings are of mixed Squadron types.

Navy Wing = 6 Squadrons = 3 Groups
Wing types (navy):
Fleet Wing: The typical wing assigned to an ISD or an escort line
3 fighter squadrons
1 interceptor squadron or fighter squadron
1 bomber squadron
1 scout, recon or hunter squadron
Assault Wing: Used for hard ground suppression missions.
2 fighter squadrons
1 interceptor or fighter squadron
1 scout or hunter squadron
2 bomber squadrons
Interceptor Wing: Used to secure flag ships and key facilities.
3 fighter squadrons (to be replaced with interceptors based off availability)
2 interceptor squadrons
1 hunter or recon squadron
Recon Wing: Used for reconnaissance purposes where there is not air parity or worse.
2 fighter squadrons
3 recon squadrons
1 scout squadron
Scout Wing: Used to provide forward observation support, usually to Naval Bombard Squadrons.
2 fighter squadrons
3 scout squadrons (1 sometimes replaced with a hunter squadron)
1 bomber squadron
Hunter Wing: A multi-role support wing to provide recon and targeting data, and exploit that data by itself if needed.
3 hunter squadrons
2 fighter squadrons
1 bomber squadron
(occasionally augmented with blastboats)
Strategic Recon Wing: Used only under special circumstances.
5 recon squadrons (2-3 of the Vaguard)
1 interceptor or blastboat squadron
Drop Wing: Intended as a self contained beachhead unit.
2 fighter squadrons
1 bomber squadron
2 drop squadrons
1 landing squadron
Fleet Transport Wing: Fleet lifting capabilities, often augmented.
2 shuttle squadrons
2 drop squadrons
2 landing squadrons
Transport Wing: Heavy lifting capabilities.
6 shuttle, transport and strategic transport squadrons in any mix.
Army Wing = 4 Army Squadrons

More theoretical than anything else, a Formation is the largest official unit of Naval small craft. They are usually of mixed Wing types. This is the is the size of the force carried by the new Executor-class Star Destroyers.

Formation = 3 Wings + command ship
Augmenting Small Craft Units

The smallest augmentable unit is the squadron, with no more than 2 Elements grafted on. These are often specialist craft attached for tactical reasons (such as TIE/fc's assigned to a Bomber Squadron).

In units larger than a Group, the augmented elements are formed into separate squadrons. A fully augmented wing has 46 Elements (92 TIEs)

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