Imperial I-class Star Destroyer

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Imperial I-class Star Destroyer

TheImperial I-class Star Destroyer was a model ofImperial-class Star Destroyer in the service of theImperial Navy. A wedge-shapedcapital ship, it bristled with weapons emplacements, assaulttroops, boarding craft, andTIE fighter series starfighters. In theera of theGalactic Empire, itscommand bridge was staffed by the finest crewmen in thenavy.

At first,Star Destroyers were deployed tosectors andsystems caught in the aftermath of theClone Wars, where they would crush any signs of sedition. During theGalactic Civil War the Destroyer's role changed to hunting down high valueRebel targets and bases. They fought in notable battles such as theBattle of Hoth and theBattle of Endor. TheImperial II-class Star Destroyer was a derivative of theImperial I-class.

Characteristics[]

Dimensions[]

TheImperial I-class Star Destroyer was the first model of theImperial-class line^[3] ofStar Destroyers^[32] designed byLira Wessex^[1] and used by theGalactic Empire'sImperial Navy.^[2] Despite the Star Destroyer being considered acapital ship under Imperial doctrine, theAnaxes War College System classified it as adestroyer.^[32]

With a length of 1,600meters and a width of 985 meters,^[6], the wedge-shapedImperial I-class Star Destroyer^[2] was 445 meters longer^[33] than its immediate predecessor, theVenator-class Star Destroyer, which had been developed for theGalactic Republic during theClone Wars.^[34] In keeping with the Empire's habit of favoring muted colors whenever possible,^[35] the hull of the Imperial-class was painted in whitish gray,^[2] a stark change from theVenator-class of the Clone Wars era which had red markings denoting the Republic's diplomatic immunity.^[33]

Crew requirements & quarters[]

Imperial I-class Star Destroyers had over 37,000 crew on board— 9,235 officers and 27,850 enlisted personnel. The complement of 9,700stormtroopers added to a total of 46,785 crew and passengers,^[2] with 2,000 of those being the bare minimumrequired to safely operate the ship.^[26] Like other Star Destroyer classes, a singleInternal Affairs officer was stationed aboard the ship to scan the crew for signs of disloyalty and sedition, as well as interrogate any captured prisoners.^[36] As most ships in the Navy, Rebaxan ColumniMSE-6 series repair droids were employed to serve as messenger, repair and custodial assistants.^[37]

The officer's quarters were located right below the bridge, in the ship'scommand tower.^[38] The officer barracks, gunnery crew quarters,^[3] recreation areas,^[6] meeting rooms andcell blocks were located on the second level^[2] of the ship's multi-tiered habitable superstructure,^[6] with four gradually upsloping shorter 'levels' eventually leading to the ships 'neck' which connected it to its upper command tower.^[2] On the contrary, the barracks for the 27,000 enlisted personnel were located on the ship's midsection, outside of the main superstructure.^[6] The ship was also equipped with specialized training rooms that could simulate various environmental conditions, including underwater combat,^[39]simulator pods forImperial Starfighter Pilots^[40] as well as severalmedical substations.^[6]

To complement its impressive crew size, everyImperial-class vessel carried consumables for 2years,^[28] with its liquid stores and holds for raw materials being located near its bow.^[38] On the "side" of the ship, in front of thehangars, existed the lateral umbilical restocking vestibules.^[3]

Armament and shielding[]

TheImperial-class Star Destroyer bristled with weapons emplacements. The most common weapons equipped onto Imperial I-class Star Destroyers were the 60Taim & BakXX-9 heavy turbolaser batteries,^[13] hooked into large arrays of auxiliarypower cells,^[38] 60BorstelNK-7 ion cannons, and tenPhylonQ7 tractor beam projectors dotted its whitish gray hull.^[2] The forward pursuittractor beam array was located in the ship's very front,^[3] while four other tractor beam projectors were located around the hanagr bay opening.^[42] The ship also featured six dual heavy turbolaser turrets, two quad heavy turbolasers, three triple medium turbolasers, and two medium turbolasers. At both "ends" of the Star Destroyer existed an aftpoint-defense laser cannon.^[3] The Star Destroyer was equipped withLeGrangetargeting computers^[10] and a separatetractor beam targeting array^[43] located at the top of the command tower.^[11]

The heaviest and largest armament on the ship were the combined six dual heavy turbolaser turrets and two dual heavyion cannon turrets^[3] that were situated at each side of the dorsal superstructure flanking the command tower. With a diameter of 50 meters, each turbolaser was capable of ripping through heavy armor and overloading shields. Although it was difficult to hit small, fast-moving craft, even a glancing blow from those turrets would destroy them.^[4] Despite this impressive collection of weapons, theImperial I-class still had a large blindspot in its aft quarter, where none of them could reach. Enemy starfighters often exploited this weakness to deliver devastating attacks, although veteran captains aware of it would maneuver the ship to keep them away and deploy starfighter squadrons to repel most attacks.^[7]

TheImperial I-class was heavily shielded,^[7] and its armoured durasteel plating^[5] durable enough to easily withstand a direct collision with aGR-75 medium transport with no damage to the hull.^[15] Situated at the ventral side of the bow of the ISD was the navigational deflector generator,^[3] accompanied by the hull deflector shield generator nearer towards vessel's rear.^[6] TwoISD-72x shield generator domes were present upon the top of the command tower, at each side of the tractor beam targeting array,^[1] to protect the tower, encompassing the bridge.^[3] They also served as sensor arrays and deflector shield projector ports were scattered around the habitable superstructure.^[6]

Complement and hangars[]

TheImperial I-class featured two vast hangar bays in its underside, on an opening large enough to hold an entireCR90 corvette.^[42] The roof of the opening was equipped with anelectromagnetic paralyzing pincer crane, which grabbed onto and disabled captured ships for boarding. One of the hangars, known as the primary attack hangar^[4] was used to hosttransports and visitingshuttles^[27] as well as launch landing craft for planetary assaults,^[39] while the other held the Star Destroyer's starfighter complement,^[4] consisting of seventy-twoTIE fighter series starfighters.^[16] Another smaller bay on the opposite side of the attack hangar was used to receive returning TIEs,^[4] which were then transported in receiver-carriers to a debarkation station where TIE pilots exited their craft, and then moved to be stored in several launch bays surrounding the hangar opening.TIE/sa tactical bombers were held in specialized armored compartments to protect the rest of the ship if their bombs detonated. Service and refueling bays surrounded the TIE stations to prepare their fighters for their next sorties before the craft were moved through transfer tunnels back to the launch hangar.^[40] TheImperial I-class was also equipped with another backup hangar at the front of the ship which was used to launch and receive shuttle craft for high-ranking officials.^[4]

Besides its TIE squadrons, the ship also carried eightLambda-class T-4a shuttles, twentyAT-ATwalkers, thirtyAT-ST orAT-DP walkers, and fifteenImperial Troop Transports.^[2] They could also carry severalaerial landing platforms for use during planetary invasions.^[39]

Despite its fighter complement,Imperial I-class vessels proved less effective against skilled rebel pilots than theirVenator-class predecessors had been against droid starfighters.^[2] They were nonetheless essential in the Imperial doctrine of planetary containment and fast infantry deployment, and the vessel was noted as one of the most resource-intensive ships in the Imperial Navy.^[41]

Imperial I-class Star Destroyers were equipped with severalescape pods equipped with emergency beacons, to allow the crew to abandon the ship in an emergency.^[23] They also carried the necessary equipment to launch and retrievehyperspace pods, at least twelve of which were docked in a bay above the hangar opening.^[20]

Power and propulsion systems[]

Powering the Destroyer were seven main engine units,^[43] including threeKuat Drive YardsDestroyer-I ion engines and fourCygnus SpaceworksGemon-4 ion engines,^[2] which could accelerate the ship to speeds of up to 975 kph.^[28] The ship however was not suited towards planetary atmospheres, in which full power was required to stay aloft. Any interruption in the power supply in atmosphere could be catastrophic to the vessel, despite all vital equipment being shielded.^[41] The primary power source on board the ship was asolar ionization reactor large enough relative to the rest of the craft to protrude with a ventral bulb,^[43] powering a massive cylindricalpower generator surrounded by antiresonance plates^[4] located in sector 19-A on the ship's rear.^[26]

Although well-armored, a direct hit fromproton torpedoes in that area would cause a breach in the generator venting tunnel, causing the reactor to overload and explode within sevenminutes. To prevent ship-wide catastrophe it was possible to jettison the entire reactor assembly.^[26] To allow the ship to continue to run in this event, theImperial I-class also carried a backup secondary reactor^[22] to power the engines, and a subsidiary reactor^[4] to provide auxiliary power to the rest of the ship.^[26] A third auxiliary reactor was located on the ship's prow.^[4]

Engines were controlled in a massive room filled with walkways and"Tulip" style Imperial work stations.^[44] In order to jump to light-speed and enterhyperspace theImperial-class was equipped with a Class 2hyperdrive, while it was standard protocol to dump the ship's garbage before entering hyperspace in order to reduce the weight of the vessel.^[2]

Bridge[]

A prominent feature of theImperial-class was itsbridge tower.^[43] The command bridge itself featured two elongated pits set below floor level, whose walls were lined with monitors and control panels. In addition, six more duty station consoles were mounted freely in each pit aligned perpendicular to the walkway. High-ranking officers stood on a walkway surrounding the pits at the normal deck height,^[45] an arrangement considered beneficial for denoting rank hierarchy within the ship.^[37] The consoles mounted under theviewports in this level carried aholoprojector used for officer communications^[46] and the controls which allowed thehelmsman to pilot the ship.^[47]

A small room behind the main bridge existed separated by a single blast door, which had access to advanced communications equipment and a holographic imaging table.^[45]

History[]

TheImperial-class Star Destroyers were the technological successors of theVenator-class Jedi cruisers used by thenaval forces of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars. After the Republic wasturned into the Empire at the end of the Clone Wars, the self-anointedGalactic EmperorSheev Palpatine decreed a massive military buildup. To meet interstellar defense needs, the great shipyards of the galaxy were fired up during the Clone Wars and remained lit well into theAge of the Empire. The enormous construction facilities atKuat,Corellia,Ringo Vinda,Fondor, and elsewhere were converted from civilian graving docks into military starports capable of churning outImperial-class Star Destroyers.^[3] Building upon the strengths of the Jedi cruisers, the biggerImperial-class vessels became one of the most instantly recognizable symbols of the Imperial might, and were often titled intimidating names such asLawbringer,Relentless, andDevastator.^[34]

Initially, the new Star Destroyers were deployed tosectors andsystems that had once been beyond the reach of Republic law, where they would subjugate them and crush any signs of resistance or rebellion. Imperial Star Destroyers became symbols of this new order. Citizens weary of chaos and war cheered the sight of these giant dagger-shaped warships, whilepirates andenslavers quailed at the thought of confronting them. But a few citizens wondered if the imposition of Imperial law was worth the freedoms lost.^[34]

Easily becoming the most recognizable symbol of Imperial power, theImperial-class further demonstrated its tactical versatility by protecting galactic commerce and bolstering Imperial-backed governments. Manyadmirals,Grand Moffs,ISBagents andsenior Imperial commanders utilized these ships as their personal command ship, with the ship's officer often being as intimidating as the ship itself—whose shadow alone could bring results.^[2] At the peak of the Empire, over 25,000 Imperial Star Destroyers were in existence^[48] with 24 assigned to each of the 1,024regional sectors to form independentSector Groups.^[1] The Empire's primary source of Star Destroyers and Destroyer-equipped shipyards was located at the industrial manufacturing center of Kuat. Ultimately, these giant craft became the backbone of the Imperial Navy, hunting down Rebel task forces, blockading undisciplined worlds and serving as launch bases for planetary assaults.^[34]

Eventually, theImperial I-class Star Destroyer would be replaced by theImperial II-class Star Destroyer. TheDevastator was the last of theImperial I-class Star Destroyers to lumber out of the Kuat Drive Yards before the facility began production on theImperial II-class,^[3] although it was later upgraded to compete with these more advanced warships.^[49]

TheImperial-class would ultimately see service in theFirst Order'sNavy thirty years after theBattle of Endor, and would be regarded as a highly respected ship, with many of its design flaws rectified with the construction of theResurgent-class Star Destroyer, a newer, more powerful vessel based on the Old Empire's dreaded warships.^[50]35 years after the Battle of Yavin, theSith Eternal usedXyston-class Star Destroyers. These Star Destroyers were based directly on the design of theImperial-I-class Star Destroyer, with the primary exception being that theXyston-class was armed with aplanet-killing weapon.^[51]

Behind the scenes[]

Some inconsistencies concerning the armament of theImperial I-class Star Destroyer has been presented in several sources. TheFantasy Flight GamesRPG sourcebookStarships and Speeders, published in states that theImperial I-class Star Destroyer possessed both light and heavy turbolaser batteries, and two different types of ion cannons.^[7] However,Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide does not support different ion cannons or light and heavy turbolasers,^[3] andUltimate Star Wars, New Edition^[2] andStar Wars: Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide^[6] state that it had 60Taim & BakXX-9 heavy turbolaser batteries and 60BorstelNK-7 ion cannons.^[2] This article assumes the armament information fromStarships and Speeders is incorrect. A volume of theStar Wars Encyclopedia series of reference booklets,Starships of the Empire and the Rebellion contains annotations over a port lateral side-view of what is denoted as anImperial I-class Star Destroyer that outlineconcussion missile launchers present on theconning tower and fore brim region of the starship. An earlier volume of the seriesNaval Weapons and Equipment asserts that the Imperial I-class possessed no such weaponry, in contrast to predecessors such as theVictory-class Star Destroyer, with ion cannons superseding them. Since the majority of other sources adhere to the assertion that no concussion missile launchers were equipped ontoImperial I-class Star Destroyers, this article assumesStarships of the Empire and the Rebellion is incorrect.

Appearances[]

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Non-canon appearances[]

• "Attack over Tatooine" —LEGO Star Wars 1
• Rogue One: Recon A Star Wars 360 Experience
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
• LEGO STAR WARS: Celebrate the Season — "Obi-Wan vs Inquisitors"
• "The Double Trap" —LEGO Star Wars 115
• LEGO STAR WARS: Celebrate the Season — "Ahsoka's Amazing Adventures"

Sources[]

Notes and references[]