Imperial Navy War Council

The Imperial Navy War Council was a war planning and naval strategy devising committee of the of the  that performed the functions of a. It was established in 0 ABY in response to the destruction of the at the  and the need for the Imperial government to address the growing threat of the. The Navy War Council was established to provide a more integrated command for the Imperial Starfleet, specifically directed towards coordinating the war effort against the Rebellion.

The Council served this function during the until the, being a part of the Imperial Admiralty. After the defeat at Endor and the resulting break down of central authority in the Empire, it became a de facto separate body from the rest of the and its place in the hierarchy was no longer fully defined. The Navy War Council came to include of some of the highest ranking officers and was tasked with the persecution of the war against the recently established. After 4 ABY, the War Council functioned as the leadership body of the Imperial Navy as the naval command itself became fragmented. It remained in this state until the of 12 ABY, at which point it was formalised in the structure of the 's naval forces.

Background
In the weeks after the Imperial defeat at Yavin, Admiral Lord Octavius Magdellan proposed a report to Emperor Palpatine on the creation of a new war council to coordinate the operations against the growing Rebellion. The report stated that the Navy War Council would consist of a chief of naval staff, and one staff officer each responsible for (1) operations, (2) intelligence, (3) logistics, and (4) mobilisation. The organisation would devise naval war plans for operations against the Rebels, coordinate the activities of different branches of the Fleet to that end, and advise His Imperial Majesty's Government on naval strategy. The, which advised the sovereign on military matters, reviewed it and recommended the report to Palpatine. He agreed and permitted the proposal to be implemented.

Council composition
The Navy War Council's composition could vary over time, but the core members of the organisation were the following:
 * the Chief of the Naval Staff (President of the War Council)
 * the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (Vice President)
 * Director of Operations and Planning
 * Director of
 * Director of the
 * Director of

Additionally, on different occasions other members were presented at the War Council. Other posts that existed at various times included:


 * Director of Reserves and
 * Director of the

Chiefs of Naval Staff

 * 0 ABY — 6 ABY: Admiral Lord Octavius Magdellan
 * 6 ABY — 10 ABY: Admiral Anatole Droga
 * 10 ABY — 14 ABY: Vice Admiral Augustus Sorbanne
 * 14 ABY — 19 ABY: Admiral Lord Lucien Saint-Aristophon
 * 19 ABY — 25 ABY: Admiral Ivar Velthayne
 * 25 ABY — 30 ABY: Admiral Bjorn Astrides