The Imperial Navy Special Operations, also known as ImpNavSpecOps or more simply INSO, was a special forces unit in service of the Galactic Empire's Imperial Navy throughout many years, from the era of Galactic Emperor Palpatine to the years of Jagged Fel. The soldiers of the INSO are selected from the best units of the Imperial Navy and are sent to training camps in remote corners of the Empire to be trained as commandos. Like their counterparts, the Imperial Army Special Operations, they undergo both army and naval training. As some of the best units in the Empire, they take orders directly from Imperial Navy General Headquarters on Coruscant.
They receive some of the best technology and equipment available to the Imperial military and often act as testers of prototype weapons and vehicles. The ground forces usually use standard Imperial vehicles, such as AT-STs, AT-ATs, and AT-TTs. However, many of their vehicles are exclusive, such as Aguko-class hover tanks. The naval fleet has large Star Dreadnaughts, and various Star Destroyers, along with thousands of fighters, bombers, interceptors, transports, and other support craft.
The Imperial Navy Special Operations was one of the most secretive special forces units in the Empire, and operated outside of the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command's control. They also worked closely with the Imperial Navy Intelligence, who provided information to the INSO that they used to plan out their missions, and sometimes they worked with the regular Imperial Intelligence, however, they preferred the Navy Intelligence because of their naval experiences and more reliable and accurate information.
History[]
Formation[]
Many of the best officers of the Galactic Empire's Army and Navy were on edge and were disappointed with the combat performance of Imperial troops against the Rebel Alliance. They were holding back their demands to Imperial High Command to make elite special forces units and to increase the quality of training of regular units after the many minor Alliance victories, but in 0 ABY, when the Alliance Navy destroyed the Death Star, they couldn't take much more and demanded to High Command that they do something about it. So as a response to the many Alliance victorious, the Imperial Army Special Operations and Imperial Navy Special Operations (IASO and INSO) were created by High Command shortly after the destruction of the Death Star.
The first members of the INSO were selected from the soldiers of the Imperial Navy that had the most outstanding records. After being selected, they weere interviewed, and if they passed the interview, they underwent intense training on various uninhabited, uncharted planets in some of the most remote corners of the Empire. The training was brutal and harsh, the Empire wanted only the best in the unit. After several trainings, the first four squadron (60 men per squad) were made official personnel of the INSO. Their army counterparts, IASO, had made eight squadrons (50 men each) in their first trainings, since Imperial Army soldiers underwent combat training as their main course in the Imperial Academy, while the Navy didn't give as much combat training to it's recruits.
Meanwhile, Imperial Navy General Headquarters got some of it's best officers and issued several vessels with the officers to the INSO for usage in operations and transportation, while a headquarters was being build for the INSO on the planet of Dominus in the Mid Rim. The fleet (called Task Force 141) included nine Super Star Dreadnaughts (Musashi, Yamato, Fuso, Ise, Mutsu, Kirishima, Hiei, Nagato, and Yamashiro), seven heavy fighter carriers (Zuikaku, Shokaku, Hiryu, Soryu, Akagi, Kaga, and Taiho) five light fighter carriers (Ryujo, Junyo, Zuiho, Hosho, and Shoho), eight cruisers (Nagara, Atago, Kashima, Nagoya, Kyoto, Kagoshima, Mogami, and Kure), and 13 destroyers (Ayanami, Uranami, Chitose, Chokai, Takanami, Naganami, Zulunami, Kawakaze, Suzukaze, Umikaze, Mikawa, Mutsuki, and Suzuki). The total number of fighters, bombers, transports, gunships, and other support craft aboard the 12 heavy and light carriers numbered somewhere in the thousands, and occasionally the INSO received regular pilots.
After the training of it's troops, the formation of it's fleet, and the gathering of it's pilots, the Imperial Navy Special Operations was set into action, and made some important achievements in the war.
Galactic Civil War[]
Early operations[]
In the first months of the INSO's formation, they preformed several operations, most of which were highly successful, prompting more of the Imperial Army's and Navy's officers to pay attention to it and support the IA/INSO. During the early months, the INSO scored it's first victory when the 1st Imperial Navy Special Operations Marine Brigade captured the Rebel Alliance Navy intelligence cruiser Trenchant in what the Alliance thought was unknown territory in Wild Space. The capture was a major victory; using the information from the cruiser resulted in the destruction of various Rebel bases in the following weeks.
Later, during the Six-Hundred Day Siege of the planet Balaclava in the Outer Rim Territories, a siege that lasted exactly 600 days, the INSO gathered vital intelligence of where the main power generator of the planet's entire security system was located. The generator was shortly afterwards destroyed by Imperial Army Special Operations operatives, and Imperial Army and Stormtrooper Corps units took all of the Rebel strongpoints on the planet after that.
In 1 ABY a large Rebel intelligence cruiser, the Enterprise, was captured by the INSO (afterwards the Alliance Command made major improvements to the security of intelligence cruisers), and led the Empire to their next target, the vital planet of Aporae in the Outer Rim.
Battle of Aporae[]
During the Galactic Civil War, strategic gains were made by the Alliance, one of which was the capture of the planet of Aporae. The planet was lightly garrisoned, but was strategically important, because of it's position and resources.
Notable members[]
These are members of the Imperial Navy Special Operations who stood out from others in the ranks and made their mark on INSO history.
- Admiral Shoji Toyoda - the third commander in chief of the INSO. Appointed by Head of State Jagged Fel in 132 BBY.
- Admiral Atoko Yamamoto - a commanding officer of a large fleet, as well as an INSO leader. He is Admiral Toyoda's chief of staff.
- Admiral Jias Ozawa - the head of the INSO's pilots, also oversees some naval fleet ships with Admiral Kurita.
- Admiral Tojo Kurita - leader of the INSO's battle fleet. Lead the naval forces of INSO to many victories.
- Commodore Isoruki Nagumo - the head of training for the INSO, famous for defeating a large Sith force in 130 ABY with only a few troops, using good tactics.
- Commodore Aoki Ushijima - representative of the INSO in the Imperial Navy General Headquarters, political advisor.
- Captain Yonai Mitsumasa - the squadron leader of the 89th Commando Squadron, lead his men against Sith forces making several victories.
- Captain Honda Sakai - one of the most famous members of the INSO. Honda has an outstanding record and serves as a role model for other recruits, and leads the famous 101st Commando Squadron.
- Captain Djor Takeo - a captain of a fighter squadron, leader of the 92nd Fighter Squadron, one of the best pilots of the INSO's naval fleet.