Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research

"My contacts have uncovered a source of Data Fragments abandoned by the Empire's old Advanced Weapons Research division, once directed by Orson Krennic."

- Kada Jahr

Advanced Weapons Research, also known as the Imperial weapons division, or Imperial Advance Weapon Development, was an agency of the Galactic Empire responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military. It fell under the arm of the Military Intelligence, although its facilities were guarded by the Intelligence's sister (and rival) agency, the Imperial Security Bureau.

To ensure the secrecy of the Death Star project, the Imperial weapons division used poison canisters to perpetrate genocide against the Geonosian species. In 2 BBY, the Spectres and Saw Gerrera discovered several of these canisters on Geonosis during a mission to investigate the disappearance of the Geonosian species. Sabine Wren recognized the canisters as belonging to the Imperial weapons division.

Under the leadership of Director Orson Krennic, Advanced Weapons Research was responsible for the completion of the long-delayed Death Star project. Krennic, however, met his end on the planet Scarif, where the Rebel Alliance managed to extract the Death Star plans.

Appearances

 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novel
 * Star Wars: Rogue One: A Junior Novel
 * Rogue One, Part I
 * Rogue One, Part II
 * Rogue One, Part III
 * Star Wars: Commander
 * Star Wars: Commander