New Republic Defense Fleet

"In the month since the Battle of Jakku, the Empire has attempted no further large-scale offensives. Sources report all Imperial vessels within the Core and Inner Rim staying within the boundaries defined by the treaty. A few prominent members of the Provisional Senate have speculated that the New Republic's war with the remnants of the Empire has finally come to an end and that a final surrender may be imminent. However, in her address today, the chancellor warned that all planets should remain on high alert, and that the New Republic Starfleet should be kept on a war footing for the foreseeable future."

- A news holo a month following the Battle of Jakku

The New Republic Starfleet, also known as the New Republic Defense Fleet, the New Republic Navy, Republic Navy, or simply the New Republic fleet was the naval branch of the New Republic's military forces formed from the Rebel Alliance Fleet in the aftermath of the Battle of Endor. It was first led by Fleet Admiral Gial Ackbar. Following the Battle of Endor, the Fleet augmented its size by capturing Imperial vessels, but it was reduced with the Military Disarmament Act after the signing of the Galactic Concordance.

Thirty years after the Battle of Endor, it was still the largest military force in the galaxy, but nevertheless was a fraction of the size of the Imperial Navy during the Galactic Civil War. A substantial portion of the Starfleet was stationed in the Hosnian system when the system was targeted and destroyed by the First Order's Starkiller Base. Hundreds of ships were destroyed during the attack.

Galactic Civil War
The New Republic Starfleet was formed from the Rebel Alliance Fleet after the Rebel Alliance became the New Republic in the aftermath of the Battle of Endor. Its chief commanding officer was Fleet Admiral Gial Ackbar, a respected Mon Calamari who had commanded the rebel fleet at Endor. The Starfleet fought against the Galactic Empire's military during the Galactic Civil War and saw action in several battles including the Rebellion on Akiva and the Battle of Jakku. Throughout that conflict, the Fleet augmented its size by capturing Imperial vessels.

Following the Battle of Jakku, the New Republic and the defeated Galactic Empire concluded hostilities by signing the Galactic Concordance, which imposed harsh reparations on the remnants of the Empire and limited their ability to wage war. Although surviving Imperial forces retreated behind treaty-drawn boundaries in the Core Worlds and Inner Rim, the New Republic military was ordered to maintain its combat readiness until at least a month after the surrender. Following a protracted "cold war", the "Old Empire" eventually withered away and the remaining Imperial hardliners eventually retreated to the Unknown Regions where they formed the First Order.

Peacetime
Believing that the remnants of the Empire no longer posed a threat, the Republic turned its attention to reshaping galactic politics In the aftermath of the Galactic Concordance, the Galactic Senate under the leadership of Chancellor Mon Mothma formally adopted the Military Disarmament Act which reduced the Republic Starfleet to a large but limited military force. While the Republic Starfleet still remained the largest fleet in the galaxy at the onset of the First Order–Resistance conflict, it was still a fraction of the size of the Old Republic's Navy during the Clone Wars. Since the Disarmament Act limited the production of capital ships, the Republic Starfleet was forced to rely on Rebellion-era vessels like the MC80 star cruiser Home One. While the arms manufacturer Incom-FreiTek continued to develop new X-wing starfighter models like the T-85 X-wing for the New Republic Starfleet, military contracts were limited due to the disarmament policy and the growing corruption in the Galactic Senate.

About six years before the destruction of the Hosnian system, New Republic starfighter pilots like Joph Seastriker and Greer Sonnel were relegated to escorting Senators like Leia Organa and Ransolm Casterfo on official missions and trips throughout the galaxy. Competitions like the Five Sabers were also popular viewing among many Republic starfighter pilots like Joph, Greer, and Temmin Wexley. By law, New Republic senators were forbidden from using Republic pilots and starships to undertake illegal work like smuggling and using false identities. While the New Republic maintained an adequate military and starfleet, some Centrist senators like Erudo Ro-Kiintor lobbied for more government funding to be diverted to shoring up the defenses of individual worlds. In reality, this facilitated the funneling of substantial government funding to Centrist worlds, a faction in the New Republic's Galactic Senate. Several New Republic military personnel including Wexley, Seastriker, Greer, and Caluan Ematt later joined the Resistance, a paramilitary organization founded by Leia to tackle threats to the Republic.

The First Order
Emboldened by the perceived weakness and "decadence" of the New Republic, the First Order began crossing the Borderland and made several incursions into Republic space, including the Suraz engagement. Despite the First Order's frequent violations of the Galactic Concordance by embarking on a rearmament program and violating Republic sovereignty, Republic Command refused to allow the Fleet to take action against the First Order and limited starfighter units like Rapier Squadron to sector patrol work. In spite of evidence to the contrary, some Republic officers like Major Lonno Deso dismissed the First Order as a small but troublesome Imperial remnant that used propaganda and fear to exaggerate its strength and importance. Some Republic senators like Erudo Ro-Kiintor even secretly colluded with the First Order by derailing or blocking motions increasing funding for the Republic Navy.

Frustrated by the Senate and Starfleet's unwillingness to take action against the First Order, General Organa and other like-minded supporters like Admiral Ackbar formed the Resistance, a splinter group from the Republic's military that was independent of the Republic chain of command. While the Republic tolerated the Resistance's activities, it was wary of risking war with the First Order. The Resistance was joined by Republic Navy personnel such as the starfighter pilot Poe Dameron and his colleagues from Rapier Squadron, who shared General Leia's sentiments about the First Order. However, other Republic officers like Major Deso regarded the Resistance as an irritant for exaggerating the threat posed by the First Order.

When the First Order launched a preemptive strike against the Hosnian system in an effort to destroy the New Republic, a substantial portion of the Republic Starfleet was destroyed when Starkiller Base unleashed several blasts of phantom energy and destroyed Hosnian Prime and the other astronomical bodies in the system. The attack also destroyed the Galactic Senate and killed numerous people including Chancellor Lanever Villecham and Korr Sella, an envoy from the Resistance sent by General Leia to plead for the Republic to take action against the First Order.

Organization
The New Republic Navy was headed by a Fleet Admiral and answered directly to Republic Command. While one fleet of the Starfleet remained with the Galactic Senate which moved to different member worlds on a rotational basis, the majority of Starfleet was scattered across several bases throughout New Republic space including one on Mirrin Prime. Some known starfighter squadrons included Corona Squadron, Gold Squadron , and Rapier Squadron. In addition to the Starfleet, the New Republic's member worlds also had local defense forces, whose operations were guided by individual Republic senators.

Capital ship classes
Carrack-class light cruiser
 * MC80 star cruiser
 * MC80 Home One type Star Cruiser
 * MC80 Liberty type Star Cruiser
 * Nadiri Mark One Starhawk

Corvettes

 * CR90 corvette

Frigates

 * EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate

Starfighters

 * A/SF-01 B-wing starfighter
 * B-wing Mark II (presumed)
 * RZ-1 A-wing interceptor
 * T-65B X-wing starfighter
 * T-70 X-wing fighter
 * T-85 X-wing
 * BTL Y-wing starfighter

Transports

 * GR-75 medium transport

Appearances

 * Aftermath
 * Aftermath: Life Debt
 * Lost Stars
 * Blade Squadron: Jakku
 * Aftermath: Empire's End
 * Star Wars Battlefront
 * Bloodline
 * Before the Awakening
 * Poe Dameron 2: Black Squadron, Part II
 * Poe Dameron 3: Black Squadron, Part III
 * Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens
 * Star Wars: The Force Awakens novel
 * Star Wars: The Force Awakens: A Junior Novel
 * Star Wars: The Force Awakens: A Junior Novel