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 Grand 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 force in the galaxy, but nevertheless is a fraction of what was the Republic Navy during the Clone Wars. 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 that the attack.

History
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 Grand Admiral Gial Ackbar, a respected Mon Calamari who had commanded the rebel fleet at Endor. The Stafleet fought against the Galactic Empire's military during the Galactic Civil War and saw action in several battles including the Battle of 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.

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.

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 Leia 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, hundreds of ships from the Republic Starfleet were destroyed when Starkiller Base unleashed several blasts of phantom energy which 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 Grand Admiral and answered directly to Republic Command. While the majority of the Starfleet remained with the Galactic Senate which moved to different member worlds on a rotational basis, the Starfleet still maintained several bases scattered 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

 * MC80 star cruiser
 * Carrack-class light cruiser

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
 * Y-wing starfighter

Transports

 * GR-75 medium transport

Appearances

 * Aftermath
 * Lost Stars
 * Star Wars Battlefront
 * Before the Awakening
 * Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens
 * Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens novelization
 * Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens junior novelization