Battlefleet

A Battlefleet are the vessels responsible for protecting a sector of the Imperium. A battlefleet is commanded by a Lord Admiral and is the largest operational naval organisation, usually consisting of between 70 and 75 ships of varying size. Depending on the importance or enemy threat level of a sector this number may be more or less.¹

A battlefleet is made up destroyers, frigates, cruisers, and battleships, as well as countless small vessels such as transports, shuttles, messenger craft and long-range patrol craft. In addition there will also be numerous non-warp travel ships such as system patrol ships and defense monitors. These are all backed up by stationary defenses such as space stations, orbital defense platforms, orbital mines, and ground-based defense lasers and missile silos.¹

A battlefleet's roles include routine patrols, protecting merchant shipping from pirates and alien attack, transporting and escorting Imperial Guard, giving orbital support for planetary armies and providing vessels for exploration fleets.¹

Each battlefleet is divided down into a number of Battlegroups. The majority of battlegroups are not permanent but are assembled to perform particular functions along the lines of task forces, convey escorts or patrol flotillas.¹

Sources

• ¹: Battlefleet Gothic Rulebook, p. 86