Can some one tell me the order of Imperial Ranks?

Tears: there are plenty of instances of GAs wearing a white uniform w/out either epaulettes, rank-badges or code-cylinders...

In The Bacta War, Isard's uniform is described as "similar in cut to that of Imperial Grand Admirals, though hers was coloured blood-red, not white" and as "her scarlet Admiral's uniform"... evidently, something about it is clearly specifically reminiscent of a Grand Admiral's uniform, rather than "simply a red-coloured officer?s duty uniform"...

As to Zaarin... 'K... I'm still not entirely satisfied that Zaarin was a bona fide GA, but it's a side issue...

Your analysis of Vader seems unproblematic, though... but I still feel that, as a Sith Lord, Vader would have always had a lot of leeway... was his deference to Tarkin merely due to the fact that the Governor was an 'old friend'?

As to the vexed question of the colonial administration...

Is there any evidence that Tour Aryon was not actually from a military or paramilitary background? I would have no problem with officers of the ISB, COMPNOR, II or any of the Empire's other paramilitary services being appointed as Governors...

Tarkin... he was, to use the ANH script, "the Grand Moff Tarkin, governor of the Imperial outland regions"... I always felt that Eriadu was simply the nominal seat of his administration, the Calcutta of the Outer Rim...

And since the Outer Rim is also known as the 'Outland Regions', the 'regional governors' who Tarkin refers to may, therefore, be the Grand Moffs...

If Grand Moffs are governors, then Moffs are, therefore, governors as well - the governors of sectors, as opposed to mere Planetary Governors...

Now, while your pre-Yavin dichotomy between civilian governors and military Moffs would be useful (if the Military Prefect was both the Planetary Governor's deputy and a serving officer, then that would provide a convenient short-circuit to the Governor's real power - while the Prefect would nominally be expected to defer to the Governor, an order from the Moff would over-rule anything the Governor could do) I would regard the fact that Moffs were themselves governors as showing that Governors from truly civilian backgrounds (as opposed to officers of the Empire's non-combatant paramilitary services, and/or administrators like Flirry Vorru, who were absorbed into the military when the Moff system was introduced) were, in fact, the exception, rather than the rule, found only on those planets which are either essentially "native states", or else private corporate concerns...

As to the High Command and the Imperial Senate... I don't feel that the single reference in the Marvel series is sufficient to outweigh the lack of any other evidence for the restoration of the Senate... similarly, the "standardization and uniformity" of the Imperial military bespeaks a centralized and effective logistical organization (and perhaps also, a modular technology and a reliance on production-lines which are themselves mass-produced) rather than a High Command per se... neither the Roman Empire, nor the Byzantines, nor the Ottomans, nor Napoleon, had a real 'High Command' seperate from the Emperor's personal staff/household... but all had effective and organized militaries, and certainly, both the Romans and the French were able to standardized equipment to the same degree seen in the Empire...

A militarized household/staff - involving admittedly thousands of ADCs, and thousands of droid brains, but personally dependant on the Emperor, and ultimately, perhaps, under the authority of the Grand Vizier or a military equivalent (Carvin?!) rather than a formally independant High Command - coupled with an effective logistics structure would, IMHO, be all that would be needed...

SS: Only Grand Moff, Grand Admiral and High Admiral are ranks within the same structure... Grand Moffs out-rank High Admirals, while Grand Admirals outrank Grand Moffs, although they do not seem to have the same regionally-defined authority as Grand Moffs... they seem to have be

 

Concerning Grand Moffs and Grand Admirals

The Essential Chronology explicitly describes the rate & rating of grand admiral as the highest rank possible within the Imperial Navy. When one considers that grand moffs are commissioned officers, it becomes increasingly obvious that a grand admiral outranks a grand moff.

That is, however, not to say that a grand admiral is able to interfere with a grand moff?s administrative or gubernatorial functions. As we have outlined above, and as GrandAdmiralJello has stated, the question of superiority is not as simple as who is more senior.

When a grand admiral is within a grand moff?s oversector, even though the grand admiral outranks the grand moff, the former would defer to the latter?s judgment. Grand admirals have no political or administrative capacity, and must therefore defer to grand moffs, who are administrative specialists. Along the same lines, a grand moff would have to defer to a grand admiral in questions of military & naval tactics and strategy, as a grand admiral is a tactical or strategic specialist.

The question of superiority between a grand moff and a grand admiral is decided strictly on a case-by-case basis. However, in terms of seniority, a grand admiral outranks a grand moff; indeed, Grand Admiral Rufaan Tigellinus is believed to have been demoted to grand moff at some point.

In many respects, whilst it is most certainly not an analogy without flaws, the relationship between grand admiral and grand moff is similar to the relationship between the two houses of the Congress, senator and representative. The former is actually a higher-ranking post, with greater prestige and honour, but is de facto on equal grounds with the former except in certain circumstances (the senator is superior in questions of foreign policy or confirmation of appointments, the representative in questions of finance).

In the circumstances you proposed, a grand moff is unable to give orders, per se, to a grand admiral, as the latter is a superior officer. However, in the event that a grand admiral is present in the grand moff?s oversector, the latter may issue instructions in his or her capacity as chief administrator, rather than as a commissioned officer.

In the case of conflicting orders from HIM The Emperor, the question is easily resolved. Priority of instruction determines the superiority of command in such a case. Of course, an Imperial Decree is all that would be needed to subordinate a grand admiral to a chief petty officer, so pondering the effects of Imperial Decrees is an exercise in locuting the obvious.

Concerning the High Command

Certainly, there is no question, there is a High Command (although, technically, the name Military High Command is inaccurate, as it also involves to the Imperial Navy), and it is certainly empowered to administrate the Armed Services in the name of The Emperor, and may overrule the military & naval instructions of magistrates.

Whilst the description of the commonality of corps headquarters versus corps themselves is correct, it is incorrectly applied to the High Command itself. The High Command is the central administration for all military & naval affairs within the Empire (analogous to the United States Department of Defense, or DOD); each sector should be equipped with its own central headquarters (analogous to regional administrations, such as the United States Southern Command, or SOUTHCOM), and subordinate headquarters (such as the disproportionately common corps headquarters).

The magistrates and grand admirals were created in order to provide authoritative administration, as opposed to the bureaucratic red-tape which would necessarily accompany the administration of the High Command, which would include staff officers rather than line officers.

Concerning the Senate

Senator Greyshade himself locutes the reason for those vestiges of his influence which survived the dissolution of the Senate?the money his operations on the

 

While I agree cumulatively with all that has been said, I would like to point out something as an aside.

This concerns the authorities of the Rebelion/NR intelegence comunities Leaders or Commanders. The first being Adm. Drayson and the 2nd being Gen. Cracken.

As I see it Gen. Cracken is the head of millitary intelegence, and Adm. Drayson is the head of Alliance/NR intelegence. Correct? And if so where does ALPHA BLUE come in? Is it just Drayson's little pet project?

 

Concerning the Uniforms of Certain Crown Commissioners

Aye, there are many instances of grand admirals being depicted without code cylinders, rank badges, and gold epaulettes?but the colour of the uniform and the gold epaulettes are the only characteristics of the uniform unique to the rate & rating of grand admiral (aside from the obvious difference in rank badges). In fact, the illustrations of Grand Admiral Thrawn in the comic adaptations of Mr Zahn?s novels which depict him as wearing a simple white uniform without epaulettes are empirically wrong?the novels? text explicitly describes Admiral Thrawn as wearing epaulettes.

It should be noted that Grand Admiral Zaarin and Admiral Thrawn are depicted in TIE Fighter as wearing French cuffs and gold cufflinks on their tunic sleeves, but these are male accoutrements, and would not be emulated by Mme Director Isard. Possibly, one may argue that because the grand admiral?s uniform was the only uniform to always be a distinctive colour, that Mme Director Isard?s blood-red uniform was ?similar? to their uniforms in that respect.

Concerning the Supreme Commander, Lord Vader

Was Lord Vader always afforded great leeway? Both H. Gen. The Hon. Ulric Tagge (later Baron Tagge) and Rear Admiral Motti despised him?and Admiral Motti made no effort to conceal his contempt for the Sith Lord, and went so far as to insult Lord Vader to his face. Cmdr Daine Jir shows relatively little restraint in criticising Lord Vader?s decisions aboard the Tantive IV.

Only after the Battle of Yavin is Lord Vader unquestionably supreme. Remember, Senator HRH Leia of House Organa, Princess of Alderaan, showed pointed disrespect for Lord Vader, and smugly comments that she should have expected to find HE The Rt Hon. Wilhuff Grand Moff Tarkin holding Lord Vader?s leash?certainly not the sort of behaviour one would expect if Lord Vader were a major shaker ?n? mover at the time.

In fact, given that the Jedi had been expurgated, and the Senate was probably blocking most major reform programmes (the Senate?s Military Oversight Commission?incorrectly named, as usual?was a major opponent to the construction of the Imperator), Lord Vader was something of an extraneous prelate, with no particular function. With the destruction of the Death Star, the ensuing martial law, and the dissolution of the Senate, Lord Vader was named Supreme Commander and given considerable tasks to execute, rather than his previous role of special envoy or royal emissary.

Concerning the Governor of Tatooine

Strictly speaking, there is no evidence of which we are aware concerning the military or naval (or paramilitary, as the case may be) background of The Hon. Tour Aryon; however, Governor Aryon was depicted as wearing distinctly civilian clothes, and was known throughout the system as being a do-nothing bureaucrat, giving rise to the slang term ?Tourist,? meaning one who does nothing. It is unlikely that she had any background in the Armed Services.

Concerning the Colonial Administration

HE The Rt Hon. Wilhuff Grand Moff Tarkin started his political carreer as lieutenant-governor of Eriadu, and it remained his seat of government throughout his grand magistracy. He was also the chief administrator, or governor, of Seswanna sector, and Oversector Outer, which contained a major section of the Outer Rim Territories.

The role of grand moff versus moff versus governor is similar to the role of archbishop versus bishop versus priest, if we may be permitted a non-spiritual discussion of the Roman Catholic Church?s hierarchy.

A priest may be consecrated a bishop, in which case he will have a number of priests under his administration, within his diocese (bishopric refers to the term or office of the bishop himself, rather than that which the bishop administrates); multiple dioceses are collected into a province, administrated by a metropolitan. A bishop may eventually be appointed metropolitan of a province, in which ca

 

Tears: to put it practically - would Tarkin defer to Thrawn? Would Thrawn defer to Tarkin?

Is there any real evidence for the existance of an Imperial High Command? Or any real need for one, given Palpatine's tendancy towards autocracy and personal power?

PotC: Cracken is the head of NRI; Drayson was in origin, commander of Chandrilla's planetary defence fleet when Mon Mothma was Senator for Chandrilla... given the visual reference the late, lamented Eddy Biucovik used for him in the The Last Command comic, he was the officer standing behind Madine at the Endor briefing... when Thrawn attacked Cour., he was in charge of the NR Home Fleet... there is no indication in Zahn, or any of the 'backstory' created off that, that Drayson was anything other than a politically astute and competent, but not Ackbar/Thrawn level, naval commander... however, in the Black Fleet Crisis novels, his primary role was as head of Alpha Blue, which was nominally part of NRI, but which it seems relatively doubtful that anyone in NRI (or indeed, the Imperial Palace) knew existed... it is possible that he had been head of Alpha Blue - which answered only to Mon Mothma - from the beginning of his involvement in the Alliance...

- The Imperial Ewok

 

Tears: does the text of the novels ever describe Thrawn's epaulettes? Or is it just the cover illustrations? And, conversely, does the text of the X-wing novels ever explicitly state that Ysanne Isard's uniform lacks the epaulettes and rank-plaque of a Grand Admiral?

Vader has no issue with criticism, any more than Thrawn does... it is failure which he will not tolerate... that, and personal insults... Motti almost died for his remarks, and only Tarkin's intervention saved him... not because the Grand Moff was the Sith's superior... indeed, before Vader's appointment as Supreme Commander, there may have been no system in which they could have been regarded as holding relative ranks or appointments... but rather because, as Tarkin says, they were old friends...

I see no reason for Vader not to have held the same role as a Jedi... that is what is borne out by Lucas' comments... indeed, there is no evidence (except comments in the ANH novellisation which IIRC, not only represent Vader's own POV but are problematic inasmuch as they imply the existance of other Sith) to show that Vader was regarded by Motti or even Tarkin as anything other than the last of the Jedi, the only one who had both accepted the New Order, and survived...

The idea of civilian governors: I still can't see this... what would be the point of transferring power from the Senate to the governors if the governors were merely civilian appointees of the Senate?

There remains no evidence, for instance, that Tour Ayron was not some sort of paramilitary bureaucrat... she could - indeed, should - belong to that group who you describe as "military & naval commissioned officers, who happen to specialise in colonial administration" - obviously, it is entirely possible that many such officers had been civil administrators under the Old Republic... those like Flirry Vorru, who entered with a capable eagerness into the military technocracy of the New Order, were most likely the exception; many others would retain their essentially civilian outlook, while nominally officers in the administrative arm of the Imperial armed forces...

And surely the 'governorships, protectorates and colonies' referred to in the old WEG material are supposed to be those systems which lack formal senatorial representation due to their (nominally, at least) being subordinate to 'member states', rather than those with an Imperial governor?

The ratio is roughly twelve 'governorships, protectorates and colonies' for every 'member state'... if we consider groups like the Hapans or the Corporate Sector, then such a figure would probably even out, although some 'member states' would have tens or even tens of thousands of 'governorships, protectorates and colonies' and others would lack any...

Undoubtedly, however, there is a marked difference between the local organization of various systems... I don not know that there would be necessarily that much difference between Garqi and Bakura, both with a pseudo-military Governor, and a small Imperial detachment under their immediate subordinate ('Commander' Thanas could easily be the courtesy title of a military prefect); more powerful states (Corellia, Chandrilla, Alderaan) would, of course, retain their own 'native' system and military forces...

The issue of Tarkin's origins, as described in Cloak of Deception is awkward... Rogue Planet presents him more plausibly IMHO, as a Commander in the Outland Regions Security Force...

There is also some difficulty with the location of Seswenna Sector, which is certainly where Tarkin formulated the "Tarkin Doctrine" - is it on the Rim, with Eriadu as its centre, as Cloak of Deception maintains, or is it the sector which includes Coruscant, and thus in the Core, as depicted in the Rebellion computer game? The latter possibility would imply, rather interestingly, that Tarkin was the Moff for Coruscant itself before being assigned as Grand Moff to the Outer Rim...

"Oversector Outer",

 

Concerning the High Command

Is there any real evidence for the existance of an Imperial High Command? Or any real need for one, given Palpatine's tendancy towards autocracy and personal power?

At present, we cannot find any references to the High Command, except an Imperial officer?s statement in Dark Empire that ?the Master Control Signal has been tampered with.. by someone in the Command Section.? Naturally, the officer makes this report to the head of the Command Section?The Supreme Commander, Lord Skywalker.

There is, however, at least one previous body responsible for oversight of military & naval affairs, the Senate Military Oversight Commission (SMOC). Senator HSH Bail Prestor of House Organa, Viceroy and First Chairman of Alderaan, was one member thereof (starwars.com); the SMOC was one of several bodies which was involved in the controversy surrounding the construction of Mme Blissex?s HIMS Imperator (formerly on starwars.com).

Concerning HIM The Emperor and his alleged tendency toward autocracy and personal power, nothing could be further from the truth. HIM The Emperor was not given to displaying his power, but rather manipulated others into doing what he wanted, seemingly of their own will. Notice Moff Jerjerrod?s surprise as hearing that HIM The Emperor was coming to Endor to oversee the DMIBS?s construction.

Indeed, HIM The Emperor rarely personally involved himself in the affairs of government, but empowered others to act and speak in his stead. This is the role played by Lord Vader aboard the first Death Star (General Tagge calls Lord Vader a ?Sith Lord inflicted on us at the urging of the Emperor?).

The Grand-Quartier-General administrated a military force of miniscule size and complexity compared to the Imperial Army alone.

According to West End Games? flawed Order of Battle (which totally ommits two levels of command, and ignores several levels of officer seniority), a single battlegroup can consist of anywhere from 8,192 to 327,680 soldiers, neglecting the headquarters and staff elements. A single Imperial high colonel can command a force greater than the to the losses sustained by Napoléon I's forces in the entire Peninsular War.

West End Games? flawed Order of Battle yields an Imperial Army between 682,229,760 and 392,964,341,800 soldiers in size?again, totally neglecting administrative elements. The smallest possible size for the Imperial Army is about ten per cent. of the population of the Earth. A larger, but by no means the largest possible, size for the Imperial Army is some sixty five times the population of the Earth.

Remember, these data are strictly limited to the numbers of combat servicemen. Modern mechanised armed forces have bureaucratic and administrative infrastructures which are in fact far larger than their combat arms. To keep a fighting force in readiness requires a veritable multitude of staff and support personnel?mechanics, engineers, doctors, dentists, nurses, legal aides, adjutants, quartermasters, information technicians, armourers, bandsmen, transportation, cartographers, intelligence, analysts, psychological operations, trainers, administrators, et cetera et cetera ad nauseam ad infinitum.

The sheer size of the Imperial Army alone demands a dedicated command and control centre, a central administrative headquarters to coördinate its operations. Further consider the added bulk of the Imperial Marines and the Imperial Navy?the Armed Services are utterly huge in their scale. Their ungodly size alone dictates that there must be a centralised authority to at least keep track of all the pieces, to administrate and to ensure uniformity.

You suggest that authoritarianism would seem to encourage the obselescence of a High Command?not so! The Heer, Kriegsmarine, and Luftwaffe had their own central headquarters, but never had such a combined-service institution until the Reichskanzler dismissed Generalfeldmarschall Werner v. Blomberg, and decided to personally assume his

 

Tears: neither the 'Command Section' (isn't that just a wing of the Imperial Palace on Byss?) nor the Oversight Committee is a High Command; and surely the fact that the Emperor can and does inflict Sith Lords on Grand Moffs suggests something about the way he operates - while Palpatine remains aloof, he deals with such figures as Tarkin through personal agents (Sith Lords, Hands, Grand Admirals) rather than the formal channels of a High Command...

As to the GQG - as I said, it is not an issue of scale, but one of form... I don't see any pressing reason why the Empire should have a High Command as opposed to a GQG-style General Staff working in cooperation with a massive Logistics Corps... the lack of central authority distinct from that of the Emperor is counterbalanced by the devolution of power to the regional governors...

And turning to Ysanne Isard's uniform - it is in some way an "admiral's uniform", and sometimes said to explicitly resemble a Grand Admiral's uniform... I would say that the lack of rank-insignia is significant here...

"something in the nature of the Imperial colonial administration prevented the magisterium from using military & naval power directly"

I don't see this at all... nor, outside of WEG's ISB do I see any indication that truly civil planetary governors are the exception rather than the rule...

'governorships, protectorates and colonies' - the context seems to me to show that these worlds are those subordinated to the 'full members'... and there seem to be a very large number of 'unique arrangements'...

As to Barrish and Thanas - surely they were simply assigned to undesirable postings? As to Thanas' rank, IIRC, his senior subordinate was a naval Captain, Dren Jamer; while this man may have been a "Corvette Captain" or "Frigate Captain", the implication is nevertheless that "Commander" is being used as a courtesy title for a senior officer (as it clearly is in the cases of Tagge and Jerjerrod)

As to Tarkin's relationship with Vader - the question of who is in charge hinges on the wish of the Emperor - there is no mention of a decree...

And can you give me one instance of a 'Commander' (ie Lt. Col. equivalent) or 'Lieutenant Commander'' in the Imperial navy?

- The Imperial Ewok

 

Concerning the High Command

neither the 'Command Section' (isn't that just a wing of the Imperial Palace on Byss?) nor the Oversight Committee is a High Command; and surely the fact that the Emperor can and does inflict Sith Lords on Grand Moffs suggests something about the way he operates - while Palpatine remains aloof, he deals with such figures as Tarkin through personal agents (Sith Lords, Hands, Grand Admirals) rather than the formal channels of a High Command...

The Command Section is the Command Section. It is not stated to have been a wing of the Emperor?s Citadel or anything of the sort. The direct quote is: ?The Master Control Signal has been tampered with... by someone in the Command Section.?

Refer to the card ?*Imperial Command,? of the Death Star II Expansion Set. Its lore reads:

The Emperor?s high command is subjected to close scrutiny by the Imperial bureaucracy. Despite this apparent lack of trust, many turned out to be fine commanders.

Members of the High Command are depicted?Lord Vader and about seven commissioned officers?as they walk down a corridor. It also reveals that the bureaucracy, then under the control of COMPNOR rather than the Senate, keeps a close eye on the High Command and the Armed Services, most especially likely focussing on the finances thereof.

Refer to the private musings of Capt. Jovan Vharing, Commanding Officer of HIMS Interrogator, in ?The Longest Fall,? by Patricia A. Jackson:

The young captain grinned as the memorized definition came to mind?a recurring echo from his days at the Academy. He remembered the fear of those early days of training, whene everything had seemed so beyond reach. He remembered his initial clumsiness with orders and superior officers, the ambiguity of doubt, and the gradual breaking down and reestablishment of his pride. There was indeed a certain arrogance in the mastery of discipline, the mastery of self. There was incalculable self-satisfaction in obeying orders, respecting the High Command, and in being recognized for the ability to think clearly in a crisis. These things combined evoked respect, not fear. High Inquisitor Tremayne knew little of the former and enlisted too heavy a hand in the latter.

The fact that the Emperor assigned Lord Vader as a special envoy is more demonstrative of the delicacy of the Grand Moff Tarkin?s relationship with the Emperor at the time than anything else. Lord Vader was strictly present as an observer, and only carried out such executive functions as were assigned to him by the Grand Moff Tarkin. Indeed, Lord Vader had no formal status?he was simply an royal emissary, present to speak for the Emperor.

The Star Wars Encyclopedia mentions that the Emperor ?became distant and reclusive, seen only by those who needed to see him.? Moff Jerjerrod, chief of operations aboard the second Death Star, became pale and filled with dread at the thought of a personal inspection by the Emperor himself?clearly, imperial intervention by the Sovereign is a rarity, even for high level commanders and leaders.

No, the SMOC is not a High Command?but it is evidence of supraservice administration, on the galactic level. In all likelihood, the position of Supreme Commander replaced the SMOC administrative apparatus once the Senate?and thereby, all its committees and commissions?was dissolved. After all, there appears to have been no Supreme Commander prior to the dissolution of the Senate, only after the Battle of Yavin.

As to the GQG - as I said, it is not an issue of scale, but one of form... I don't see any pressing reason why the Empire should have a High Command as opposed to a GQG-style General Staff working in cooperation with a massive Logistics Corps... the lack of central authority distinct from that of the Emperor is counterbalanced by the devolution of power to the regional governors...

Ahh, but it is a matter of scale. Witness the massive reorganisation of

 

AY YAY!!! This is toooo long. Make shorter posts!
*Whaks anyone who posted in this thread across the head*
Very imformative though.

 

Concerning the High Command (Addenda)

Refer to the Rebellion Era Sourcebook, page fourteen, paragraph three:

When the Emperor ascended to power and the Empire was born, he turned the remaining security forces into the Imperial Navy, and placed it in the hands of a council of admirals and generals -- the Imperial High Command.

In Wizards of the Coast's relatively recent supplemental concerning alien species, the High Command is specifically stated to have sanctioned the pacification of Yinchorr by the sector's moff.

Speculation: Prior to the dissolution of the Senate, the SMOC functioned as collective Supreme Commander; once the Senate was dissolved, Lord Vader was nominated as Supreme Commander, holding the office in the Committee's stead.

 

Concerning the Ranks of the Starfighter Personnel

III_Vir_RPC wrote:

In the X-wing novels, it has been established that flight officer is the lowest regular officer in the Starfighter Command (although Plat Mallar is a second lieutenant as of the Black Fleet Crisis).

Above flight officer is the rank of flight lieutenant, who commands a flight, consisting of two elements (in other words, one-third of a squadron).

Above flight lieutenant is the rank of captain, which appears to be the regular rank held by the commanding officer of a squadron (although Rogue Squadron has had a captain as executive officer several times).

The rank of major is also used, and must be superior to that of captain. In the old Marvel comics, Mr Skywalker was promoted to lieutenant commander by General Dodonna; lieutenant commander is equivalent to major.

This suggests that a major is in fact an executive officer of a wing, rather than a squadron-level officer. Of course, Majors Klivian and Janson served in Rogue Squadron at those ranks, but this is understandable, as their commanding officer was a general.

In the Empire, a major appears to be a squadron commander, and a captain his or her executive officer. Major Phennir led Alpha Squadron in the 181st, for example.

Above the rank of major is the rank of wing commander, who, surprise, surprise, commands a wing of three squadrons. Wing commander is equivalent to lieutenant colonel.

In the Empire, a wing is comprised of six squadrons, and a lieutenant colonel is probably an executive officer (although Major Phennir was the executive officer of the 181st Imperial Fighter Group).

Above the rank of wing commander is the rank of colonel, which is equivalent to the rank of group captain. Most starfighter colonels appear to command wings or smaller (Colonel Salm, Colonel Celchu), but a colonel is fleet air boss for the 5th Fleet as of the Black Fleet Crisis.

In the Empire, a colonel commands a wing. Colonel Lord Fel led the 181st Imperial Fighter Group, and Colonel Bas was the commander of the Chimaera's fighters.

There is ample evidence that the New Republic uses general ranks for its seniormost Starfighter Command officers: General Salm, General Crespin, General Antilles, General Janson (displays lieutenant general's rank insignia as of Union), &c.

In the Empire, there are conflicting examples of seniormost ranks---General Phennir of the 181st Imperial Fighter Group and General Lord Fel, and Air Marshal v. Asch (equivalent to a lieutenant general).