Imperial Navy (Warhammer 40,000)
The Imperial Navy is an organization that features in Warhammer 40,000.
Contents |
History
The Navis Imperialis (Imperial Navy) was a space navy established by the Imperium of Man. Its origins lay with the Great Crusade that was masterminded by the Emperor of Mankind who set his plans in motion in 800.M30. The Great Crusade was the largest and most ambitious military endeavour ever undertaken by Mankind. The great undertaking was made possible through the countless thousands of Warp-capable vessels that transported hundreds of thousands of the superhuman warriors of the Space Marine Legions and many millions of Imperial Army soldiers from one star's light to the next.
Overview
Organization
In appearance, the Imperial was a naval military force that managed the fleets of the Imperium of Man.
This branch of the Imperium was headed by the Lord High Admiral of the Imperial Navy who oversaw its operations and deployments. There were five Lord High Admirals each of whom controlled a Battlefleet of each of the Segmentum with typically all being ranked equally. However, the Segmentum Solar was considered the oldest of the Battlefleets and thus oversight of it was seen as the most prestigious position. Normally, one of the Lord High Admirals saw on the Senatorum Imperialis as a ruling High Lord of Terra.
Ranks within the Navy included:
- Fleetmaster : an Imperial rank used during the Indomitus Crusade. By Roboute Guilliman order, each fleet of the Crusade was commanded by a Fleetmaster, who in turn oversee the various Imperial military forces composing the fleet.
It was organised around the five Segmentae Majoris' of the Imperium with each of the major fleets being based at the five Segmentum Fortresses. The organization itself was headed by the Lord High Admiral of the Imperial Navy who often was one of the High Lords of Terra. They were responsible for overseeing the five Segmentium Lord High Admirals. Beneath them were the various Lords Admirals that commanded the various Battlefleets and were in charge of all naval forces over a particular sector. Prospective sector commanders were given the title of Solar Admiral and awaited their assignment in taking charge of a particular Battlefleet.
Known Battlefleets included:
- Battlefleet Agripinaa :
- Battlefleet Armageddon :
- Battlefleet Bakka :
- Battlefleet Cadia :
- Battlefleet Calixis :
- Battlefleet Corona :
- Battlefleet Corribra :
- Battlefleet Gothic :
- Battlefleet Koronus :
- Battlefleet Orpheus :
- Battlefleet Scarus :
- Battlefleet Solar :
One branch of the Navy was the Aeronautica Imperialis that was responsible for atmospheric warfare and closely worked with the Imperial Guard with them providing gunship transport along with close range air support.
The Imperial Navy had a corps of Commissars that oversaw the morale and discipline of Naval personnel known as the Fleet Commissariat.
Imperial Navy Breachers or Voidbreachers were elite soldiers trained to carry out hazardous boarding actions, with gear and weapons optimised for fighting in cramped quarters of enemy ships.
Technology
Weapons used on naval ships included:
- Lance :
- Nova Cannon : one of the most powerful starship weapons employed by the military forces of the Imperium of Man which fired massive, gravitically-impelled warheads that could unleash fleet-consuming plasma explosions, gravitational disruptions or even Warp rifts.
Aerial craft used by the Navy included:
- Avenger Strike Fighter : a dedicated strike fighter, intended to conduct high-speed, low-level attacks on ground targets, with armoured vehicle formations and high-value strategic assets such as munitions dumps forming its principal prey. The Avenger Strike Fighter boasts firepower that exceeded most other Imperial aircraft of its size, and its particular reputation as a tank-killer was due to the Avenger bolt cannon it carries. The Avenger was an ancient design, believed to originate on Ancient Terra sometime during the Age of Strife. It was adopted by forces loyal to the Divine Saint Sebastian Thor during the bloody wars of faith and schism now called the Age of Apostasy. Its effectiveness was such that it was now a staple of any Imperial Navy air support mission, holding a glamour of holy import in the wider Imperium. The Avenger was often specifically requested by the Adeptus Sororitas should they require close support in their purgations.
- Voss Pattern Lightning Strike Fighter : Following the Saint-Saen Crusade's liberation of twelve worlds in the Segmentum Obscurus, STC patterns were recovered for an air superiority fighter, smaller and more agile than the iconic Thunderbolt. The Lightning has since been disseminated to other worlds with strong ties to the Imperial Navy, notably Bakka and Hydraphur, and production has recently begun within the Segmentum Solar, resulting in the Voss Pattern Lightning Strike Fighter. The 'Strike' variant of the Lightning is equipped with a potent armament of six Hellstrike missiles as well as its twin-linked lascannon, fulfilling a dedicated ground attack role. The Voss Pattern was armed with twin-linked lascannon and six Hellstrike missiles.
- Thunderbolt Heavy Fighters : the main fighter aircraft of the Imperium. While less manoeuvrable than the Lightning, it boasts heavier armour, a greater fuel capacity and can mount heavier armaments. Like the Marauder it is capable of both atmospheric and void combat, and can be configured for a wide range of missions from close fighter support of ground forces to light bombing sorties.
- Marauder Bomber : the workhorse of the Imperial Navy. Capable of both atmospheric and void operations, it is used as an attack craft in fleet actions as well as fulfilling a tactical role, supporting ground offensives by bombing enemy troop concentrations and support positions. Such tactical bombing missions are often launched prior to, and in support of, Imperial Guard offensives.
- Marauder Colossus : a class of bomber conceived by the assuredly sane and stable Tech-Priests of Cypra Mundi. It was designed to crack the toughest targets above and below ground and was a new addition to the Imperial Navy’s arsenal is sure to find a starring role in your next ground attack mission.
- Valkyrie Sky Talon :
- Vulture Gunship : the Vulture Gunship is a purpose-built variant of the Valkyrie STC; a high-speed, low-level hunter-killer, capable of mounting a wide range of payloads to carry out its assigned mission. Commonly used in a close protection role for air-to-surface Imperial Guard deployments for regiments such as the Drop Troops of Elysia, the Vulture is also assigned to strafing missions against massed infantry formations and lightly-armoured vehicles.
- Arvus Lighters : Imperial transport primarily used to deliver cargo to and from orbit – it’s been designed to slip in and out of an active war zone as quickly and safely as possible. They were excellent for any mission that requires you to drop off or pick up ground assets. They’re fast, manoeuvrable, and can easily disengage using the Valuable Cargo and Rocket Boosters special rules after the job is done.
Classes of vessels used by the Imperial Navy included:
- Emperor-class Battleship :
- Victory-class Battleship :
- Retribution-class Battleship :
- Apocalypse-class Battleship :
- Oberon-class Battleship :
- Avenger-class Grand Cruiser :
- Lunar-class Cruiser :
- Gothic-class Cruiser :
- Mars-class Battlecruiser :
- Dauntless-class Light Cruiser :
Members
- Merelda Pereth :
- Lansung :
- Zaccarius Rath :
- Anastasia Arkelius :
- Vortigern Hanroth :
- Cornelius von Ravensburg :
- Parol :
- Quarren :
- Usurs :
- Alber Vander Trake :
- Abridal :
- Horatio Bugler :
- Virator Hax
- Brunt :
Notes
- The Imperial Navy was created by Games Workshop and featured in the setting of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
In other media
Video games
- In Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, the Imperial Navy featured in the setting of the real-time strategy video game where they were one of the playable factions. The players took the role of Admiral Spire who commanded Imperial Navy forces in the Gothic Sector who during the events of the 12th Black Crusade.
- In Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II, the Imperial Navy featured in the setting of the real-time strategy video game where they were one of the playable factions.
Appearances
- Warhammer 40,000:
External Links
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