Since the origin of armed conflicts, commanders have demonstrated a need to know more about an opposing force and their capabilities. During the American Revolution, George Washington kickstarted what would become the American intelligence community with his own spy ring tasked to gather accurate battlefield intelligence on British military movements throughout the colonies. In WWI both central powers and triple entente militaries attempted to intercept courier pigeons carrying sensitive communications to gain insight on their respective adversary. Most recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has shone a light into the power of social media-driven Open Source Intelligence and the susceptibility of ‘professional’ militaries to the power of commercial drones, short-form videos and selfies on social media. If war could be considered a game of “inches not feet” every detail builds on a picture that can be used to shape decision making at the tactical and strategic levels of war.
Intelligence exists to drive operations and enable leaders to make fully informed decisions, but our recent combat experience has demonstrated the innate challenges the Intelligence Community (IC) faces not just in prosecuting a counter-insurgency campaign but balancing the capabilities needed to prosecute a counter-insurgency and/or a Large- Scale Combat Operation (LSCO). The American military spent 20 years focusing on conducting counter-insurgency operations against a global hybrid threat and, arguably, achieved mixed results. From 2010, onward they were largely unable to bring these various insurgent groups into a decisive engagement and, over time, those groups were able to consolidate legitimate political and military power resulting in the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and severe limitations of the US combat mission in Iraq. These problems are not unique to “Western” Intelligence services and the same problem set posed to our intelligence community today was posed to the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) in a galaxy far, far away….
The Problem of Galactic Intelligence
The aftermath of the attempted Jedi Overthrow of the Republic Senate and the conclusion of the Clone Wars led to a rapid transitional period for the Imperial Army. As the galactic spheres of influence between the Confederacy of Independent System (CIS) and the Galactic Republic broke and reformed to a new unitary galactic power centered on the Empire. With the collapse of the political infrastructure around the fringes of the galactic plain, local insurgency groups and crime syndicates began to exert their own local power dynamics. Additionally, a well-trained, equipped and funded “core” of insurgents operating under an umbrella of legitimate political authority called the ‘Rebel Alliance’ began to take shape and slowly emerge as the predominant threat to the Empire in this new galactic order. The Imperial Military and, particularly, the ISB quickly found themselves on the backfoot as they attempted to support galactic maneuver operations to ultimately counter these new, asymmetric, threats.
The Clone Wars was a Large-Scale Galactic Conflict (LSGC) and the intelligence functions needed to drive those operations were intrinsically different then what was shaping up in the Galactic Civil War on Terror (GCWOT). During the Clone Wars, Republic intelligence was able to remain flexible with each Jedi Task Force (JTF) being able to produce and analyze its own imagery, intercept CIS communications and provide limited human intelligence (HUMINT) resources. The intelligence produced by these JTF’s were then fed to a Clone Intelligence Agency (CIA) to provide further action depending on the priority of the intelligence received. The CIA was predominantly responsible for strategic- level HUMINT, but could also task Direct Action capabilities, such as clone commandos, to priority targets. Due to the high-attrition nature of LSGC, many of the intelligence assets available to the Republic were cheap, expendable and of a “good enough” quality. Because the CIS was a traditional uniformed military the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was largely able to focus on traditional methods of intelligence collection: at the battalion and brigade levels you had AT-RT scouts and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, the fleet provide global imagery and signals intelligence (SIGINT) collect while the CIA consolidated intelligence and drove the GAR’s HUMINT efforts. The rise of the Rebel Alliance and the initiation of the GCWOT forced the ISB to rapidly evolve their equipment and TTP’s over a period of 20 years from the transition into the Galactic Empire (GE) to the destruction of the 2nd Death Star to counter this hybrid threat.
All threats take time to be identified as such and the hydra that would become known as the Rebel Alliance was no different. On one front, secessionist movements that had been supported by the GAR went to ground to combat the rise of the Galactic Empire (GE). Overnight these militia groups began to target Imperial bases, convoys and logistics hubs operating from local civilian population centers. The galaxy far, far away is no stranger to martyrdom and many of these groups housed fervent believers ready to sacrifice themselves to ensure victory for their cause. This motley collection of groups were usually geared towards local planetary independence from the GE and quickly rattled off a string of small tactical successes that included a successful suicide bombing on the GE capital city of Coruscant. On another front, organized crime syndicates such as the Black Sun and the Shadow Collective stepped into positions of legitimate political power to fill the vacuum left by the Empire. Often mercenaries these groups owed allegiance to no single entity and would align themselves locally to whoever would further their interests.
Lastly: The Rebel Alliance (RA) themselves utilized a large fleet that would conduct disrupting attacks against an inferior-sized element before breaking down into smaller sections and retrograding via independent routes to a rendezvous area. The Rebel Alliance understood that the fleet was their lifeblood and so they went to great pains to maintain operational security. While the RA was able to field relatively large numbers of conventional infantry with some armored vehicles and air support such as at the Battles of Hoth and Jabiim, the real combat power wielded by the RA was its ability to operate asymmetrically when operationally required and to break down into its own local insurgent cells to continue operations deep into Imperial Space. These groups were usually small, required extensive Intelligence resources to track and still managed to regularly carry out squad to platoon level ambushes against imperial stations. Additionally, the RA was usually able to align with local, anti-imperial, militia movements for additional combat power as well as their own SOF elements used to liase with these groups and infiltrate nearby centers of influence.
Rise of the ISB
In the face of these threats stood the Imperial Security Bureau, known as the ISB. The ISB was the primary law enforcement arm of the Galactic Empire and served as the umbrella for all Imperial intelligence efforts. Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), and all other sourced intelligence flowed centrally through the ISB where it would be analyzed and published to the wider Imperial military. While each fleet and Imperial task force had its own intelligence collection assets, the ISB owned strategic-level collection efforts that could be requested to support more subordinate missions and requirements. Normally these assets were comprised of HUMINT networks, long range drone networks that were able to operate and collect on a planets surface as well as high endurance space probes powered by solar wind that could collect on a requested area for extended periods of time. Additionally, while the JTF still comprised the backbone of the Imperial Military expeditionary force structure – the dissolution of the Jedi Order transformed a “JTF” into a “Joint Task Force” due to its integration of Imperial Army and Navy assets under a single unified command structure.
The ISB took over the remnants of the CIA’s intelligence framework and, with terrorist attacks increasing in frequency, began to transition from LSGCO to counter-terrorism strategies to meet this new threat. Many of the insurgent groups understood that they were technologically outmatched by the Empire and countered by going as low-tech as possible to still conduct operations. Indeed, the most sensitive SIGINT collection platforms were worthless if they had minimal to no, signals to collect. The ISB began to lean more on HUMINT collection, trying to infiltrate these groups before deploying small, elite, elements to capture or destroy insurgent leadership. These strikes demonstrated limited success and Rebel groups would frequently shift into different operational areas while new personnel stepped into roles previously filled by killed or captured senior leadership. Additionally, these groups would regularly raid Imperial outstations and financial institutions to replenish their own equipment and money lines while usually being protected by the local population. These factors created an environment where, from above the ground level the Empire had freedom of maneuver while at the ground level Imperial forces quickly found themselves bogged down, isolated and outnumbered against a nebulous enemy in an increasingly degraded environment.
Understanding this, the ISB increasingly operated in the “Gray Space”, tactics and operations that were shy of open and direct conflict but still provided military and political gains. These tools allowed the Empire to operate in unique spaces to achieve very specific goals that conventional or unconventional forces simply could not. The main tool for this endeavor was the Bounty Hunter, such as: Boba Fett, Bossk, IG-88, and Dengar to name just a few. Usually, these missions involved tracking and capturing key Rebel leadership, as when Boba Fett captured the infamous rebel smuggler Han Solo in Cloud City, Bespin. These assets were also used to capture technology to further the Empire’s war goals, such as Jedi/Sith Holocrons, force sensitive beings, and sensitive weapons plans to name a few examples.
The Limits of Imperial Intelligence
While the ISB continued to refine its TTP’s and shape the strategic battlespace for Imperial Maneuver commanders, the GE was not able to achieve any decisive gains and for approximately two decades the GCWOT remained in a strategic stalemate. Imperial forces would conduct targeted missions to remove Rebel outposts, leadership and key equipment. In return, RA forces would target Imperial logistics chains and raid or destroy isolated outposts. In 00 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) Imperial Intelligence, under the command of Darth Vader, pinpointed what was widely considered to be the RA headquarters on the 4th moon of Yavin.
This intelligence drove a strong Imperial response and within weeks JTF Darkstar, housing a new weapon of mass destruction, the size of a small moon, and capable of destroying an entire planet referred to as the “Death Star” was tasked to destroy this threat. JTF Darkstar was commanded personally by Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, and was accompanied by his personal fleet, “Death Squadron”, and the 501st Imperial Infantry Regiment Stormtrooper Corps (IIRS) known as “Vader’s Fist” for their crushing brutality against enemies of the Empire.
In what would become known as the “Battle of Yavin,” JTF Darkstar would attempt to destroy the RA Headquarters at Yavin and would be intercepted by several squadrons of X-Wing fighters and Y-Wing bombers led by the, at the time, unknown insurgent leader: Luke “Skywalker”. Imperial hubris toward the RA capabilities caused the Death Star to become separated from its security elements while translating in-system from Hyperspace creating a defensive seam which allowed “Skywalker” and his fighter wing to destroy the Deathstar. A stunning Imperial defeat, the Battle of Yavin represented the greatest single loss of life caused by a terrorist incident in the history of the Galaxy and launched Luke “Skywalker” to a senior leadership position within the Rebel hierarchy. Additionally, the Battle of Yavin demonstrated to military organizations across the Galaxy that the martial might of the Galactic Empire, long held to be the single greatest military force of all time, could be decisively defeated in a conventional engagement.
Intelligence Preparation of the Galaxy
The Imperial response following the Battle of Yavin became a successful attempt to regain their operational tempo as they conducted offensive operations across all domains including the Information Space (INFOWAR) to shape the narrative that the GE was as capable at it ever had been. Meanwhile, the Rebellion demonstrated a lack of operational expertise to capitalize on their victory and they were unable to exploit it in a meaningful way, which allowed the GE to regain the initiative and disrupt follow-on Rebellion operations. The ISB began to aggressively target Rebel leadership and logistics hubs to degrade RA capabilities and shape the INFOWAR that the RA should not be taken seriously as a military or political entity. Once again, the RA went to ground and the ISB spent a great deal of resources attempting to locate their leadership and headquarters. While HUMINT played a large part in the ISB’s ability to successfully locate the RA at Yavin, it was the ISB’s drone program that located and identified a substantial Rebellion presence on Hoth.
Hoth was an ice planet located in a largely uninhabited system. ISB drones, such as probe droids, identified a large shield generator complex and an entryway large enough that it was thought to be the entrance to a hanger or a subterranean complex. ISB analysts spent some time trying to determine who actually-owned the facility. Pirates and smugglers used similar equipment and typically operated in similarly remote environments and there were no immediate indicators that this facility belonged to the RA. Intercepted radio communications indicated that at least two senior RA members could have been at the facility. This belief would later be confirmed when another ISB drone positively identified the RA Captain Han Solo and his Wookie bodyguard Chewbacca.
With the ISB able to confirm the presence of senior rebel leadership on the planet JTF Darkstar was tasked to occupy the facility and capture all present rebel leadership. As the JTF entered the Hoth system the ISB cast a wide sensor net around the planet to detect RA elements making a possible escape for follow on Imperial action. Even though JTF Darkstar was ultimately successful in its attack on the RA facility, key rebel leadership was able to successfully escape the system. It is widely believed that Luke Skywalker linked in with a remnant of the Jedi order at an unknown location. Meanwhile an ISB asset, the bounty hunter known as Boba Fett, was successfully able to locate, track and capture General Han Solo at Cloud City, Bespin.
The Battle of Hoth was the first real example of intelligence support to LSGCO in the GCWOT and the successful identification and capture of Han Solo, long believed to be a substantial presence in the rebellion, was hoped to further degrade Rebellion strategic command and control (C2) capabilities. Ultimately this victory would be short lived for the Empire. Han Solo was given to a powerful warlord, Jabba the Hutt, as payment for services rendered to the Empire. Jabba was the ruler of the Hutt dynasty, a powerful trade syndicate with its own standing military and fleet that held sway throughout the Outer Rim. Solidifying a relationship with Jabba the Hutt was seen as essential to grant GE freedom to maneuver through the Outer Rim of the Galaxy as well as additional manpower to leverage against the Rebel Alliance. Ultimately, Jabba was not able to keep Han Solo from being rescued by Luke “Skywalker” and, even worse for the ISB, Jabba was killed in the rescue attempt, eliminating a longtime ISB partner and limiting their operational reach in key segments of the galaxy. The ISB would continue to rely on criminal organizations and local warlords to extend their intelligence collection capability, but they would never regain the same grasp that they had while working with Jabba the Hutt.
Rebel Intelligence Strikes Back
The escape of Han Solo corresponded with an increase of RA activity in every sector as the RA sought to re-assert themselves on the galactic stage. The ISB became inundated with reporting illustrating not only RA insurgent activity at key nodes across the galaxy but also attempts by the RA to mass their fleet in preparation for a major combat operation. As the ISB gathered and assessed reports across all intelligence disciplines the RA target became clear: the newly built Death Star in orbit around the forest moon of Endor. With that information, the ISB then assisted in facilitating an in-depth deception campaign designed to bring the Rebel fleet to the Endor system and for a decisive engagement.
Strategic Intelligence had shaped the battlefield and the entire RA fleet would jump into the Endor system to disrupt and destroy Imperial operations there. Throughout the “Battle of Endor,” the GE tactical intelligence and security framework failed to ID and communicate key events in the battlespace. In orbit, an older Imperial shuttle that had been missing for some time was successfully screened by ISB Counter-Intelligence and passed into Imperial-controlled space despite having an outdated codebook and exhibiting suspicious activity. This incident was incredibly damaging as the shuttle carried a RA strike team tasked to destroy the shield generator on Endor to enable RA fleet operations in orbit against the Death Star. Planetside, those RA commando’s quickly made contact with an Imperial Scout outpost and quickly eliminated the team. Despite not being in contact with their outpost for more than 24 hours the Imperial base did not elevate their security posture and they were quickly overwhelmed by the RA strike force. Even more concerning, the Rebel Commandos were quickly able to rally the local population of Endor to their cause which substantially increased the size of their task force. Small, furry and primitive, worshipping a solid gold man-shaped deity, ISB Counter-Intelligence had assessed the Ewok people of Endor to not be a threat to the sensitive Imperial holdings on the planet. In a series of incredible events, the RA team, aided by the native Ewoks, managed to deactivate the shield generator and their fleet in orbit successfully destroyed the Death Star (again), killing key leaders of the Imperial military establishment including Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader.
The destruction of the 2nd Death Star in 4ABY proved to be a decisive defeat for the Empire and a major turning point in the GCWOT. Prior to 4ABY, the Empire conducted counter-insurgency operations that leaned heavy on precision strikes and Special Operations. LSGCO such as the battle of Hoth were not common, and the Empire normally retained their freedom to maneuver in the battlespace. After 4ABY the Rebel Alliance was seen as a peer threat to the Empire, regularly engaging and destroying Imperial elements throughout the battlefront as their sphere of influence rapidly grew and the Empire’s rapidly shrank. Public perception rapidly turned against the Empire after this defeat as short form videos of Ewoks ambushing Stormtroopers, destroying AT-ST’s and joyriding on Imperial equipment widely circulated on social media and became the unofficial mascot of the RA movement. This 2nd phase of the GCWOT became much more LSGCO-focused as the Rebellion and Empire each sought to inflict maximum damage on the other to preserve their gains and validate in the Information Space that they were the strongest military in the galaxy.
Just as the Imperial military adjusted with the changing operational environment, the ISB moved equally quickly to provide support to this new, dynamic, phase of the conflict. The ISB moved away from low-quantity, expensive, limited-discipline aircraft that were able to operate in areas where the Empire had full control of the Air and Space domains, and instead shifted to high-quantity, cheap, multi-use or single-use craft that could operate in degraded operational areas. These drones first made an appearance during the Clone Wars, particularly during the Battle of Coruscant where they were used to eliminate single-high value fighters and had been refitted by the ISB to fill the role of an expendable intelligence and surveillance asset. ISB partners also changed out and the Imperial Special Operations Command (ISOC) took on a less prominent role as the Empire relied on conventional forces to engage and destroy increasingly large numbers of insurgent groups and conventional components of the RA.
While the GE would remain a substantial player on the Galactic field for centuries to come under the umbrella of the Fel Empire, the death of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader would prove difficult to overcome and the Galactic Empire lost large segments of its political power and infrastructure as they were siphoned off by disparate Imperial warlords. Despite the significant reduction in GE power and influence, it is important to understand the transformations that the ISB was forced to undergo to remain relevant and support the force through multiple, very different conflicts. The systems and architecture that could be relied on during the Clone Wars had to rapidly adapt to meet the new threats posed by the Rebel Alliance. The Rebel Alliance itself proved to be a dynamic threat, evolving from a more grass-roots, insurgency based combat power to a full-up trained and equipped uniformed military by the end of the GCWOT.
The Intelligence Community today has a lot in common with ISB agents that operated a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Both would have lived through and seen significant shifts in their operational environment from the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2020 to the destruction of the 2nd Death Star in 4ABY. These events changed the geo-political landscape, transforming the threats posed to these respective militaries which necessitated change to how those intelligence services would in-turn provide support to find, fix and finish those threats.
About the author: Capt. Kevin A. Smith is an officer in the United States Army and is currently serving as the AS2 for the 101st Airborne Division Artillery at Fort Campbell, KY.
The views expressed above do not reflect those of the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.
Cover image: Star Wars: A New Hope, Lucasfilm Ltd. https://www.starwars.com/news/6-things-you-dont-know-about-star-wars-1
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