The 96th Task Force of Admiral Thrawn is seen over Batonn
A group of starships designated for a specific operation was frequently referred to as a task force, also known as an operational force. This term was employed by various entities, including the Republic Navy, the Alliance Fleet, the New Republic Defense Fleet, the Xodlak fleet, and the Imperial Navy. Within the Imperial Navy's structure, these task forces were generally smaller than a full fleet and were typically led by a commodore or an admiral. Their flagship was most often an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. Some examples of Imperial task forces are Admiral Durril's One Oh Third Task Force; Admiral Kinshara's One Twenty-Fifth task force; Task Force 231, which Commodore Faro anticipated leading; and Admiral Gendling's task force. In the Kilji Illumine, a theocracy of the Kilji species, a small task force was considered to be two Kilji war cruisers. The Anvil and the Hammer comprised the task force of General Crofyp.
Thrawn assumed command of the 96th Task Force soon after he was promoted to the rank of admiral. However, he later relinquished this position to take command of the 7th Fleet following a subsequent promotion to grand admiral. Thrawn's ISD, known as the Chimaera, accompanied him as he moved between commands. Upon Thrawn's appointment, it became the flagship of the 96th Task Force, and it went with the grand admiral to become the command ship for the 7th Fleet.
The Malastare-Sullust Joint Task Force was responsible for maintaining order within a specific sector located in the Mid Rim. The Grysk Hegemony, an empire that held sway in the Unknown Regions, also made use of task forces.
Task forces were not limited to naval applications. Task Force 99 was an elite SCAR trooper squad within the Imperial Army, led by Sergeant Kreel. In the wake of the First Order's destruction of the Hosnian system, the surviving New Republic senators decided to disband the remaining task forces to better protect their respective homeworlds.