Fourth Fleet Operations

Fourth Fleet Operations is responsible for the logistics and assignments of the Fourth Fleet's starships, starbases, and other assets, overseeing operational matters for the fleet's four Task Forces, the Expeditionary Group, the Forward Support Group, Fourth Fleet Headquarters (Starbase Bravo), and Fourth Fleet Training Command. This office carries out the directives of the fleet's most senior leadership and handles many of the day-to-day activities that keep the fleet staffed, supplied, and mission-ready.

Organization

Fourth Fleet Operations is headquartered with the rest of the fleet's senior leadership at Starbase Bravo. The Chief of Fleet Operations reports to the Commander and Deputy Commander, Fourth Fleet, with responsibility for operationalizing the orders of the Commander by ensuring that the appropriate vessels and stations are tasked to specific missions. The Operations Office is one of the largest offices within the fleet's leadership, rivaling Fleet Intelligence for the sheer volume of data being sent and received from Fourth Fleet assets across the galaxy.

Task Forces

Main Article: Task Forces

The majority of the Fourth Fleet's starships are divided into five task forces, each of which has a specific mandate to oversee an aspect of the Fourth Fleet's operations throughout the galaxy. Each task force is further sub-divided into two task groups. Some task groups also contain squadrons. Fleet Operations handles both disseminating assignments to the appropriate task force to carry out the orders of the Fleet Admiral and ensuring that each Task Force is properly staffed and equipped.

Independent Squadrons & Divisions

Several squadrons and divisions exist outside of the Task Force structure, reporting directly to Fourth Fleet Operations for missions of a specialized or sensitive nature. These squadrons often undertake missions directly for department heads, the deputy commander, or the commander. They include:

Yorktown Explorer Squadron
- USS Yorktown, a Constitution III-class explorer - Fourth Fleet Flagship
- USS Ares, an Intrepid-class light explorer
- USS James Hutton, a Sagan-class light explorer
- USS Venture, a Sovereign-class exploratory cruiser
Arcturus Wayfinding Squadron
- USS Arcturus, an Odyssey-class heavy explorer
  - USS Hokule’a, an Aquarius-class escort
- USS Achilles, an Echelon-class light cruiser
- USS Antares, an Intrepid-class light explorer
- USS Apollo, a Duderstadt-class fast cruiser
- USS Arondight, a Reliant-class frigate
- USS Buran, a Rhode Island-class scout
- Olympia Station, a Spacedock-class starbase
- USS Pallas, a Vesta-class explorer
- USS Renown, an Akira-class heavy cruiser
- USS Saturn, a Sutherland-class research cruiser
- USS Theseus, a Gagarin-class heavy escort
Sirius Expeditionary Squadron
- USS Sirius, an Odyssey-class heavy explorer
  - USS Alhabor, an Aquarius-class escort
- USS Endeavour, a Constitution III-class explorer
- Gateway Station, a Spacedock-class starbase
  - USS Independence, a Defiant-class escort
- USS Liberty, a Sagan-class light explorer
- USS Ranger, an Intrepid-class light explorer
- USS Redemption, a Sovereign-class exploratory cruiser
- USS Swiftsure, an Echelon-class light cruiser
- USS Tempest, a Rhode Island-class scout
Challenger Heavy Squadron
- USS Challenger, an Odyssey-class heavy explorer
  - USS Cernan, an Aquarius-class escort
- USS Ark Royal, a Sovereign-class exploratory cruiser
- USS Cygnus, a Nebula-class exploratory cruiser
- USS Endurance, a Rhode Island-class scout
- USS Manchester, a Parliament-class utility cruiser
- USS Toronto, an Intrepid-class light explorer
Polaris Advanced Research Squadron
- USS Polaris, an Odyssey-class heavy explorer
- Archanis Station, a Canopus-class starbase
  - USS Kennedy, a Norway-class light cruiser
  - USS Lincoln, a Gagarin-class heavy escort
  - USS Pacific Palisades, a California-class utility cruiser
- USS Diligent, an Alita-class heavy cruiser
- USS Ingenuity, a Pathfinder-class science vessel
- USS Serenity, a Duderstadt-class fast cruiser
Odyssey Heavy Explorer Squadron
- USS Odyssey, an Odyssey-class heavy explorer
  - USS Telemachus, an Aquarius-class escort
- Deep Space 19, a Unity-class starbase
  - USS Formidable, a Defiant-class escort
- USS Bellerophon, an Intrepid-class light explorer
- USS Constitution, a Constitution III-class explorer
- USS Destiny, a Vesta-class explorer
- USS Orion, a Sagan-class light explorer
- USS Themis, a Ross-class explorer
- USS Triton, a Luna-class light explorer
Hawkeye Island Defense Squadron
- Hawkeye Island, Planetary base
- USS Devastator, a Sovereign-class exploratory cruiser
- USS Fitzgerald, an Intrepid-class light explorer
- USS Washington, a Galaxy-class explorer
Pathfinder Long-Range Exploration Division
- USS Pathfinder, a Pathfinder-class science vessel
- USS Malinche, an Excelsior II-class heavy cruiser
Constellation Explorer Squadron
- USS Constellation, a Constitution III-class explorer
- USS Almagest, a Sutherland-class research cruiser
- Caelum Station, a Jupiter-class research facility
- USS Edmund Hillary, a Challenger-class light cruiser
- USS Grus, a Saber-class scout
Repulse Rapid Response Squadron
- USS Repulse, an Excelsior II-class heavy cruiser
- USS Potemkin, a Constitution III-class explorer
- USS Courageous, a Defiant-class escort
- USS Intrepid, a Duderstadt-class fast cruiser
- USS Rutledge, a New Orleans-class frigate
- USS Vancouver, a Parliament-class utility cruiser

Fourth Fleet Expeditionary Group

Main Article: Fourth Fleet Expeditionary Group

The Fourth Fleet Expeditionary Group is the Fourth Fleet's designated elite multi-mission response force, with a collection of starships meant to be able to quickly and effectively handle the fleet's most delicate and time-sensitive missions, wherever they are in the galaxy. These ships are assigned to the Fourth Fleet but not to a particular task force, and undertake a wide variety of missions across the galaxy that don't necessarily fit neatly into the mandate of one of the fleet's other units. Ships in the expeditionary group take their orders individually from Fourth Fleet Command through the Chief of Fourth Fleet Operations, generally getting assignments that require some combination of discretion and special capabilities.

Fourth Fleet Forward Support Group

Main Article: Fourth Fleet Forward Support Group

The Fourth Fleet Forward Support Group consists of several starbases and space stations located throughout Federation space which are assigned to support the mission of the Fourth Fleet. These facilities allow the fleet to sustain operations with their ships spread far away from fleet headquarters and the headquarters of the four task forces, and Fleet Operations coordinates with these bases to ensure consistent supply lines.

Fourth Fleet Headquarters

Main Article: Starbase Bravo

Starbase Bravo is the current headquarters of the Fourth Fleet. As a large, modern Guardian-class orbiting Mellstoxx III, a Betazoid colony established soon after the people’s joining of the Federation, Starbase Bravo boasts the facilities to support the Fleet Command’s needs. There is a constant stream of junior officers and new captains coming to Starbase Bravo to be assigned by Fleet Operations to their eventual postings within the Fourth Fleet.

Fourth Fleet Operations In-Play

For the vast majority of your stories, you probably don't need to know the exact organizational structure of the fleet. The amount of times we've heard Task Forces referenced on screen in Star Trek is tiny. Still, you might occasionally want to know who your command character reports to! Your personal fiction ship will be in the task force that you're assigned to as a member, so that's pretty easy: the person giving your ship orders in-character is your TFCO or TFXO. For RPGs, that person is the Chief of Fleet Operations or Deputy Chief of Fleet Operations, which is also easy!
We rarely saw Fleet Admirals in Star Trek, and that's because the commander of a major fleet is a very busy person! They have other more junior flag officers under them handing out the day-to-day orders necessary to execute their grand plans. That's what Fleet Operations is: a collection of flag officers and senior line officers that handle the paperwork and decision making to keep the fleet moving. Does the Enterprise or the Defiant handle this particular mission? Does this priority go to Task Force 72 or Task Force 38? Do we need to request more new officers from Starfleet Command? That kind of thing.