The warships of the Alliance are early deployed alone, with most being at least nominally part of a larger formation of vessels.
The FIGHTER FLIGHT is the smallest Alliance naval formation by tonnage, made up of 4 Fighters that are slaves to one of that fighters that is manned, though Flights on long patrols commonly include 2 manned Fighters to allow the pilots to take shifts, the other's Fighter being slaves to the active ones. Most Flights have a total of 3 pilots to allow for continuous operation. The CO of a Flight is usually a 2nd Lieutenant.
The FIGHTER SQUADRON is the most commonly deployed Fighter unit for combat operations, there are 2 main types of Fighter Squadrons, component and independent Squadrons. Component Squadrons are designed to operate within a Wing, with maintenance and support units operated at the Wing level, while independent Squadrons have those integrated into the unit. Independent Squadrons are used at minor bases, space stations, and on Cruisers. Independent Squadrons are significantly larger than component Squadrons, made of 8 Flights (32 Fighters), while component Squadrons only contain 5 Flights (20 Fighters). The CO of a Squadron is usually a Lieutenant Commander, though the COs of independent Squadrons are usually more experienced and are nearing promotion.
The FIGHTER WING is the primary formation deployed at Alliance air bases and normal coordination unit for Air Groups, operating in single waves all together. A Wing usually consists of 4 component Squadrons (80 Fighters) and includes integrated support units for maintaining and operating its Fighters. Cruiser Wings consist of the 5 independent Squadrons carried on the Cruisers of an Alliance Cruiser or Exploration Flotilla, leading to a total of 160 Fighters. The CO of a Wing is a Commander.
The AIR GROUP is the largest formation of Fighters in use by the Alliance. Each Air Group consists of 25 Wings, leaving an Air Group with 2000 Fighters. The Alliance operates 5 Air Groups, each named after a mythical flying animal. Air Groups Dragon, Phoenix, and Griffin are deployed on the Carriers Einstein, Hawking and Curie respectively, while Air Groups Harpy and Pegasus are deployed on Pluto as part of the Joint Charon Defense Command. The CO of an Air Group is a Captain.
The FRIGATE FLOTILLA is the smallest formation of warships by tonnage used by the Alliance, with 4 Frigates making up the Flotilla. The CO of a Frigate Flotilla is a Commander and the Alliance operates 54 of these Flotillas.
The CRUISER FLOTILLA is the largest unit by tonnage called a Flotilla. It consists of 5 Cruisers and is technically commanded by a Senior Captain, though those within Cruiser Squadrons are in practice controlled by the Squadron's Rear Admiral. The Alliance operates 10 Cruiser Flotillas, 4 within the numbered fleets, and 6 with the 6 Cruiser Squadrons.
THE CRUISER SQUADRON is the most common formation controlled by an Admiral. It consists of a Cruiser Flotilla and 5 Frigate Flotillas, totaling 5 Cruisers and 20 Frigates. The Alliance operates 6 Cruiser Squadrons as patrol and rapid response units, and they are commanded by a Rear Admiral.
The CARRIER SQUADRON consists of a single Carrier and an escort of 16 Frigates within 4 Flotillas. The Squadron is commanded by a Rear Admiral.
The 2 FLEETS of the Alliance consist of a Dreadnought, 2 Cruiser Flotillas, and 12 Frigate Flotillas. They are each commanded by an Admiral and are both stationed at Arcturus Station, serving as rapid reaction forces. They are each led by an Admiral and are both stationed at Arcturus Station.
A TASK FORCE is a variable unit that can contain anywhere from a few FIghters to the majority of the Alliance Navy. Task Forces are congregations of different formations and individual vessels commanded by the highest ranking officer in the Task Force, anything from a Lieutenant to the Alliance Director themself.