Kabekage Patrol

Kabekage Patrols are a type of combat force utilised by the Imperial Navy for border protection, anti-piracy and crime and search-and-destroy activities. The primary ships used in these operations are the namesake Kabekage-class stealth destroyers, as well as the Itachizame-class heavy cruisers in a unique formation known as the Kabekage pack. In addition to this, a standard space combat division is usually kept in reserve as an annihilation force.

Most Kabekage Patrol units are the third division of a particular battle group, typically the fleets stationed in systems on the borders of Imperial Space.

Tactics
A Kabekage Patrol consists of three main elements. These elements work in conjunction with pre-deployed sensor probes in interstellar space, uninhabited systems or landmarks such as asteroid fields or previously-occupied enemy hideouts.

Hunter unit
The hunter unit comprises Kabekage packs which patrol the designated area as individual Kabekage-class destroyers coordinated by an Itachizame cruiser. Patrol areas are typically a stretch of the Empire's space border or an area of high criminal activity, awaiting alerts from the sensor probes. Upon the tripping of a sensor probe, hunter packs are deployed to the immediate area to chase down and intercept the target, or to trail the target to their destination.

Sleeper unit
The sleeper unit consists of Kabekage packs which do not move, instead leaving pairs of ships in wait within asteroid fields, nebulae or simply in deep space close to the sensor probes. Upon notification, the sleeper units are able to respond almost immediately to the threat, or are able to observe enemy activity while awaiting reinforcements.

In more complex operations, hunter units are known to herd the enemy force towards sleeper units, while the annihilation force is still en route.

Annihilation force
The annihilation force is a standard space combat division, thus comprising of at least one battleship, a carrier and several other warships. The role of annihilation force is typically rotated between the two non-Kabekage divisions in the battle group, with the other division acting as a reserve force.

The annihilation force's purpose is to encircle any forces the hunter or sleeper units have encountered and destroy the enemy forces with overwhelming firepower, if the packs are unable to do so themselves. As Kabekage patrols are intended to intercept small-sized forces like pirate squadrons, just small elements of the annihilation force are often more than enough to wipe out the intercepted enemies. In search and destroy missions, the annihilation force's role is to destroy the discovered enemy hideouts or positions.

If a massive enemy force is encountered, however, the annihilation force and its reserve force would both be deployed en masse as per a conventional naval encounter.