"Demonstration fleet" was a term used after the Ruusan Reformations of 1000 BBY to describe warships produced under a legal exemption granted to starship manufacturers. This exemption, introduced when Supreme Chancellor Tarsus Valorum ordered limits on regional fleets as part of the Ruusan Reformations, allowed shipbuilders to design and construct prototype or experimental variants of existing starship classes. The intent was to encourage technological innovation and the development of local shipyards across the galaxy.[1]
In practice, however, this exemption was exploited by many sectors to acquire powerful fleets by leasing control of the prototype vessels from the manufacturers. By the final centuries of the Galactic Republic, wealthy sectors had fleets of leased starships.[1]
Sources
- The Essential Guide to Warfare (First mentioned)