Matching Star Wars roles to real naval command skills

Which historical naval figures would best replace Imperial leaders such as Tarkin and Thrawn?

Fisher suits institutional transformation, while tacticians such as Collingwood and intelligence specialists such as Rochefort represent the skills associated with Thrawn.

Tarkin's position combines political influence with doctrine, construction, and institutional reform, making Jackie Fisher a proposed replacement; Beatty is also suggested for the political role. Candidates for Thrawn include Cunningham, Nelson, Willis Lee, Arleigh Burke, Fletcher, Collingwood, and Rochefort, with different reasons for each choice. Burke's postwar work and Lee's record before his major command are offered as evidence of thoughtful leadership. Collingwood's attraction is the attempt to deny an enemy supplies and options before battle. Rochefort's signals intelligence and decryption work offers another route to anticipating an opponent's decisions. Rickover is also proposed for overseeing a major naval transformation, with the correction that he headed the nuclear organisation rather than serving as Chief of Naval Operations. Billy Mitchell is rejected as a close match because the comparison depends on navigating institutional politics as well as advocating change. His tendency to act as an outside agitator is contrasted with Thrawn and Tarkin's ability to use their positions inside the system.