A recon line was a formation of the Imperial Navy commanded by a captain of the line. Recon lines comprised either two or four starships, operating either individually, or in pairs. These ships were generally modified light cruisers, trading in weapons for enhanced sublight drives and sensor suites. Recon lines were mandated to find the enemy, recon their disposition without engaging, then return with the information. The number of recon lines increased during the Galactic Civil War, as the Galactic Empire equipped more of their capital ships with hyperwave signal interceptors. These were capable of detecting flux shifts which allowed the Imperial Navy to accurate predict a starship's destination after it made the jump to hyperspace.