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GAT-12 Skipray Blastboat

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Skipray Blastboat

Production information
Manufacturer	Sienar Fleet Systems
Model	GAT-12 Skipray Blastboat
Class	Heavy starfighter
Technical specifications
Length	25 meters^[1]
Width	9.2 meters in flight configuration ^[2] 14.3 meters in landing configuration ^[2]
Height/depth	14.3 meters in flight configuration 7.2 meters in landing configuration ^[2]
MGLT	80 MGLT^[1]
Maximum speed (atmosphere)	1,200 km/h
Hyperdrive rating	Class 2.0
Power plant	Sarylcorp ViX multiflux reactor ^[2]
Shielding	Equipped
Sensor systems	Siep-Irol "Omni-Vu" sensor pylons (2) ^[2]
Navigation system	Equipped, 4 jump capability
Armament	GAT-12g: Medium ion cannons (3) ^[2] Twin laser cannon turret (1) Proton torpedo launcher (1) Tractor beam projector (1) GAT-12h/i: Medium ion cannons (3) Twin laser cannon turret (1) Starboard proton torpedo launcher (1) Port concussion missile launcher (1) GAT-12j: Mendarn Arms Dar-2 ion cannons (3) ^[2] Twin Senko Systems 5000x2 "Tru-Lok" laser cannon turret (1) ^[2] Starboard proton torpedo launcher (1)^[1] Standard load: 12 torpedoes^[1] Port concussion missile launcher (1)^[1] Standard load: 18 missiles^[1] (Some variations of above configurations replace lasers with turbolasers)
Crew	Pilot (1)^[1] Co-pilot (1)^[1] Sensor operator (1)^[1] Gunners (2)^[1]
Minimum crew	1
Passengers	None
Cargo capacity	20 metric tons
Consumables	1 month
Other systems	Rotating wing assembly
Usage
Role(s)	Bomber Patrol craft Scout Assault starfighter
Era(s)	Rise of the Empire era Rebellion era New Republic era New Jedi Order era
Affiliation	Galactic Republic Galactic Empire Zann Consortium Imperial Remnant^[3] Smugglers Pirates Defense forces

[Source]

"Skipray Blastboat here."

―Unidentified Zann Consortium Pilots^[src]

The Sienar Fleet Systems GAT-12 Skipray Blastboat was, early in the Galactic Civil War, the smallest hyperspace-capable combat starship in use by the Imperial Navy.

1 Characteristics
- 1.1 Variants
2 History
3 Appearances
4 Sources
5 Notes and references
- 5.1 In other languages

CharacteristicsEdit

While small enough to be carried aboard capital ships as a starfighter, its immense power output (produced by a Sarylcorp ViX multi-flux reactor), weaponry, and shielding caused some registries to designate it as a capital ship itself.

The most popular variant, the GAT-12h, had a standard crew consisting of a pilot, copilot/sensor operator, and two gunnery officers; however, the ship could be piloted by just one person. It was standard equipped with a Class Two hyperdrive and a limited navigation computer capable of storing four jump coordinates, and was stocked with sufficient consumables for a month of independent operation. On short wings on the side of the cockpit it housed two Siep-Irol "Omni-Vu" sensor pylons.

Two forward-swept stabilizer fins branched out from a rotating assembly at the aft of the ship and housed two of the Mendarn Arms Dar-2 ion cannons. The stabilizers were kept vertically in flight, with the ion cannons deployed above and below the rest of the ship; the fins rotated horizontally for landing, putting them on either side of the ship in a more traditional winged configuration.

A third Dar-2 ion cannon was housed in the nose of the ship, with a concussion missile launcher and proton torpedo tube flanking it starboard and port, respectively. On the dorsal fuselage, a fire-linked pair of Senko Systems "Tru-Lok" 5000x2 laser cannons were mounted in a turret.

While designed as a space-faring vessel, the ship actually performed better in atmospheric flight, with a (reported) top speed of 1,200 km/h; and its aerodynamic frame provided a better atmospheric maneuvering performance than all but high-performance airspeeders. Its maneuvering performance was not as remarkable out of the atmosphere, and the ship often relied on swift first-strikes or coordination with other ships in space combat.

VariantsEdit

In addition to the GAT-12h, several other models were produced, including the GAT-12g (which replaced the concussion missile tube with a tractor beam), the GAT-12j (which more evenly distributed gunnery duties between gunners than the GAT-12h), the GAT-12m (which had better realspace and hyperspace performance, and thus was used as an interceptor and courier), and the GAT-12p (which had an upgraded sensor suite).

A newer model, the Skipray 24r Blastboat, saw service in the Jedi Coalition during the Second Galactic Civil War.

HistoryEdit

Republic Sienar Systems designed the ship prior to the Clone Wars. Its design was based on the Turbostorm-class gunship.^[source?] Many of its systems were tested on Shobquix Yards' Toscan starfighters, modified by Sienar for the task as testbed gunships.^[4]

It was later sold primarily to the Empire; however, the Navy's tactical philosophy wasn't open to the idea of a hyperspace-capable capital-starfighter hybrid, and all but snubbed the ship. This led SFS to sell the ship on the open market.

Those Imperial fleets that received Skiprays praised the ship highly, but the Skipray Blastboat ultimately gained its fame and reputation as a staple of corporate, mercenary, pirate, and smuggler fleets, as well as private use by individuals such as the former Emperor's Royal Guard Kir Kanos.

The first GAT-12h Skipray Blastboats were released prior to the Battle of Yavin, and they proved to be a reliable design, going on to see extensive use in Outer Rim planetary patrol forces and smuggling fleets for many years.

Though it was designed and marketed for the Empire, many of these ships fell into the hands of the Zann Consortium who added sensor jamming equipment to make their ships harder targets in space combat. During its service with the Consortium, it's slow speed, coupled with heavy armor, made it an ideal fighter-bomber and it fulfilled a role similar to Imperial TIE Defender and Rebel B-wing starfighters.