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Orbital bombardment

From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.

Imperial Star Destroyers and frigates bombard a planet
"Wipe this pathetic planet from the face of the galaxy!"
―Darth Malak[src]

Orbital bombardment was a military strategy used many times throughout the history of the galaxy, in which a starship or space-based machine bombarded a planet heavily. Unlike a Base Delta Zero, which completely devastated a planet, orbital bombardment could be made more precise or specific.

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[edit] Usage

The most effective means of doing this was using several capital ships to target a specific area on a planet. Although such an act was apt to be imprecise and expected to cause collateral damage, some gunnery crews were reputed to be skilled to the degree of pin-point accuracy. Regardless, there were many factions which used orbital bombardment. The Mandalorians were very adept at using this in the Mandalorian Wars. The planet Telos IV was also attacked by orbital bombardment. Darth Malak used this to attack the planet of Taris, while looking for Bastila Shan and also bombarded the Enclave on Dantooine, although most of the Jedi survived.

A Venator-class Star Destroyer bombarding the planet Saleucami.

The Confederacy of Independent Systems bombarded the ecumenopolis of Humbarine in a Base Delta Zero operation during the Clone Wars, melting the crust of the planet.

Orbital bombardment was also frequently used in the Galactic Civil War, and was a factor during the Battle of Kashyyyk. The planet of Ralltiir was subjected to orbital bombardment for harboring Rebel scientists. Darth Vader planned to use this strategy against the Rebel Base at Hoth. However, the planetary shield and planetary ion cannon technology of that era enabled planetary defenses to hold off the bombardment. Often, strike teams and special forces would be dispatched to the planet in order to sabotage such defenses prior to the initiation of the bombardment.

While common for the Imperial Navy—in fact, some sources imply that Star Destroyers were optimized for such attacks—the New Republic Defense Force was reluctant to engage in orbital bombardment, for fear of civilian casualties. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, however, General Wedge Antilles ordered the Lusankya to bombard Borleias in an attempt to save the New Republic's ground base during the Battles of Borleias, and Admiral Traest Kre'fey also made orbital bombardment one of his standing orders in the prelude to the Battle of Ebaq 9.

In 40 ABY, during the Second Galactic Civil War, Colonel Jacen Solo order his flagship's turbolasers to open fire on Kashyyyk. He did this because he thought the Wookiees were hiding Jedi fugitives and allied with the Confederation. The outcome was that it started to burn the giant wroshyr trees causing massive fires that devastated some parts of the planet.

[edit] Behind the scenes

Orbital bombardment appears in Star Wars: Rebellion as a strategic combat action allowing the player to use a fleet unit in orbit around a planet to eliminate the opponents' ground units located on that planet. This option is called planetary bombardment in the game. In Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, orbital bombardments are available to both the Rebellion (ion bombardment) and the Empire (turbolaser) as well as the Zann Consortium (ion then plasma bombardment).

Orbital bombardment appeared in all of the Battlefront Series. In the first game, recon droids could signal for them, in the second, a frigate on Hoth during the final campaign mission was bombarded, and in Renegade Squadron, a special gun would tag a location for bombardment.

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