Starfighter combat

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Starfighter combat, also known as dogfighting, referred to engagements fought between starfighters, regardless of environment. Starfighter combat was as old as the craft themselves—dating back to the earliest days of the Galactic Republic—and became an integral part of aerospace warfare for tens of thousands of years, occurring throughout conflicts such as the Great Hyperspace War, New Sith Wars, Clone Wars, the Galactic Civil War, the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Second Galactic Civil War and beyond.

Throughout the millennia, millions of pilots flew against each other or against droids in starfighters such as the Z-95 Headhunter, Delta-7 Aethersprite, T-65 X-wing starfighter, or TIE/ln starfighter while others in heavier craft such as the BTL Y-wing starfighter, TIE/sa bombers, or B-wing starfighters launched assaults on larger ships or military installations. Military forces across the galaxy adopted different designs, weapons, specifications, tactics, and roles for these relatively small craft, and there were as many uses for starfighters in combat as there were starfighters themselves. These craft and the beings that flew them played important, often pivotal, roles in military campaigns, as did their atmospheric counterparts, throughout the entire history of conflict within the galaxy.

Contents 1 Characteristics 1.1 Types of engagements 1.2 Combat in battlefleet actions 1.3 The Force and starfighter combat 2 The five stages of starfighter combat 2.1 Stage I: Detection and identification 2.1.1 Sensors and scanners 2.1.2 Choosing to attack 2.2 Stage II: Closing 2.2.1 Speed and concealment 2.2.2 Deception 2.3 Stage III: Attack 2.4 Stage IV: Maneuver 2.5 Stage V: Disengagement 2.5.1 Lifesaving techniques 3 Starfighter pilots 3.1 Pilot characteristics 3.2 Starfighter pilot training 3.3 Non-military training 3.4 Leadership 3.5 The Unknown Regions 3.6 The pilot culture of Adumar 4 Unit organization 4.1 Wingmate pairs 4.2 Flights 4.3 Squadrons 4.4 Fighter wings and fighter groups 5 Starfighter technology 5.1 Multi-crewed starfighters 5.2 Miscellaneous vessels 5.3 Weapons systems 5.3.1 Energy weapons 5.3.2 Projectile weapons 5.3.3 Mines and other weapons 5.4 Astromech droids 5.5 Hyperdrives 5.6 Hulls, shielding, and cloaking devices 5.6.1 Hulls 5.6.2 Shields 5.6.3 Cloaking devices 5.7 Droid starfighters 5.7.1 The Ssi-ruuk and entechment 5.7.2 The CCIR Needle 6 History 6.1 Starfighter combat in the Old Republic 6.1.1 The Great Hyperspace War and Great Sith War 6.1.2 The Mandalorian Wars, Old and New Sith Wars 6.1.3 Decline of the Republic 6.1.4 The Clone Wars 6.2 The Galactic Civil War 6.2.1 Assaults on the Death Stars 6.2.2 Zaarin's attempted coup 6.2.3 Post-Endor and the taking of Coruscant 6.2.4 The Zsinj campaigns 6.2.5 The Thrawn Campaign 6.2.6 Imperial Endgame 6.3 The Black Fleet Crisis 6.4 First Corellian Insurrection 6.5 The Yuuzhan Vong War 6.6 The Swarm War 6.7 The Second Galactic Civil War 6.7.1 The war escalates 6.7.2 Splintering of the factions 6.7.3 Fondor and the end of the war 6.8 The Sith-Imperial War 7 Tactics and maneuvers 7.1 Universal tactics 7.2 Galactic Republic and Imperial tactics 7.3 Rebel Alliance/New Republic tactics 7.4 Other tactics 8 Special tactics and conditions 8.1 Starfighters versus capital ships 8.2 Starfighters as ramships 9 Atmospheric combat 9.1 Atmospheric combat tactics 10 Notable pilots 10.1 Galactic Republic 10.2 Rebel Alliance/New Republic 10.3 Galactic Empire 10.4 New Jedi Order 10.5 Other notable pilots 11 Behind the scenes 12 Appearances 13 Sources 14 Notes and references 15 See also 16 External links

[edit] Characteristics

Combat between starfighters ranged from skirmishes between small groups of fighters to major battlefleet actions fought between opposing space navies and their capital ships; these could involve dozens of squadrons on each side amid innumerable types, classes and sizes of larger vessels. These engagements were typically characterized by close-in, extremely tight maneuvering and point-blank firing solutions using energy weapons such as blaster and ion cannons. Inexperienced pilots or those with poor situational awareness rarely survived their first battles; it often required superior reflexes, the ability to focus on one's mission and an awareness of how the engagement played out in relation to the pilot, referred to as "situational awareness", as well as a certain aggressiveness, to achieve results in this kind of interstellar warfare.^[3]

Though these types of battles, which were ubiquitously known as "dogfights" by those who fought in them, usually involved dedicated fighter craft, sometimes gunships, bombers, and assault shuttles would take part though they usually either played victim to the more nimble fighters that were sent after them or were in turn escorted into combat situations by friendly craft. Victory conditions for starfighter engagements included the elimination or driving off of opposing fighters to either clear the way for heavier craft, such as the Alliance's B-wing starfighter, to assault capital ships, or to in turn defend a force of larger warships from the enemy's own assault forces.^[4]

[edit] Types of engagements

There were two main types of starfighter engagements, the furball and the slashing attack.^[5] The furball was the most common; it consisted of several craft engaging in hard maneuvering and relied on a certain aggressiveness to achieve results. This type of combat favored starfighters with high levels of maneuverability, but pilots who flew craft with inferior agility were still able to triumph if they possessed superior situational awareness, tactical ability, or a more advantageous position prior to initiating the fight.^[6] The other major technique, the slashing attack, consisted of a number of starfighters making high-speed runs against formations of enemy ships; after making an initial firing run, craft making these kinds of dashes would continue on at speed instead of engaging in maneuvers.^[5] Other types of engagements, such as those that occurred when starfighters were sent to penetrate the outer defensive screens of enemy fleets, greatly favored fast interceptors which could make high-speed attack runs against opposing formations of enemy craft, either fighters, bombers or even capital-class vessels. These attacks, also known as "hit and fade" runs, a term which also referred to an overall type of combat operation, demanded craft with high rates of acceleration and top speed as well as agility. When conducted without fleet support, starfighters using these attacks could prove devastating when utilized against lightly-defended convoys or fleet elements.^[7]

[edit] Combat in battlefleet actions

When starfighters took part in engagements where significant numbers of larger warships fought against each other, for instance during the Battle of Endor,^[8] they typically served to screen their side's capital ships from the enemy fleet's own starfighter forces and, if the opportunity presented itself, to engage enemy warships at their most vulnerable points such as command towers or shield generators. Depending on the space navies involved and the ships they typically used, fighters would enter the battle planes either by jumping in from hyperspace under their own power, as was the case with nearly all Rebel Alliance starfighter units, they could be deployed from motherships, as was the case of Imperial-class Star Destroyers and the TIE Fighters they deployed, to name one such instance; sometimes, both cases occurred.^[8] Though not unheard of, engagements fought in the midst of capital ships already engaged in direct attacks upon one another were generally avoided, as random shots from heavy turbolasers from these much larger warships could easily vaporize most snubfighters, either friend or foe, whether the attack was intentional or not.^[9] The effectiveness of a battle fleet's starfighter screen could mean the difference between victory and defeat in a large naval engagement, as was the case during the only documented instance of two Executor-class Star Dreadnaughts engaging one another. At the Battle of Orinda, superior tactics on the part of Imperial forces in the opening stages, when they destroyed the fleet carrier Endurance with all starfighters aboard, allowed them to secure a victory.^[1]

[edit] The Force and starfighter combat

Many members of the Jedi Order, who were trained to use the Force, were also extremely qualified for flying starfighters in combat. A Jedi Knight could use the Force to their advantage in an engagement to not only better utilize their own craft's advantages, but to increase the speed of their reflexes and to predict the maneuvers and tactics of their opponents—this was due to their ability to sense the intentions of other organic beings; this, in essence, increased their situational awareness well beyond typical norms. Some Jedi could even use their Force-connection to befuddle the minds of their opponents as an active part of their offense as well as relying on it for defensive purposes; some in the Order, however, felt that to do this would come too close to the dark side, and warned others against employing this technique.^[10]

Members of the old and new Jedi Orders could also meld their minds within the Force, producing a battle meld that would allow for enhanced co-ordination on the part of Jedi Knights and Masters, either while flying starfighters, which happened on many occasions during the Yuuzhan Vong War,^[11] or in cooperation with a group of Jedi manning the defensive guns of heavy warships, as was the case aboard Outbound Flight.^[12] This technique was a refinement of battle meditation, which could have the same effect on Force-sensitives as well as those who could not touch the Force. The use of this power could have profound consequences for starfighter engagements, because it bolstered the willpower and innate combat abilities of the user's chosen side in the battle, as well as doing the opposite for the Jedi's opponents, essentially sapping enemy morale and sowing confusion within their ranks. The ancient Jedi Knights Nomi Sunrider and Bastila Shan, though they were not pilots themselves, were nonetheless very skilled in this art and used it to great effect.^[13] It was also said that Emperor Palpatine used a twisted form of battle meditation to augment the Imperial fleet during the Battle of Endor, and that when he was killed during the second Death Star's destruction, his power ceased to be a factor, and this led to the eventual Imperial defeat during the Battle of Endor.^[10] Jacen Solo, when he became Darth Caedus, learned how to use this dark form of battle meditation as well, using it to further his goals during the Second Galactic Civil War.^[14]

[edit] The five stages of starfighter combat

As a general rule, nearly all starfighter engagements could be broken down into five distinct stages: Detection, Closing, Attack, Maneuver and Disengagement; these stages were expanded upon in Adar Tallon's book, Treatise on Starfighter Tactics. Though the length and circumstances of each stage could vary, or even skipped entirely depending on the results of the prior stage, nearly all battles where starfighters fought one another followed this basic formula.^[15][7]

[edit] Stage I: Detection and identification

The first stage of starfighter combat involved detecting the enemy and, in turn, avoiding being detected if possible. When a group of starfighters entered a star system intent on engaging enemy forces stationed there, it was vital to be able to spot the enemy before they spotted the incoming force. The first side in an impending engagement to detect the enemy was often able to dictate the terms of the fight; given the speeds most starfighters could attain within realspace, early detection was imperative. Starfighters used by the Alliance to Restore the Republic had an advantage over their Imperial counterparts in this regard; their sensor range was higher and, according to Imperial starfighter doctrine, TIE Fighters were expected to stay within the sensor range of the base or starship that provided their support. Imperial doctrine further dictated that TIE pilots received their targeting information directly from their designated flight controller; thus, the ability to detect and discern appropriate targets was only as good as the controller on duty.^[7]

[edit] Sensors and scanners

There were several means available to starfighters for spotting enemy craft: electronic sensors, visual scanners, and visual contact. If a fighter's electronic scanners were jammed by an opposing force, the pilot could instead switch to visual scanners, which were essentially video cameras with telescopic lenses which allowed a pilot to spot incoming craft long before they could be seen by the naked eye. Such sensors were impossible to jam save for the employment of cloaking devices, which were rarely if ever used in such engagements. Most engagements took place at ranges that permitted pilots to actually see their opponents with their own unaided eyes; this was referred to as visual contact.^[7]

[edit] Choosing to attack

The choice of whether or not to attack a formation of enemy fighters or other ships that had been detected could be made at two different levels; by the flight controller attached to the battle either through the main fleet or via the starfighters' base of operations, or the leader of the starfighter unit or units themselves. This was an important factor to take into consideration because a being had to be able to take as many variables into account as possible, including the overall ratio of friendly craft to enemy, the chances of success, and the price of failure. For a flight controller, this was relatively easy since they, in their position, had a better view of the unfolding engagement; for the unit leader this depended greatly on their own sense of situational awareness and tactical ability.^[7]

[edit] Stage II: Closing

If a starfighter unit chose to engage, the pilots within had to seek out the most advantageous position possible before making their attack run.^[7]

[edit] Speed and concealment

The two ingredients essential to a successful closing were speed and concealment, both of which aided in limiting the amount of time an enemy starfighter force had to detect the incoming attackers and react to them, thus increasing the chances of a surprise assault. High closing speeds also had another advantage; it increased the energy available for conducting maneuvers as well as for providing for a quick disengagement if the attack run was unsuccessful or if the attacking force voluntarily chose to break off. Concealment, on the other hand, was almost impossible due to the sophistication of sensor equipment across the board; jamming could be attempted but it usually did more harm then good because it hampered the abilities of the craft issuing the signal jamming almost as much as it did those whose sensors it was trying to jam.^[7]

[edit] Deception

If concealment failed, attacking starfighter pilots were then forced to use deceptive measures in order to fool their enemies as to their true intentions. Examples of this kind of deceptive closure included making the main assault appear to be simply a feint, and vice versa; that there are more or fewer attackers then there really were; or disguising the true objective by appearing to be angling for a run on some other potential target. Such tactics also included dangerously tight formations that would aid in hiding the attackers' true strength, attacking in waves, dividing one's forces into two or even three separate sections and sending one large force to draw off enemy starfighters while a smaller force would take on the enemy control ship, or having one group attempt to jam communications while the rest dealt with other defenses, possibly preventing enemy fighters from being summoned.^[7]

[edit] Stage III: Attack

The attack stage of starfighter combat was where four out of every five kills were achieved. Prior to launching an attack, two things had to be taken into account: the current overall tactical situation and the capabilities of the starfighters and other ships that would be involved, both friend and foe. It was essential for an attack to be launched from the best possible position at the best possible moment in order to ensure the maximum chances of victory; to execute an attack run without due consideration was to court with disaster.^[7]

[edit] Stage IV: Maneuver

The maneuver stage of starfighter combat only began when the initial attack failed and the dogfight began. During this stage an experienced pilot would do his or her best to deny initiative to the enemy, either by using aggressive maneuvers that would always give the most advantageous position or simply keeping pressure on an opponent in order to force them into making a mistake. The maneuver stage also began as soon as a pilot realized that he was, or was about to become, under attack from an enemy starfighter. The first priority then was to survive, and everything else became secondary; however, if a pilot was able to evade his enemy he could either disengage from the fight or attempt to turn the tables using any number of different tactics.^[7]

[edit] Stage V: Disengagement

The last stage of starfighter combat, the disengagement, was also the most dangerous if one's forces were outnumbered to begin with, as so often happened during the Galactic Civil War. Alliance pilots were told that diminished vigilance in this last stage was a recipe for disaster because in a quick-strike engagement there was simply no time to slack off. To do so would give the Imperials time to reorganize or to gather reinforcements, thus increasing the possibility of overwhelming the attacking Rebel force. If a pilot could not successfully disengage from a combat situation, he or she could not escape into hyperspace; the longer a pilot stayed in the combat zone, the more vulnerable he or she would become.^[7]

The best way to disengage was to destroy the enemy down to the last man; however, that was not often a possibility. Another option was for the attacking formation to maintain their high degree of speed after having engaged the enemy in a full-throttle attack pass, thus disengaging automatically. However, this was dependent on the pilot having maintained his or her initial course and not having gotten involved in a dogfight or other maneuvers. Disengaging from such a battle or maneuver was, naturally, more difficult; often the only hope of doing so if one was unable to destroy their opponent was to try and obtain a neutral position—a position where neither the attacker nor the defender had a discernible advantage over the other.^[7]

[edit] Lifesaving techniques

There were several critical components to any disengagement; the first and most essential of which was speed. It was far less difficult to pull away from an engagement while flying at full throttle, particularly if the two opponents were not traveling on parallel courses, thus putting a great deal of distance between the defender and attacker. To assure a clean getaway, pilots had to maintain visual contact for as long as possible, since an unseen enemy could still theoretically gain an advantage on the disengaging pilot. If a pilot lost sight of his opponent in a turning battle, the best option was to keep turning until sight was regained; finally, if a pilot wished to disengage while under attack, the best hope for escape was to turn toward the enemy's line of fire, increasing the chances of angling off from one's opponent. It was critical for survival to avoid showing one's tail to a pursuing enemy craft.^[7]

[edit] Starfighter pilots

The most important aspect of starfighter combat was the one who controlled the fighter—the pilot. All pilots were trained to fly and fight as one with their craft, their wingmate, and their unit in all manner of situations against many different kinds of threats. From ambushing an interstellar convoy, to assaulting a fully-operational Death Star, it was the pilot who was always tasked to complete the mission.^[16]

[edit] Pilot characteristics

Although a member of nearly all sentient species in the galaxy that could physically fit themselves into a starfighter's cockpit could potentially become a fighter pilot, at least within the Rebel Alliance and New Republic, there were a number of qualities that were required for a being to be able to pursue a career of flying in combat. Among these requirements were superior visual acuity,^[17] a relatively high degree of intelligence and spatial ability, a certain amount of intuitiveness, above-average mathematical acumen,^[18] and a healthy sense of aggressiveness and competitiveness as well as a willingness to work with others as a team.^[16] Although many pilots, like the vast majority of spacers, were somewhat superstitious, this was rarely frowned upon though it was not uncommon for a being with a higher-than-average dose of it to suffer the mockery of his or her fellows.^[19] Many pilots, particularly those with high degrees of skill, also tended to have conspicuously large egos.^[9][16]

Sentient beings who hoped to become starfighter pilots also had to be able to operate rationally while exposed to high degrees of stress, both mental and physical, in order to be able to cope with training as well as having to fly in actual combat. For members of some inherently pacifistic species, such as the Talz, this was a particularly acute problem.^[18] It was also fairly common for pilot candidates, before having joined a military service, to have piloted recreational land- and airspeeders, swoops and speeder bikes—often with a high degree of skill.^[20][21]

[edit] Starfighter pilot training

Within the Rebel Alliance, a starfighter was considered to be only as good as its pilot, and a pilot was only as good as his or her training. In space navies throughout history pilots trained as a unit at the squadron level in the form of training squadrons. This served to incorporate the many disparate personalities of the pilot candidates within the training unit into a solid team that depended on, and trusted, each other to see them through difficult combat missions and situations. Though not required, it was desirable that before a unit could be certified fit for combat duty, a certain esprit de corps should be formed. Starfighter pilot training was grueling, particularly for elite units; any candidate that did not pass muster for a variety of reasons—among these being insufficient skill, inability to integrate into the unit, or even excess stress caused by combat or the potential of combat—was washed out. Such rejected pilots could be removed from the squadron or even their service's starfighter command entirely, with any number of possibilities being offered the being in question, including service in the regular navy or simply a discharge from the military.^[18]

Imperial pilots, on the other hand, were highly encouraged, both by the training they received and the general atmosphere of their units, to constantly be on the razor's edge of agitation and aggressiveness, often to the point of lashing out at their fellows when not on duty.^[22][19] While a small degree of recreation was permitted, in extracurriculars such as grav-ball matches, Imperial pilot candidates were put through intensive coursework dealing with subjects ranging from astrogation to mechanical engineering. Obedience, loyalty, and discipline were stressed on a near-constant basis, with cadets taking more than their share of abuse from their instructors—abuse they then passed on to less adept trainees.^[23] Most prevalent, however, were the countless hours of piloting required to pass muster in their training. Simulations including obstacle courses and recreations of historical combat situations were used to make absolute certain that the Imperial pilot would make more than a match for Rebels, pirates, and other hostiles.^[24] Beyond this, however, the atmosphere of line units within the Imperial Starfleet was very spirited in a less do-or-die way; having passed their initial training and being assigned to an operational squadron, new pilots went through further training to acclimate themselves within the unit. When off-duty, pilots aboard Star Destroyers and the first Death Star often caroused in a less aggressive way, blending in with the other officers and enjoying themselves much like the rest of the Empire's war machine. Simulators were also used as part of off-duty recreation, as many pilots, including Vil Dance, wished to better their skills as much as possible.^[22]

The essentials of pilot training often took months to learn and consisted of a number of different kinds of exercises; what training occurred depended greatly on the navy involved and the craft that the unit would eventually fly. Extensive hours spent in flight simulators, which were enclosed simulacrums of a starfighter's cockpit that were programmed to simulate exactly the environment and effects of starfighter combat, including the actions of other teammates and potential enemies within the simulator's dataspace, was required to learn the basics of how one's type of fighter worked. Training in actual starfighters engaging in mock combat with powered-down weapons was also common; other training included realspace and hyperspace astrogation and navigation, communications and comm discipline, small and large unit tactics, and recreations of historical scenarios, such reenactments were often programmed into simulators. Coordination within fleet-based combat situations was also essential learning, as was cross-training in other types of duties such as conducting bombing runs against ground targets or reconnaissance missions into enemy territory. Pilots who successfully completed flight training were inducted into the armed forces as a commissioned officer.^[16]

[edit] Non-military training

Non-military starfighter forces, such as those associated with pirates, mercenary groups, slavers, and other criminal organizations, almost never had formal training programs. Instead these types of paramilitary and outlaw forces would typically pick up washouts from military training programs, renegade pilots who had deserted from active or destroyed line units, speeder bike enthusiasts who showed some degree of skill in simulators, or simply walk-ons who boasted about being able to fly well. Such hired hands were typically placed into "squadrons" without considerations of such things as compatibility or ability, and often basic things like communications discipline and formation integrity were almost never enforced. Such forces also typically did not have use of military-designed starfighters, and those that did typically operated older models that were considered out-of-date by the standards of the day.^[25]

[edit] Leadership

Although most line-certified starfighter pilots, statistically-speaking, were expected to die within their first five combat missions,^[16] those that survived could often find themselves candidates for leadership positions within a squadron, provided they had sufficient skills and an aptitude for such a quality. Indeed, as a unit's training was still underway, experienced training officers would always be on the lookout for potential flight leaders within the core group even as they attempted to weed out potential dropouts.^[18] Attrition rates in starfighter combat, depending on the navy and its overall tactical and strategic doctrine, including the preferred type of starfighter, could be extremely high. As such, any pilot serving within such a navy's starfighter branch who was skilled—or simply lucky—enough to survive even a few missions could find themselves in a position of command, with or without having formally gone through an academy training program. This was especially true in non-military fighter units and pirate organizations.^[9]

[edit] The Unknown Regions

The cultures of the Unknown Regions certainly utilized starfighters in their fleet actions. By 27 BBY, both the Chiss and the Vagaari, two of the dominant cultures in their region, employed starfighters for screening capital vessels as well as engaging in point-defense. The Chiss fighters of that time, much like the later Clawcraft, were larger than the average fighter of the Republic, and carried considerably heavier weaponry, including Conner nets for the disabling of smaller enemy ships. Force Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force deployed these heavy fighters in small numbers, often using them to probe an enemy's defenses and tendencies at the start of a battle. When Mitth'raw'nuruodo acquired the use of Trade Federation droid starfighters, he made use of the more expendable nature of such craft, employing them as missiles against the Republic exploratory vessel Outbound Flight.^[12]

[edit] The pilot culture of Adumar

On the planet of Adumar, which had been separated from the rest of the Galactic Republic for some ten thousand years prior to the rise of the Empire, a worldwide culture that literally worshiped pilots evolved. A fragmented world that had suffered from at least two global civil wars through its history, Adumar was rediscovered in 13 ABY by the Imperial Remnant and the New Republic, prompting both governments to send ambassadorial delegations. Due to the Adumari mania for pilots and flying in general, the diplomatic representatives that were selected included the best starfighter pilots that each government possessed. They found that their hosts' fascination was so deeply ingrained within their culture that nearly every above-ground dwelling had its own 'landing zone' and that civilian and military pilots alike frequently engaged in aerial 'honor duels', often to the death. It was not uncommon for pilots to have more 'duel kills' then 'war kills'; even the royalty of the many Adumari nation-states, for example the perator of Cartann, were required to demonstrate their own piloting skills in order to remain in office. Ultimately this culture-clash, directly as well as indirectly, led to the brief Adumari Civil War that served to unite the many nations of Adumar, convincing the newly-unified government to join the New Republic. Shortly thereafter, the jilted Imperial Remnant sent a battle fleet in an attempt to bring that world into its fold by force.^[26]

[edit] Unit organization

The basic unit of starfighters within various galactic military organizations, and even those who operated outside of a military capacity, was the squadron. Usually consisting of twelve to sixteen craft and commanded by a commander or a colonel depending on the service, squadrons were further divided into flights typically led by captains which were in turn made up of paired flight elements. At the opposite end of the spectrum, three to six squadrons made up a fighter wing, also known as a fighter group, commanded by a general or, in some cases, a colonel. The term "fighter wing" was also used to refer to the full complement of starfighters that were normally carried by large warships, such as the Imperial-class Star Destroyer.^[27]

[edit] Wingmate pairs

One overriding principle of starfighter combat was that starfighters always operated best in paired units; each member of a flight element would alternate positions as leader and wingman as the situation dictated.^[18] The leader of an element would engage enemy starfighters while the wingman served as a backup; this was the base foundation of any fighter unit. Bound together in element pairs within flights and squadrons, starfighter pilots soon learned that it was essential to memorize the habits and to earn the trust of the being assigned to be one's wingmate by the squadron commander. Often in starfighter engagements the difference between survival and death at the hands of an opponent was one's wingmate, since they served as a pilot's backup and extra pair of eyes; the two craft of a flight element constantly relied on each other to ensure that they came out of the fight alive and intact, one warning of impending danger to the other and lending mutual support. A flight element that could hold itself together during the chaos of combat often had the best chance possible of downing the enemy and surviving to fight again another day.^[7]

[edit] Flights

A flight of starfighters was usually composed of two flight elements operating in concert and, usually, led by a Captain or Lieutenant.^[27] Though the natural realm of operations for flights was acting within a squadron, single flights were sometimes sent on their own missions, such as that of Red Flight's diplomatic expedition to Adumar.^[26] Depending on the service, composition and role of the unit involved, three to four flights made up a squadron.^[27]

[edit] Squadrons

The most recognizable unit of starfighters in the galaxy, the squadron was typically assigned to a fleet vessel. However, if the fighters in use by a squadron were equipped with hyperdrives, as were virtually all such craft employed by the Rebel Alliance, New Republic and Galactic Alliance, this type of unit was quite capable of operating independently of the fleet provided that they had access to sufficient supplies and facilities. During the early days of the Rebellion, this was done quite frequently by the Alliance, as it was their chief means of space denial when fighting against the Empire.^[7]

[edit] Fighter wings and fighter groups

The highest level of organization within starfighter units was the fighter wing or fighter group. In the Rebel Alliance, the term "fighter wing" was used to describe a grouping of three squadrons, which was typically the standard complement of their cruisers. Fighter wings usually operated in concert with the main fleet and their commanders would report directly to the ship's captain.^[7] However, the same term was used within the Imperial Navy to denote the full complement of an Imperial-class Star Destroyer, which consisted of six squadrons of varying types of TIE craft. The term "fighter group" was the term preferred by the Empire to distinguish a grouping of three squadrons that operated together, in the case of the 181st Imperial Fighter Group.^[27]

[edit] Starfighter technology

Most starfighters throughout history were relatively simple single-pilot craft fitted with energy weapons, sensor suites, communications equipment, sublight engines and sometimes deflector shields and hyperdrives.^[28] Other craft were produced with unusual characteristics, such as the A-wing Mk. II produced by Incom Corporation that had variable-arc weapons; the Mk. II could rotate its twin laser cannons in a 360° arc to fire on opponents above, below or behind the craft.^[29]

[edit] Multi-crewed starfighters

Some craft were so complex in their operation or were so heavily armed that they required dedicated gunners to either handle the craft's main weapons or to man a defensive turret; such non-flying crew were known by a variety of designations. The Koensayr BTL-S3 Y-wing starfighter, for instance, was equipped with an ion cannon turret for use by the weapons system officer^[30] while the B-wing/E and later models of that craft carried a dedicated gunner. This arrangement allowed the pilot of the B-wing to make flying the complex craft his or her top priority while the gunner handled the ship's vast array of weapons. Other such craft included the GAT-12 Skipray Blastboat which had a four-man crew and the TIE/sa bomber that carried two.^[28]

[edit] Miscellaneous vessels

Other ships that would not normally be considered starfighters often took part in combat with or against other starfighters. Usually highly-modified from their original designs, these ships included low-stock freighters outfitted with military-grade shields and weapons like the Ebon Hawk, which was equipped with an advanced hyperdrive as well as a defensive laser cannon turret and several forward-firing lasers^[13], and the Millennium Falcon, which had been extensively modified by Han Solo to include dorsal and ventral quad laser turrets as well as one of the fastest hyperdrives in the galaxy.^[20] Similarly, some star yachts were sufficiently well-equipped to engage starfighters, such as the Dragon Pearl owned by the Hutt crimelord Jiliac Desilijic Tiron, which could carry its own complement of Z-95 Headhunters in addition to its six hidden CEC turbolasers. Though tricky to handle in a running firefight, these larger vessels were nonetheless equal to taking on enemy starfighters, provided that the pilot was skilled enough and the target ratio was not too high.^[31]

[edit] Weapons systems

Many different weapons systems were used on starfighters and other space combat vessels throughout the millennia, from primitive projectile cannons to the latest in energy-based weapons and explosive ordinance.^[32]

[edit] Energy weapons

Starfighters and vessels that took part in starfighter engagements carried a variety of offensive and defensive weaponry. The most frequently-used of these was the laser cannon, an energy-based weapon that was essentially a massively upscaled blaster. Most starfighter models fitted with these weapons typically carried anywhere from one to four lasers, though they were often complemented by other weapons. Some craft, such as the Z-95 Headhunter, carried blaster cannons which were not as powerful as lasers but could still do significant damage to their opponents. Other craft used ion cannons which, when used on enemy ships, caused disruptions in the target's electrical systems; though more difficult to score kills with, such ion-based weapons had the added advantage of incapacitating the targeted craft, thus allowing it and its pilot to be retrieved for later use.^[32]

[edit] Projectile weapons

Also referred to as disposable ordinance, projectile-based weapons used in space combat predated the development of energy-based weapons. The most common of projectile weapons used in starfighters included the proton torpedo and the concussion missile. Unlike energy weapons, missiles such as these could track and follow the movements of a targeted enemy, enabling them to score hits more reliably then their energy-based counterparts. Starfighters that utilized such ordnance also required the use of targeting computers that were tied into the ship's sensors. To achieve a targeting lock on an enemy craft, a pilot had to maneuver his fighter so as to give the computer a chance to identify the targeted foe and lock it into the system to achieve a firing solution; in some models of starfighter, the ship's astromech droid assisted in performing this feat.^[32] However, some starfighters also came with, or could be modified to carry, a target-lock warning system that alerted a pilot to the presence of an impending or acquired lock. A skilled pilot could evade, or even destroy, certain projectile weapons.^[9]

[edit] Mines and other weapons

Space mines and other similar explosive systems, such as seismic charges, could have a devastating effect on starfighters and combat in engagement zones. The blast radius of such weapons could devastate or destroy a single craft, or damage numerous ones.^[33] Cluster bombs, placed upon the hulls of capital ships, could also be employed for anti-starfighter work. First used aboard Mon Calamari Star Cruisers, these weapons could eliminate large numbers of enemy fighters that happened to fly too close to the ship they were implanted upon.^[32] The diamond-boron missile operated on a similar principle; fired from a larger vessel, these laser-proof munitions exploded with much force and could take out entire formations of starfighters. They were, however, somewhat unreliable and very expensive to produce; each missile cost approximately twenty thousand credits.^[32] Thus, these weapons only saw very limited use.^[34]

[edit] Astromech droids

Astromech droids were used to help repair and maintain starfighters. Most craft were built with specialized sockets to hold an astromech; during flight and in combat they were capable of performing many functions, including calculating hyperspace jumps in a fighter's navigation computer, general realspace navigation, targeting, in-flight repairs if the fighter carrying such a droid was hit by enemy fire, and even, under dire circumstances, taking control of a starfighter if its pilot was incapacitated in some fashion. When not engaged in direct combat, these droids monitored critical systems and performed other duties in order to lessen the workload of the fighter's pilot and ground crew, including engaging in basic flight maneuvers.^[28]

Some astromech droids, if allowed to go without routine memory wipes and used quite often with a certain starfighter, would form a machine-to-machine bond with that craft. This bond both helped and hindered a starfighter's day-to-day operations; though droids that had achieved a counterpart relationship could work with their craft at astonishing rates, thus boosting overall operating efficiency and even permitting the speeding up of repairs and other in-flight adjustments, this meant that only that particular droid could be used when performing basic maintenance duties. One example of this phenomenon was that formed by the astromech owned by Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, and the X-wing, AA-589, that the Jedi Master used during the Thrawn campaign. The droid and starfighter had achieved such a level of understanding that Artoo could, on his own initiative, take full command of the craft if he felt that it was required to either help a friend or to ward off a potential foe.^[35]

[edit] Hyperdrives

Though for the vast majority of galactic history most starfighters lacked an internal hyperdrive, some fighters as early as 3,951 BBY did possess them.^[36] Even as late as the lead-up to the Clone Wars, most vessels of this size class used hyperdrive rings or sleds when faster-then-light travel was required but larger ships were unavailable to ferry such craft.^[33]

It was not until the latter stages of that galaxy-wide conflagration that hyperspace-capable starfighter classes emerged, such as the Republic's ARC-170 and the Confederacy's Belbullab-22.^[37] In addition, many starfighters of that period could be modified to contain internal hyperdrives, such as the CloakShape fighter and the Z-95 Headhunter, both of which saw service long before the outbreak of the war and well into the following decades.^[28]

However, after the war the newly-declared Galactic Empire eschewed hyperdrive technology for its starfighters, which in turn lacked deflector shields and even integrated life-support systems. This was the ultimate expression of choosing "cheap and plentiful" in preference to "expensive yet durable" in terms of starfighters, culminating with the TIE series of fighter craft.^[28] Even so, some TIE fighters and TIE Interceptors were outfitted with shields and even hyperdrives; ships of this type were used by both sides, with the Imperial Navy only using such craft for high-ranking officers and their personal pilots. It was not until the later years of the Galactic Civil War, after the New Republic had been established on Coruscant and the Imperials were in retreat that the Alliance would outfit captured TIEs with shields for use in combat. Such starfighters were typically flown by former Imperial pilots who had defected to the Rebellion over the years.^[19]

This was in keeping with the Alliance's philosophy of using shielded, hyperspace-capable craft with quality protection and weapons as, due to the very nature of their movement, basing squadrons of fighters aboard capital ships to bring them to and from the planes of battle was, at the very least, impractical. This also served to ensure maximum survivability among their limited number of trained fliers. Since the Rebellion's war effort operated best when it staged from scattered, hidden and remote bases to perform hit-and-run operations against Imperial targets of opportunity, in-built hyperdrives as well as the astromechs that worked with them were essential pieces of technology for their starfighters.^[7] Carried over into the time of the New Republic and eventually the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, this philosophy would eventually become the norm across the galaxy.^[28]

[edit] Hulls, shielding, and cloaking devices

[edit] Hulls

Since the beginning of space travel, starships were made out of metal alloys of various compositions; the harsh conditions of space travel often required substances that had been specifically-engineered to withstand high degrees of temperature variance as well as the potential hazards of micrometeorites and other spaceborne debris. The Galactic Empire utilized a particular brand of metal, called Quadanium steel in the construction of their TIE-series of starfighters.^[28]

[edit] Shields

Deflector shields also dated back to the beginnings of space travel. There were two subtypes of this technology; ray shields were designed to absorb and dissipate blasts of energy that were directed at them, for instance from laser cannons or heavy bursts of radiation. Particle shields were meant to protect a space vehicle from solid objects, serving as an additional buffer against space junk and kinetic weapons as well as, in relation to starfighters, battle debris and the shrapnel cast off from destroyed enemies. Civilian models of such shields would burn out after absorbing a certain level of damage, while military models could be recharged.^[28] Most starfighters throughout the history of the galaxy went without strong shielding, however; the first major types that did have dedicated deflectors came about during the decline of the Galactic Republic, the most notable example of this was the N-1 starfighter produced by the Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps.^[38] Later, the Galactic Empire would eschew the use of shields for their starfighters, while the Rebel Alliance and New Republic embraced them as part of their doctrine on starfighter tactics.^[7] The many warship types used by the Yuuzhan Vong, on the other hand, used miniature gravitic anomalies, created by dovin basals, as a form of biological shielding.^[11]

[edit] Cloaking devices

Cloaking devices, which were highly expensive to build and very difficult to obtain, could be used to hide all manner of starships, from huge capital ships to starfighters. These devices, based on and utilizing stygium crystals, disrupted the signal output of ships they were placed on, rendering them invisible to traditional scanning technologies and to visual inspection; however, these devices were also prone to burning out. Over the millennia, however, the deposits of stygium crystals on Aeten II began to decline, so that by the time of the rise of the Empire they were all but gone. Throughout the New Order, the Empire at Palpatine's direction aggressively researched alternatives to this type of technology, eventually producing a working prototype of cloaking shield that could hide a starship completely. However, these units were so bulky that only larger ships could use them; despite this, the Imperial warlord Thrawn found new and inventive ways to utilize these cloaking shields.^[28] The TIE Phantom was one such starfighter to utilize a stygium-powered cloaking device; due to the double-blind nature of such technology, these fighters were typically used in small-scale strike missions.^[39] After the Yuuzhan Vong War, an offshoot of the X-wing starfighter with a focus on utilizing non-cloaking stealth technology was developed. Named the StealthX, it utilized advanced ion engines that burned a special type of tibanna gas called TibannaX as well as state-of-the-art sensor-shrouding technology. The fighter also carried no onboard communications; due to this and the undetectable nature of the craft, only Jedi could fly them.^[40]

[edit] Droid starfighters

During the last years of the Galactic Republic, the use of small, compact starfighters that were, at their heart, an armed and armored droid brain with attack programming installed, began to see widespread service with large, galaxywide corporations such as the Trade Federation, which was among the first to utilize such automatons. The first of this type of "droid starfighter," the Scarab droid starfighter