TIE/D automated starfighter
Production information
Manufacturer	Sienar Fleet Systems (TIE series design)[1] Cybot Galactica (piloting system)[1] World Devastator factories (primary manufacturer)
Product line	TIE series[1]
Model	Twin Ion Engine Drone automated fighter
Class	Droid starfighter[1]
Technical specifications
Length	6.3 meters[1]
MGLT	100 MGLT[1]
Maximum speed (atmosphere)	1,300 km/h
Engine unit(s)	SFS twin ion engines
Power plant	SFS solar ionization reactor
Shielding	None
Hull	Titanium alloy hull with quadanium steel armor
Armament	Laser cannons (2)[1]
Crew	Cybot Galactica Ace-6 droid brain (1)[1]
Passengers	None
Cargo capacity	None
Consumables	1 day
Usage
Role(s)	Multi-environment attack fighter
Era(s)	New Republic era[2]
Affiliation	Galactic Empire[2]

[Source]

The TIE/D automated fighter, or droid/drone TIE fighter, was a TIE series starfighter used by the reborn Emperor Palpatine during his attacks on the New Republic in 10 ABY.

CharacteristicsEdit

The TIE/D automated starfighter took the standard TIE series command pod with twin ion engines and twin laser cannons, additional armor plating and rectangular wing panels with adjustable pitch were added. Despite their heavier armor, they could actually reach a higher atmospheric speed than the TIE/In interceptors—overall, they were fast, small, and very expendable. A single TIE/D cost 170,000 credits.

The starfighter had rectangular solar arrays with a movable wing servo to fuel the power generator. The 6.3 meter-long craft was capable of 100 MGLT. Instead of a living pilot, the craft was equipped with a Cybot Galactica Ace-6 droid brain. The 10-kilogram unit allowed Sienar Fleet Systems to increase the TIE/D's shielding.^[2]

HistoryEdit

The TIE/D was initially developed by General Arndall Lott, one of many post-Endor warlords.^[source?] Sienar Fleet Systems engineers based the TIE/D on their original TIE/LN starfighter, and as a result, many of the vehicle's design elements came from the standard TIE.^[3]

With the automation experiment of the Katana fleet as his original inspiration, General Lott's first attempts at automated combat systems were based on slaving multiple war machines to a single Human pilot. Though this method saw limited success, its overall inefficiency and susceptibility to jamming prompted a new approach.

The droid starfighters of the Clone Wars provided Imperial scientists with the basis for a new automated fighter. Every TIE/D had an integrated Cybot Galactica Ace-6 droid brain which could be updated with new tactics—despite this, it was still often easily outwitted by sentient starfighter pilots.^[3]

The finalized version of the TIE/D debuted against the New Republic on Dac, six years after the Battle of Endor. The Imperial World Devastators invaded the world in the First Battle of Mon Calamari, and their internal factories made swarms of TIE/Ds from the elements of the very world they attacked.^[4]

During the battle, TIE/D fighters were pitted against New Republic V-wings and E-wings.^[4] The massive numbers of TIE/Ds provided them with an inherent advantage, but New Republic pilots were able to outwit these drones just as Galactic Republic clone and Jedi pilots were able to outwit Separatist droid starfighters in the past.^[3] The New Republic's Rogue Squadron battled and defeated squadrons of the automated starfighters, which were attacking Mon Calamari cities.^[2]

When the tide turned against the Empire on Mon Calamari, most of their TIE/D manufacturing capability was destroyed along with the World Devastators.^[3] As their piloting ability never matched that of living pilots, the droids were eventually abandoned. The dream of a perfect automated military force would remain out of the reach of the Galactic Empire.^[source?]

Behind the scenesEdit

After premiering in the Dark Empire comic book, the TIE/D was the first Expanded Universe LEGO set, released in the TIE Collection set (10131).

AppearancesEdit

• Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
• Dark Empire (First appearance)
• Dark Empire audio drama (Mentioned only)
• Dark Empire II
• Empire's End

SourcesEdit

• Dark Empire Sourcebook
• The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
• Rogue Squadron: Official Nintendo Player's Guide
• The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology
• Droids, Technology and the Force: A Clash of Phenomena on Hyperspace (article) (content now obsolete; backup links 1 2 on Archive.org)
•  TIE/D fighter in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
• The Essential Guide to Warfare

Notes and referencesEdit