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The TIE/vn space superiority fighter, also known as the TIE silencer, was an angular variant of the TIE line starfighters used by the First Order. A product of Sienar-Jaemus Fleet Systems, its aggressive design and equally impressive firepower was specifically crafted for use among the most elite members of the First Order.[5] As such, the fighter was engineered for speed and handling, though lesser pilots were still often overwhelmed and unable to maintain control of the nimble ship.[6][7]
Characteristics
As an advanced prototype starfighter, the TIE/vn incorporated the latest First Order military innovations, including experimental stealth gear meant to foil sensors and tracking. It featured a hyperdrive, a deflector shield generator and projector, and was powered by a starboard reactor. Twin ion thrust arrays at the rear of the ship acted as its engines. Along its wings were solar collector arrays, which featured a corrugated surface to maximize energy absorption. The ship itself featured a flight computer and could be modified to include customized flight controls for a single pilot, who entered the ship through a cabin access hatch at the top of the vessel.[2]
Working at hidden Sienar-Jaemus facilities, First Order designers reconfigured the weapons package of the TIE/sf to incorporate advances in power storage and energy conversion. For the TIE/vn, the TIE/sf's power cell spokes were replaced by a next-generation array protected beneath the hull, with shorter runs for trunk lines and converter coils. Rather than replicate the TIE/sf's ventral turret, the silencer relocated its missiles and heavy cannons to the wing apertures, giving the pilot superior targeting and a wider field of fire.[2] Targeting sensors were also located in the wing aperture.[2] Laser bolts were contained in a magnetic field bubble.[2]
History
The pedigree of the TIE silencer traced back to the Galactic Empire's TIE/D Defender, a hybrid fighter-bomber that never saw widespread use in the Galactic Civil War. The ship was revived by First Order technicians who saw it as a versatile attack craft to throw at New Republic forces. The TIE/sf space superiority fighter was an early attempt to bring heavier weapons to the battlefield along with the next-generation power capabilities needed to support them—improvements later incorporated into the silencer.[2] It featured other design similarities to the Empire's TIE/IN interceptor and TIE Advanced x1.[8]
Kylo Ren utilized his own TIE silencer. His detailed post-flight reports allowed Sienar-Jaemus techs to refine the onboard systems, with an eye towards the day when shipyards were to begin mass-producing silencers for the regime's frontline units.[2]
Another test pilot by the name of Blackout also flew the TIE silencer. Although instead of battle-field-testing, the pilot flew over a classified planet where the environment was the true enemy.[9]
Klimo, a Resistance pilot who was a member of J-Squadron, hijacked a Tie Silencer just as it was getting primed for refueling. It was then used to aid J-Squadron in getting into Starkiller Base, where it was left and possibly destroyed along with the rest of the planet.[10]
Behind the scenes
The TIE/vn space superiority fighter was created and developed for Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi,[1] the eighth film in the Star Wars saga, which released on December 15, 2017.[11] The ship was officially revealed on The Star Wars Show on July 19, 2017.[12] The TIE silencer was named by the Lucasfilm Story Group's Pablo Hidalgo. Although Hidalgo initially considered the name "TIE vendetta," he eventually decided on the name "TIE silencer," but kept the old name's initials ("/vn") in the full technical name.[13]
The TIE silencer first appeared in the non-canon video game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes on November 9, 2017.[14]
The TIE silencer was included in the video game Star Wars Battlefront II,[15] which was released on November 17, 2017 (its canonical debut in the Star Wars franchise).[16]
It later appeared in the junior novel Join the Resistance: Attack on Starkiller Base which was released on July 31, 2018.
Appearances
- Star Wars Battlefront II (First canonical appearance)
- Join the Resistance: Attack on Starkiller Base
- Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: A Junior Novel
- The Last Jedi: Rose and Finn's Secret Mission
- The Last Jedi Adaptation 2
Non-canon appearances
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes (First appearance)
Sources
- Kylo Ren's New Ship, The Last Jedi Cast at D23, & Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge! on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars Made Easy: A Beginner's Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi Book and Model – Make Your Own TIE Silencer
- Star Wars: Glow-in-the-Dark Starfighters - Sticker Activity Book
- LEGO Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi (Set: 75179 Kylo Ren's TIE Fighter)
- LEGO Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi (Set: 75196 A-Wing vs. TIE Silencer)
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Pack: Kylo Ren's TIE Silencer)
- Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game — TIE Silencer Expansion Pack
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi Offical Trailer on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Check Out the Bold, New Star Wars: The Last Jedi "Pop Icon" Posters on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Incredible Cross-Sections
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Ultimate Sticker Collection
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi Activity Book with Stickers (Picture only)
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Heroes of the Galaxy
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi - The Official Collector's Edition
- Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles
- TIE silencer in the Databank (backup link)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Kylo Ren's New Ship, The Last Jedi Cast at D23, & Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge! on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Incredible Cross-Sections
- ↑ Ultimate Star Wars
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles
- ↑ Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game — TIE Silencer Expansion Pack (Card: First Order test pilot—TIE Silencer)
- ↑ Finish What You Start on Fantasy Flight Games' official website (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game — TIE Silencer Expansion Pack (Card: First Order test pilot—TIE Silencer)
- ↑ TIE silencer in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game — TIE Silencer Expansion Pack (Card: Test Pilot "Blackout"—TIE Silencer)
- ↑ Join the Resistance: Attack on Starkiller Base
- ↑ The Official Title for Star Wars: Episode VIII Revealed on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ Kylo Ren's New Ship, The Last Jedi Cast at D23, & Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- ↑ Pablo Hidalgo (@pablohidalgo) on Twitter: "At one point it was gonna be called a TIE vendetta. But went with silencer instead, but kept the /vn. That's the real-world answer, anyway." (backup link (pablohidalgo/status/894419876567105536) not verified!)
- ↑ https://swgohevents.com/event/first-order-relentless-iii
- ↑ Star Wars Battlefront 2: Official Starfighter Assault Gameplay Trailer
- ↑ The Galaxy Will Keep Getting Bigger Post-Launch, published by ea.com on Electronic Arts (June 10, 2017): "This starts with the Star Wars™: The Last Jedi™ Season coming this December, where all Star Wars Battlefront II players will get access to Finn, Captain Phasma, the new planet Crait, and more." (archived from the original on June 11, 2017)