A-wing

With its sleek arrowhead shape, streamlined cockpit and massive twin engines, the A-wing starfighter suggests raw speed even when parked within Alliance hangar bays. Faster than even the TIE interceptor, the A-wing is well suited for lightning strikes. It sports a pair of pivoting laser cannons on each wingtip. The starfighters of Green Squadron, which flew in the Battle of Endor, were made up of A-wing starfighters.

The Alliance brain trust of General Jan Dodonna and engineer Walex Blissex developed the A-wing starfighter after examining the role of speed in the Battle of Yavin and the sleek fighters developed by the Tamuuz-an. The top-secret result of their experimentation was the A-wing, the fastest vessel of the Galactic Civil War.

Twin Novaldex J-77 Event Horizon engines push the tiny craft through realspace, giving it phenomonal sublight speed and performance. Though its Microaxial LpL computer worked hard to make the powerful vessel controllable, only the best pilots can take full advantage of the A-wing's velocity and weapons systems.

Bracketing the craft is a pair of linked laser cannons that can elevate and depress 60 degrees. Some models even carry weapons that can rotate completely around to fire at pursuing targets. An A-wing typically carries concussion missile launchers in recessed slots along its forward edge.

The A-wing also carries a powerful sensor jammer that wreaks havoc on the detection systems of small fighters. Against larger vessels the jammer is useless. In fact, it is a greater risk, as the jammer's powerful frequencies show up on a capital ship's sensor grid as a large and tempting beacon.

Ralph McQuarrie's original production paintings of A-wing starfighters featured blue markings. These were changed to a rusty red, in order to make shooting the fighter against bluescreen possible.