RZ - 1 A - wing interceptor / Legends The RZ - 1 A - wing interceptor was a starfighter designed by the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War . One of the fastest mass - produced interceptors in the known galaxy , the A - wing was even faster than the Imperials ' TIE Interceptor , despite also having shielding and a hyperdrive , unlike the cheaper TIE model . Characteristics . The RZ - 1 A - wing interceptor was a cockpit attached to twin engines . Like its Clone Wars predecessor , the Eta - 2 , the A - wing required pilots of exceptional skill to take full advantage of the vessel ' s speed , agility , and special features — and the Rebel Alliance lacked the Galactic Republic ' s Jedi pilots . The A - wing ' s Novaldex J - 77 Event Horizon engines remained some of the most powerful sublight thrusters two decades past the A - wing ' s creation and were linked to highly sensitive controls . The vessels presented a number of challenges to pilots . Pilots had to adjust two dorsal and two ventral stabilizer wings with great care , as even a minor turn could send the speedy A - wing into a massive spinout . The slight A - wing ' s wing - mounted laser cannons could rotate up and down sixty degrees for greater fire control . Some of those designs even had their guns modified to swivel in a complete 360 - degree arc , thus providing a nasty surprise to any chasing fighter . While a tactical boon , the A - wing had no astromech droid to manage its weapons systems , requiring further attention from the pilot . In addition , they also had a high rate of mechanical failure , and contributed to the fighter ' s extremely costly maintenance - to - flight ratio . This , among other reasons , contributed to the difficulty of keeping a squadron of A - wings operational for any length of time . The combination of sensitive controls , unmatched sublight thrust , maneuverable weapon systems , advanced sensory and stealth packages , fragility , and heavily exposed cockpit strained even the best pilot . A - wings earned the nickname " slims " for their small frame made of carbo - plas , but also for the " slim " chance of a pilot surviving a direct hit on the ship after the shields were down , and the cramped cockpit that prevented larger pilots from flying the A - wing . The wedge - shaped craft had an access panel on the forward bow , and carried the two Dymek HM - 6 Concussion Missile Launchers along the sides . Each launcher was capable of launching 6 concussion missiles . Thrust control jets were at the rear of the craft , just behind the rear Sirplex Z - 9 deflector shield projector . The engines , capable of propelling the starfighter to up to 1300 kilometers per hour and 120 MGLT , were placed in the aft of the craft had thrust vector controls . The A - wing carried a sensor jamming unit , including a Fabritech ANs - 7e sensor unit with PA - 94 long range phased tachyon detection array and PG - 7u short range primary threat analysis grid , along with targeting systems in the form of a Fabritech ANq 3 . 6 tracking computer and an IN - 344 - B " Sightline " holographic imaging system The avionics was a Torplex Rq9 . z flight control system . The craft carried one pilot and up to 40 kilograms of cargo . The weapons carried on - board , including advanced concussion missile s , gave the craft the power to engage larger Imperial targets up to and including Imperial Star Destroyers . Many of the starfighters were produced in underground factories , and at least one at the Battle of Endor had fijisi wood panels . The A - wings were maintenance - heavy and prone to breakdowns , although the sensor jammers and concussion weapons were effective in lightning raids . Although a fighter in its own right , it also was especially notable for its intelligence - gathering and reconnaissance missions , in large part because of its hyperdrive capability , speed , and maneuverability . The ship was littered with concealed multi - spectral imagers and other sensors , which allowed the pilot to gather information about an enemy and then escape back into hyperspace before TIE fighters could be scrambled . These activities were further enhanced by its sensor - jamming system , which was powerful enough to disrupt detection and targeting systems of TIE fighters and other small vessels , although it is ineffective against capital ships , and acted as a double - edged sword due to the jamming system giving a precise lock on the fighter if detected by the enemy . As such , experienced pilots of A - wings were capable of dropping out of hyperspace close to an Imperial fleet or space - installation , make a blistering run through it , and then use its on - board imagers and sensors to gather information and hyperspace out before being detected and scrambling TIEs . The A - wing ' s wedge - shaped prow was fitted with a reinforced heat shield . Although the shield was intended for atmospheric entry , the shield also acted as a makeshift battering ram at close ranges within atmospheric flight or space battles . This ramming process against enemy vessels was largely used by pilots during space battles as a last resort if left with no hope of escape or survival , with the pilots relying on the nose wedge to breach the ship ' s hull and thus either cripple the ship or otherwise destroy it . This tactic was famously demonstrated by Arvel Crynyd during the Battle of Endor , where he rammed into the bridge of the Star Dreadnought " Executor " . History . Development . General Jan Dodonna ' s after action review of the Battle of Yavin affirmed the value of Alliance starfighters , but also highlighted that a simple trio of TIE starfighters had almost foiled the trench run . Dodonna planned to create a dedicated Alliance interceptor , in anticipation of a similar analysis by the Imperial Navy ; indeed , Sienar Fleet Systems accelerated work on an updated TIE Interceptor which would match the A - wing ' s speed . To design the starfighter , Dodonna turned to Walex Blissex , famed ex - Kuat Systems Engineering engineer . Blissex brought valuable experience from work on the Clone Wars - era Delta - 7 " Aetherspite " - class light interceptor and Alpha - 3 interceptors . The pair based initial designs on the R - 22 Spearhead , already nicknamed by pilots as " A - wings " per the " - wing " naming convention for other Rebel craft , of which two had fought at Yavin . They formed Alliance Underground Engineering , and worked with pilot Jake Farrell in improving a Tammuz - an design . It was additionally based off the Delta - 7 . Dodonna and Blissex presented a proposal to Chief of State Mon Mothma for official support . It was ill - timed . The victory at Yavin incited open rebellion on thousands of worlds , resulting in widespread Imperial suppression . The Alliance was scattered , and had insufficient funds for the proposed A - wing program . Nevertheless , Dodonna ' s fame from his role at Yavin made a denial difficult , and Mothma approved with reduced funding . Early production . The reduced budget forced Dodonna and Blissex to substantially modify the original design . Blissex redrafted to use components readily available from Ordnance and Supply Command , pushing each beyond factory specifications . The earliest A - wings were hand - assembled at Alliance facilities like Cardooine and Chardaan Shipyards . This resulted in interesting modifications ; some fighters incorporated actual wood furnishings for the cockpit interior , such as the one that Rogue Squadron pilot Tycho Celchu flew during the Battle of Endor . In 0 ABY , the Soaring Dactillions s were assigned the prototypes to fly at the Cardooine Rebel base . After a week , they came under attack by the Empire , and the Dactillions flew the fighter in battle . Although they proved that the starfighter had superb qualities , only two of the pilots survived . More serious was the slow production rate , allowing the fielding of just a few full squadrons . Only one full unit , Green Squadron , was present at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY . Elsewhere , A - wings were issued to a handful of crack units , like Nomad Squadron and Pash Cracken ' s wing . The combination of hand assembly , second - hand components , density of complex systems , and a general lack of quality control , aggravated maintenance . The A - wing had the second worst maintenance to flight ratio in the Alliance fleet in 3 ABY . Operational deployment . The Rebel Alliance acquired some A - wings at some point after the Battle of Yavin , which they eventually used for the first time when ambushed by Imperial forces in the Ison Corridor . The first Alliance raids using A - wings surprised Imperial forces , which had been unable to penetrate the veil of secrecy over the interceptor ' s development . The Rebel ' s Rogue Squadron employed A - wings during the search for the starship " Nonnah " around six months after the Battle of Yavin . The squadron also employed it during a battle above Taloraan . Wedge Antilles flew it during a raid on Bespin , and also flew the starfighter during a strike at Destrillion . Rebel pilot Ace Azzameen also flew the A - wing during a number of missions with the Alliance Fleet . A lone A - wing piloted by Arvel Crynyd played a major role when it helped to destroy the Star Dreadnought " Executor " during the Battle of Endor , by ramming its bridge , causing the entire ship to fall and crash into the second Death Star . The A - wing was also used by the Alliance ' s successor as galactic government : the New Republic . In 8 ABY , Rogue Squadron pilot Tycho Celchu led Surprise Squadron at the capture of Kuat . Their A - wings were equipped with experimental ion torpedoes . The mission was a success and the massive shipyards orbiting Kuat fell into New Republic hands . A - wings also participated in the attack on Mon Calamari , where several were destroyed by World Devastator s . In 13 ABY , A - wings were stationed on Coruscant . Gold - striped craft escorted Kir Kanos ' shuttle to a landing pad when it entered restricted airspace near the Royal Palace . A - wings were also assigned to General Han Solo ' s fleet for mop - up operations around that time . A contingent of A - wings was also carried on - board a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser captained by Lar Ndigo , who was assigned to Solo ' s fleet and was detached to reconnoiter the planetoid RZ7 - 6113 - 23 . The A - wings fought off attacking Restored Empire V - Wing starfighters during the ensuring battle over the planetoid . Later , after the peace treaty with the Galactic Empire , A - wings were flown by pilots of Kyp ' s Dozen to hunt smugglers before the squadron was decimated by Yuuzhan Vong pilots . In 44 ABY , two A - wings were assigned to the Galactic Alliance Starfighter Command contingent at Skifter Station orbiting Kuratooine . Though it had been designed to defend immobile stations or slow - moving Alliance starships from starfighter raids , the A - wing was pressed into service as a quick - strike fighter as part of the post - Yavin Alliance strategy of guerrilla warfare . Using its impressive straight - line acceleration and advanced jamming package , A - wings were able to hit targets before they could respond , and then flee before any defense could be organized . This change found its apex in a devastating tactic known as the A - wing Slash which was developed by General Garm Bel Iblis . A group of X - wings would approach an Imperial convoy , hiding a number of A - wings in their drive exhaust . The X - wings would then pull away , diverting attention away from the speedy A - wings , which could launch HM - 6 concussion missiles against the convoy and pull away . The A - wing also found use in reconnaissance missions , and would become a favorite among Fleet Intelligence and Alliance Intelligence operatives for its speed . A team of A - wings could exit hyperspace near an Imperial objective , begin jamming enemy sensors , draw scans and holographic imagery , and retreat before being detected . If it was detected , the pilots could easily outrun any pursuers , ensuring the safety of the pilots and the intelligence . While the A - wing became popular for " hit - and - fade " raids and reconnaissance duty , it was required to operate from a nearby base of operations or carrier ship because of its navigational computer ' s limitations , which could only store coordinates for two hyperspace jumps before requiring calibration . The TIE / IN interceptor , better known as the TIE Interceptor , was perhaps the Empire ' s closest equivalent to the A - wing . The Interceptor had two more laser cannons and better agility which gave it an edge in a dogfight , but its lack of shields and warhead launchers limited its durability and tactical usage . The Interceptor was ( like all mass - produced TIEs ) generally available in larger numbers , but A - wing pilots tended to be more skilled as they had a higher survival rate than their Interceptor counterparts . In a pure chase , the A - wing could outrun the Interceptor , however this was only if the A - wing was undamaged . Later Imperial starfighters such as the TIE Avenger , TIE Defender , and Missile Boat were easily more than a match for the A - wing , however they were never mass - produced due to turmoil in the Imperial Navy . Replacement . Shortly after the Battle of Endor , the second generation A - wing , the Mark II , entered production . While A - wings were originally built on an individual basis by the Alliance itself , the Mark II was mass produced by the Incom Corporation . One notable alteration was that the laser cannons of the A - wing Mark II were configured for full 360 - degree rotation . The value of a high speed interceptor was clear , but the A - wing had major defensive and navigational limitations . Thus , new starfighters like the E - wing or T - 65AC4 X - wing were created with comparable speed , but some models were given heavier shields and armor , astromech compatibility , and more powerful weapons . Despite the introduction of newer starfighters and efforts to standardize fleet operations , the A - wing ' s exceptional design allowed it to endure through the Yuuzhan Vong War . A number of A - wings also found their way into civilian hands , often being used as scout vessels or escape vehicles . Squadrons were also captured by pirates , who used them in the same raiding capacity as the Alliance . Behind the scenes . Production paintings for " " show the A - wing painted in blue markings , but these were changed to red to allow the models to be filmed for bluescreen . According to the " " games , red signifies Red Squadron . A - wings from other squadrons bear their respective color . One Star Wars Action Fleet A - wing model has green markings instead of red , supporting this claim . The craft was originally known only as " A fighter " during the production of " Return of the Jedi " . A - wings appear in the games " " , " Star Wars : X - wing " , " " and the " " animated series ; however , these are set years before the A - wing is stated to have been developed , making it an anomaly . All these pre - Yavin A - wing instances have been retcon ned into R - 22 Spearheads . Like other ships ( " Executor " , for example ) , the size of the A - wing is in dispute . Fans argue that the 9 . 6 meters and the derived width and height are too big , because visual evidence from " Return of the Jedi " seems to suggest the A - wing is very small compared to other starfighters ; close - up shots of A - wing pilots show that the cockpit is cramped , and suggest the entire ship cannot be very large . A size analysis of the studio model used for " Return of the Jedi " suggests that the length of the ship is half as long as the documented 9 . 6 meters . Star Wars Technical Journal of the Rebel Forces states the model is 60 cm long and the pilot figure a 1 / 8 scale action figure , which results into a length of 4 . 8 meters . However , it should be noted that it is entirely possible the 1 / 8 figure was only used because it fit in the cockpit of the model . Another way to determine the size by comparing the headroom of the pilot with the relative size of the cockpit to the entire fighter , would be to compare the cockpit film set with the studio model . The size comparison chart found in the 2011 reference book " Millennium Falcon Owner ' s Workshop Manual " also depicts an RZ - 1 A - wing . By using the well documented sizes of the " Millennium Falcon " and the X - wing as a scale , the resulting A - wing size is roughly 7 . 0 meters . Although it is unknown on what the original 9 . 6 meter figure is based on , like the issue on " Home One " , the official length remains 9 . 6 meters until a canon source states otherwise . The weapons payload of the A - wing varies from source to source , with some not having the concussion missile launchers , and some saying that the laser cannons are actually blaster cannons . In " " for example , A - wings are armed with repeating laser cannons and homing cluster missiles . LEGO made several sets of the A - wing . The first was 7134 " A - Wing Fighter " from 2000 . The second is 6207 " A - Wing Fighter " from 2006 . Both A - wings have Red Squadron markings . Finally , the third set to have an A - wing was 7754 " Home One Mon Calamari Star Cruiser " from August 2009 . Unlike the previous A - wings , this one sported Green Squadron markings . In January of 2013 a fourth A - Wing was released , the 75003 A - Wing with a pilot with a more realistic helmet .