T - 65BR X - wing reconnaissance starfighter The T - 65BR X - wing reconnaissance starfighter , commonly called the Recon - X or Snoopscoot , was a variant of the Incom T - 65 X - wing starfighter modified for reconnaissance missions . Characteristics . A vast improvement over the aged and slow Longprobe Y - wings , the T - 65BR featured an advanced , high - gain , long - range sensor package with high - speed hypertransceiver s in place of the standard X - wing ' s proton torpedo launchers . Sensor packages were mounted on probes that were launched from the craft and tethered to it by cables . Six additional reconnaissance imaging systems were contained within the starfighter ' s nose . The sensor suites were coordinated by the on - board R2 - R - series astromech droid to provide maximum efficiency , a requirement when jumping into potentially dangerous zones . The astromech droid was of eminent importance in guiding the Recon - X through its scouting runs and collecting data , and some New Republic pilots facetiously noted that the pilot was only there to provide company to the astromech . During reconnaissance runs , when enemy ships were detected , the astromech would begin automatically updating the pilot on their various classifications . Many pilots called the Recon - X the " Snoopscoot " . The Recon - X was also equipped with a HoloNet communicator , or alternatively , a hypercomm data relay that enabled it to relay its findings instantaneously to allied command centers . The hypercomm transmitters were intimately linked with the Recon - X ' s hyperdrive system — they were programmed to immediately begin transmitting the fighter ' s collected reconnaissance data immediately upon realspace reversion in the target area . The Recon - X used updated engines and etheric rudder prototypes to eliminate the need for thrusters . In the event that a Recon - X was captured , the fighter was equipped with several distinct countermeasures . The pilot carried a purge stick that , if inserted into the cockpit ' s control panel , triggered a purge charge that would erase the fighter ' s onboard data and also destroy the R2 - R astromech unit with an explosion . Once the purge charge was initiated , a second fail - safe was now accessible within the purge stick : a suicide needle , that once jabbed into the pilot ' s palm would swiftly kill the pilot . There was also a pressure - loaded " dead man ' s " spring plate mechanism that would self - destruct the Recon - X fighter with baradium charge once the pilot was killed . The self - destruct explosion was of considerable force , capable of crippling a Yevetha n corvette . A Recon - X lacked weaponry other than its laser cannons , as the space and energy was used for its sensor package . Some even had the laser cannons removed as the energy output of the cannons interfered with the advanced sensors . Nonetheless , the Recon - X had the smallest rear blind spot of any New Republic fighter . Operational history . Xarcce Huwla flew Rogue Squadron ' s T - 65BR during the Galactic Civil War . Later , Nrin Vakil flew a T - 65R with Rogue Squadron during the search for the Pulsar Station . Recon - Xs from the 21st Recon Group were also active during the Thrawn campaign , when the unit ' s second - in - command , " Sleepy " Nagelson , notably fell asleep during a reconnaissance mission . During the Black Fleet Crisis , these fighters were sent on a deep - penetration reconnaissance operation in the Koornacht Cluster . After Admiral Hiram Drayson ' s reconnaissance assets within the Koornacht were lost , this left a dearth in military intelligence that General Etahn A ' baht proposed to fill by inserting Recon - Xs into the cluster . In a plan authorized by President Leia Organa Solo , nineteen Recon - Xs and five unmanned drones from the 21st Recon Group were deployed in a large - scale operation to survey Yevetha n worlds and their defenses in order to provide intelligence for the New Republic Defense Fleet — their target worlds included Wakiza , Zhina , New Brigia , Doornik - 881 , Morning Bell , Polneye , Kojash , Tizon , Z ' fell , Faz , and the Yevethan capital N ' zoth . Given the high risk , A ' baht initially estimated a forty percent mission survival rate . These fighters inserted into their target systems by means of hyperspace and then were sent on five - minute scouting runs within a thousand kilometers of their target world in order to collect orbital intelligence . However , the scouting mission was anticipated by Tal Fraan , and the Recon - Xs were detected by Yevethan defenses . All nineteen fighters were ultimately destroyed within several minutes of entering their target systems , with none managing to collect their full intended data set . N ' zoth was surveilled by the T - 65BR " Jennie Lee " , piloted by Lieutenant Rone Taggar , but ultimately was disabled by an ion cannon shot from the " Beauty of Yevetha " . However , when the Yevethan corvette tractored the " Jennie Lee " into its hangar , the Recon - X self - destructed , destroying both vessels . Nonetheless , the intelligence data provided from the abortive reconnaissance runs revealed the number and disposition of Yevethan Star Destroyers and thrustship s defending key Yevethan worlds . In the aftermath , Commodore Brand speculated that the Recon - Xs destroyed during the reconnaissance mission were likely detected because they made constant - velocity passes , thus leading to their detection by Yevethan sensors . Later , the Recon - X scouting data of the Duskhan League world Wakiza was passed from Admiral Drayson to Chewbacca via the information broker Formayj . Shortly after the large - scale reconnaissance mission , ten Recon - Xs from escort squadron Bravo Flight were dispatched to escort Commodore Han Solo ' s shuttle , " Tampion " , from Coruscant to the New Republic Fifth Battle Group ' s " Intrepid " . However , their mission was betrayed by Senator Tig Peramis to Nil Spaar . Ninety - one light - year s from the Koornacht Cluster , the ships were intercepted by six Yevethan warships , including an Interdictor that drew them out of hyperspace . After being disabled by ion cannon fire within the first several seconds of the engraftment , " Tampion " was captured along with its crew , with the ten disabled Recon - Xs powerless to resist as the Yevethans departed . Later , the Recon - Xs of Bravo Flight were recovered by the fleet carrier " Venture " , where the ferry pilots were relieved of command of their fighters and debriefed by New Republic Intelligence to ascertain whether they were responsible for betraying " Tampion " ' s mission .