R - 22 Spearhead / Legends The R - 22 Spearhead was a fast starfighter design that served as the basis for the RZ - 1 A - wing interceptor . Characteristics . The prototype R - 22 Spearhead was broadly similar in design and function to the earlier Republic Delta - 7 " Aethersprite " - class starfighter and Eta - 2 " Actis " - class interceptor . A two - seat version was also produced , following the lineage of the Delta - 12 " Skysprite " - class two - seater ; some of this variant were used by the forces of Tammuz - an . History . The Spearhead was in use by private owners and several defense forces all around the galaxy , like the Tammuz - an defense forces , where they escorted ships in the shipping fleet , and on Abridon at the Abridon Shipyard in Sayan . The R - 22 Spearhead became an experimental testbed for the Rebel Alliance , nicknamed the " A - wing , " shortly before the Battle of Yavin . During one early operational test , the Rebels sent a lone R - 22 to attack an unguarded Imperial repair dock . The fighter performed admirably , destroying the facility before the Nebulon - B frigate " Virulence " could respond . The mission was later recreated as a simulation used in training new pilots . The Alliance Fleet started deploying a number of R - 22s at that time . Captain Juno Eclipse and PROXY used a two - seater R - 22 to travel to Dac to help Admiral Gial Ackbar and Senator Bail Organa liberate the Mon Calamari and recruit them to the Alliance cause . The fleet used them in the Assault on Kamino against the Imperial TIE / sa bombers . Keyan Farlander flew Spearheads in several missions during Operation Skyhook , and at least two R - 22s participated in the Battle of Yavin , one piloted by Jake Farrell . The Spearhead was nicknamed " A - wing " among Rebel pilots . The name " A - wing " persisted when the model was modified by General Jan Dodonna and Walex Blissex after the Battle of Yavin into the Rebel Alliance ' s fast RZ - 1 A - wing interceptor . What those modifications entailed and how they differed from the Spearhead is unknown , though it is known that Dodonna ' s decision to create the RZ - 1 was largely driven by the Alliance ' s lack of a starfighter that could match the TIE / LN starfighter ' s raw speed . Additionally , the RZ - 1 was also noted for its improved maneuverability , therefore the difference lies most likely in the engine design . In addition to better engines , the weapons complement might have undergone a similar change , as early Spearhead - models were noted as using green laser ammunition rather than the red / orange seen with most Alliance fighters . Behind the scenes . Though most sources established that the A - wing was introduced by the Rebel Alliance after the Battle of Yavin , some EU sources deviate from this and show A - wings in use before Yavin , notably " " , " " , " " , " " , and " " . This inconsistency was eventually reconciled in " The New Essential Guide to Characters " , where the pre - Yavin appearances of A - wings were retcon ned and explained as being R - 22 Spearheads instead . The name is similar to that of the R - 41 Starchaser and R - 60 " T - wing " Interceptor , and the Spearhead may , like the Starchaser and T - wing , be a design of Hoersch - Kessel Drive , Inc .