I - 7 Howlrunner The Incom Corporation I - 7 Howlrunner was a short range attack starfighter employed by the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War . Characteristics . The Howlrunner was constructed around an aerodynamic fixed - wing structure . Two fins jutted out of the sides of the craft , meant to function as rudimentary maneuvering flaps . Though this design was rather simple it gave the Howlrunner superior performance to the TIE / LN starfighter in both space and atmosphere . Around 10 ABY , they cost 165 , 000 credits . The controls had a small learning curve , ensuring that nearly any pilot with basic skills could control the craft — although only the most experienced could discover the true power of this starfighter . While the Howlrunner was faster than the Rebel T - 65 X - wing starfighter or BTL Y - wing starfighter , it was unable to match the speed of newer fighters such as the E - wing escort starfighter . The Howlrunner had a distinct advantage over the Empire ' s TIE Series in that it possessed on onboard deflector shield generator . This protection , coupled with the starfighter ' s tiny profile and low mass , made the Howlrunner a hard ship to destroy . However , the craft was not meant for long space battles or pitched one - on - one combat . The Howlrunner ' s twin laser cannons were relatively weak , and while they were quite accurate , this was hindered by the fighter ' s rudimentary targeting system . In order to offset these weaknesses , the Empire sent multiple Howlrunners at an enemy all at once , hoping that the sheer volume of fire would be too much for their targets . As this was similar to the tactical doctrine used for TIE fighters , little adjustment was required to integrate the Howlrunner into Imperial squadrons . History . The I - 7 Howlrunner was originally conceived of and designed by starfighter engineer Jo Ewsli . After receiving an epiphany during a viewing of a pack of howlrunner s , dangerous carnivores from the planet Kamar , Ewsli set out to create a spacecraft that emulated their unique predatory instincts . The creatures attacked in tight packs and were unyielding in their pursuit of prey , two abilities that Ewsli thought could be incorporated into a squadron with the right ships . In this vein , Ewsli unveiled a starfighter that , like its beastly namesake , had superb agility and speed . The Howlrunner was the first starfighter designed and mass produced by Incom Corporation after the X - wing defection fiasco . The main point of building the Howlrunner in the first place was an attempt to divert attention from the company ' s failure to stop the defection of the X - wing design team and the theft of the fighter ' s schematics . However , the defection of the X - wing designers left Incom very unpopular among the Imperial ranks , and Howlrunners were mainly assigned to older starships and remote bases . It was a rare sight indeed to find Howlrunners in the hangar of an " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer , though it was not unusual for " Victory " - class Star Destroyers to carry them . Though the Imperial Navy was unimpressed by it , there were rumors that some of Emperor Palpatine ' s advisers purchased their own Howlrunners for " personal business " . This may have included Kam Solusar during his time as a member of the Dark Side Elite , as he brought a two - seat variant of the Howlrunner with him when he defected to Luke Skywalker ' s nascent Jedi Order . Although it was not an exceptional fighter , the Howlrunner was often seen at remote Imperial bases where its speed allowed for rapid reconnaissance when necessary . These bases welcomed the Howlrunner , as they usually had no other modern starfighters , having to make due with early TIE / LN fighters . While the Empire lost most of its TIEs during the Galactic Civil War , as well as losing access to Sienar ' s production facilities , the Howlrunner line escaped destruction and found itself becoming one of the prime starfighters in the fleets of the Imperial Remnant . These craft continued to be used even after the Empire fractured and split into many warring factions . The Howlrunner was also used by the pilots of Saba Sebatyne ' s Wild Knights squadron , during the invasion by the extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong . In the Second Galactic Civil War , a number of them were in the Corellian Defense Force .