Interceptor An interceptor was a starfighter classification typically applied to starship s that sacrificed heavy ordnance payloads , armor , deflector shield s , and / or a hyperdrive in favor of pure speed and agility in combat . To compensate for the lack of a hyperdrive , some types of interceptors could dock with an external hyperspace transport ring , allowing rapid interstellar travel through hyperspace . The ones that could do neither of these things were restricted to realspace , and operated in close proximity to a carrier , capital ship , planet , moon , or space station . History . Shortly before and during the Clone War , the Jedi Order operated a class of interceptors designated as the Delta - 7 " Aethersprite " - class light interceptor . These starfighters were fast and maneuverable , and equipped with an integral astromech droid for hyperspace jump calculations . Although not equipped with an internal hyperdrive , they could hook up to an external Syliure hyperdrive booster ring for superluminous interstellar travel . Obi - wan Kenobi ' s personal Delta - 7 was also equipped with canisters for spare parts , which could be jettisoned in flight . Kenobi put this feature to good use in the dogfight over Geonosis to evade Jango and Boba Fett . The Delta - 7B " Aethersprite " - class light interceptor was an upgraded model of the Delta - 7 . The astromech droid position on this model was relocated to a spot just forward of the pilot ' s canopy . This thicker area of the ship was able to accommodate a full - size , removable astromech droid such as R2 - D2 . This model also featured pop - out S - foils that could extend for certain flight maneuvers . It is not known whether this feature was also included in the original Delta - 7s . Although most Jedi upgraded to this model ( and eventually the Eta - 2 ) , Kel Dor Jedi Master Plo Koon reverted to flying a regular Delta - 7 after previously flying a Delta - 7B . The Eta - 2 " Actis " - class light interceptor was developed during the Clone War as a replacement for the old Delta - 7 and Delta - 7B classes previously operated by the Jedi . These starfighters would see service up until Order 66 with the Jedi Order , and as late as 5 years after with Darth Vader in the era of the Galactic Empire . Grand Master Yoda operated his own customized version of the Eta - 2 about 2 years into the Clone War . The RZ - 1 A - wing interceptor was first deployed about a year after Order 66 with a small , unorganized rebellion against Imperial Rule . These starfighters included hyperdrives and heavy weapons in their original stock configurations . Later , the more organized Alliance to Restore the Republic , New Republic , and Resistance would fly customized versions , stripped of their heavy weapons launchers for increased speed and maneuverability . They retained the hyperdrives , however , as this facilitated quick escapes from Imperial reinforcements . Approximately 2 years before the Battle of Yavin , the rebellion fielded the RZ - 1T trainer , an A - wing variant that had been converted to a 2 - seat trainer . The Galactic Empire ' s TIE / IN interceptor was developed as a continuation of the TIE Advanced projects , and was deployed as early as 2 years before the Battle of Yavin in crackdowns on rebel activity . Like other TIEs , it lacked a hyperdrive and shielding , but it was heavily armed with no fewer than six laser cannons . The TIE / D Defender was developed by Grand Admiral Thrawn as an upgraded version , with a third pair of solar panels and shielding . Although not typically labeled as such , spacecraft as diverse as the Galactic Republic ' s V - 19 Torrent starfighter and the Firespray - 31 - class patrol and attack craft were also referred to as " interceptors " from time to time . By the time of the Cold war , dedicated interceptors were rarely seen in battle . The Resistance continued to operate a small number of A - wings , but largely relied on the multirole X - wing starfighter line . The First Order had phased out the TIE Interceptors in favor of a new generation of the TIE line , which were equipped with shielding and hyperdrives . Behind the scenes . In real life , the term " interceptor " has a slightly different meaning from that assigned to it in the Star Wars universe . A typical interceptor , like the Convair F - 106 Delta Dagger , would be designed to combat enemy bombers , not fighters . As such , an interceptor would typically be designed to sacrifice maneuverability and range / endurance in favor of speed , rate of climb , and firepower . Prior to the introduction of guided missiles , interceptors such as the Messerschmitt Me 262 frequently used heavy autocannons or even air - to - air rockets to penetrate the increasingly thick armor of enemy bombers , although accuracy tended to be poor .