A-wing Starfighter
Development of the A-wing began in secret shortly after the Battle of Yavin. General Dodonna realized that the speed of Imperial fighters had nearly cost the Alliance its vicctory, and he intended to remedy the situation by designing a newer, faster starfighter. With the aid of starsip engineer Walex Blissex, the A‑wing was born. Although not as durable as other alliance starfighters, the A‑wing is often considered to be the fastest strfighter to see servie during the Galactic Civil War.
Though the A‑wing is a finicky spacecraft that is often difficult to maintain in the field, it has proven itself to be a capable strike fighter and reconnaissance craft. Due to its speed and maneuverability, it excels at “hit and fade” operations and surgical strikes carried out behind enemy lines. Despite its relatively light armament, the A‑wing is deadly in the hands of a skilled pilot. During the Battle of Endor, A‑wings were responsible for the destruction of the Super Star Destroyer Executor.
Capabilities
A‑wings are phenomenally fast and agile spacecraft, making them capable dogfighters. A‑wing pilots quickly learn to use this fact to their advantage in battle, for even a single hit from an enemy weapon can mean a quick and firey death. During its earliest months in service, the A‑wing was armed only with laser cannons and a sophisticated suite of electronic jammers. In time, many A‑wings were modified to carry concussion missile launchers, adding to the nimble ship’s versatility. (This configuration was standard by the time of the New Republic.)
The A‑wing’s jamming system is capable of blinding enemy sensors and fire-control computers, making it an even more elusive target. The effectiveness of the jamming suite is limited to small craft and space transports, and does little more thn make the A‑wing a more tempting target for capital scale ships. When activated, the A‑wing’s jammers cause adjacent ships of Colossal size and smaller to take penalties to their Intelligence score (−5 for starfighters, −2 for space transports).
Alliance A-wing Starfighter (CL 9)
Starships of the Galaxy, page 63.
Huge starfighter
Initiative: +12; Senses: Perception +6
Defenses: Fort 23, Ref 19 (flat-footed 11) ; +3 armor, Vehicular Combat
Hit Points: 80; DR: 10; SR: 15; Damage Threshold: 33
Speed: fly 16 squares (max. velocity 1,300 km/h), fly 6 squares (starship scale)
Ranged: laser cannons +7 (see below) or
Ranged: medium concussion missiles +7 (see below)
Fighting Space: 3×3 or 1 square (starship scale); Cover: total
Base Attack: +2; Grapple: 25
Attack Options: autofire (laser cannons), fire-ink (medium concussion missiles)
Abilities: Str 36, Dex 26, Con —, Int 16
Skills: Initiative +12, Mechanics +6, Perception +6, Pilot +12, Use Computer +6
Crew: 1 (skilled); Passengers: none
Cargo: 40 kg; Consumables: 1 week; Carried Craft: none
Payload: 12 medium concussion missiles
Hyperdrive: ×1, limited navicomputer (2-jump memory)
Availability: Military; Cost: 175,000 (70,000 used)
Laser cannons (pilot)
Attack: +7 (+2 autofire), Damage: 6d10×5
Medium concussion missiles (pilot)
Attack: +15 (+10 autofire), Damage: 7d10×2, 4-square splash
Jammer (pilot)
Attack: n/a, Damage: special