Alliance/Incom RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor

RZ-1 A-Wing Interceptor The RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor was a starfighter designed by the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War. One of the fastest mass-produced interceptors in the known galaxy, the A-wing was even faster than the Imperials' TIE Interceptor, despite also having shielding and a hyperdrive, unlike the cheaper TIE model.

Characteristics
The RZ-1 A-wing interceptor was a cockpit attached to twin engines. Like its Clone Wars predecessor, the Eta-2, the A-wing required pilots of exceptional skill to take full advantage of the vessel's speed, agility, and special features — and the Rebel Alliance lacked the Galactic Republic's Jedi pilots.

The A-wing's Novaldex J-77 Event Horizon engines remained some of the most powerful sublight thrusters two decades past the A-wing's creation and were linked to highly sensitive controls. The vessels presented a number of challenges to pilots. Pilots had to adjust two dorsal and two ventral stabilizer wings with great care, as even a minor turn could send the speedy A-wing into a massive spinout.

The slight A-wing's wing-mounted laser cannons could rotate up and down sixty degrees for greater fire control. Some of those designs even had their guns modified to swivel in a complete 360-degree arc, thus providing a nasty surprise to any chasing fighter. While a tactical boon, the A-wing had no astromech droid to manage its weapons systems, requiring further attention from the pilot. In addition, they also had a high rate of mechanical failure, and contributed to the fighter's extremely costly maintenance-to-flight ratio. This among other reasons was why it was difficult to keep a squadron of A-wings operational for any length of time.

The combination of sensitive controls, unmatched sublight thrust, maneuverable weapon systems, advanced sensory and stealth packages, fragility, and heavily exposed cockpit strained even the best pilot. A-wings earned the nickname "slims" for their small frame made of carbo-plas, but also for the "slim" chance of a pilot surviving a direct hit on the ship after the shields were down, and the cramped cockpit that prevented larger pilots from flying the A-wing.

The wedge-shaped craft had an access panel on the forward bow, and carried the its two Dymek HM-6 Concussion Missile Launchers along the sides. Each launcher was capable of launching 6 concussion missiles. Thrust control jets were at the rear of the craft, just behind the rear Sirplex Z-9 deflector shield projector. The engines, capable of propelling the starfighter to up to 1300 kilometers per hour and 120 MGLT, were placed in the aft of the craft had thrust vector controls. The A-wing carried a sensor jamming unit, including a Fabritech ANs-7e sensor unit with PA-94 long range phased tachyon detection array and PG-7u short range primary threat analysis grid, along with targeting systems in the form of a Fabritech ANq 3.6 tracking computer and an IN-344-B "Sightline" holographic imaging system. The avionics was a Torplex Rq9.z flight control system. The craft carried one pilot and up to 40 kilograms of cargo.

The weapons carried on-board, including advanced concussion missiles, gave the craft the power to engage larger Imperial targets up to and including Imperial Star Destroyers.

Many of the starfighters were produced in underground factories, and at least one at the Battle of Endor had fijisi wood panels. The A-wings were maintenance-heavy and prone to breakdowns, although the sensor jammers and concussion weapons were effective in lightning raids.

Although a fighter in its own right, it also was especially notable for its intelligence-gathering and reconnaissance missions, in large part because of its hyperdrive capability, speed, and maneuverability. The ship was littered with concealed multi-spectral imagers and other sensors, which allowed the pilot to gather information about an enemy and then escape back into hyperspace before TIE fighters could be scrambled. These activities were further enhanced by its sensor-jamming system, which was powerful enough to disrupt detection and targeting systems of TIE fighters and other small vessels, although it is ineffective against capital ships, and acted as a double-edged sword due to the jamming system giving a precise lock on the fighter if detected by the enemy. As such, experienced pilots of A-wings were capable of dropping out of hyperspace close to an Imperial fleet or space-installation, make a blistering run through it, and then use its on-board imagers and sensors to gather information and hyperspace out before being detected and scrambling TIEs.

The A-wing's wedge-shaped prow is fitted with a reinforced heat shield. Although the shield was intended for atmospheric entry, the shield also acted as a makeshift battering ram at close ranges within atmospheric flight or space battles. This ramming process against enemy vessels was largely used by pilots during space battles as a last resort if left with no hope of escape or survival, with the pilots relying on the nose wedge to breach the ship's hull and thus either cripple the ship or otherwise destroy it. This tactic was famously demonstrated by Arvel Crynyd during the Battle of Endor, where he rammed into the bridge of the Star Dreadnought Executor.

Development
General Jan Dodonna's after action review of the Battle of Yavin affirmed the value of Alliance starfighters, but also highlighted that a simple trio of TIE starfighters had almost foiled the trench run. Dodonna planned to create a dedicated Alliance interceptor, in anticipation of a similar analysis by the Imperial Navy; indeed, Sienar Fleet Systems accelerated work on an updated TIE Interceptor which would match the A-wing's speed.

To design the starfighter, Dodonna turned to Walex Blissex, famed ex-Kuat Systems Engineering engineer. Blissex brought valuable experience from work on the Clone Wars-era Delta-7 and Alpha-3 interceptors. The pair based initial designs on the R-22 Spearhead, already nicknamed by pilots as "A-wings" per the -wing naming convention for other Rebel craft, of which two had fought at Yavin. They formed Alliance Underground Engineering, and worked with pilot Jake Farrell in improving a Tammuz-an design.

Dodonna and Blissex presented a proposal to Chief of State Mon Mothma for official support. It was ill-timed. The victory at Yavin incited open rebellion on thousands of worlds, resulting in widespread Imperial suppression. The Alliance was scattered, and had insufficient funds for the proposed A-wing program. Nevertheless, Dodonna's fame from his role at Yavin made a denial difficult, and Mothma approved with reduced funding.

Early Production
The reduced budget forced Dodonna and Blissex to substantially modify the original design. Blissex redrafted to use components readily available from Ordnance and Supply Command, pushing each beyond factory specifications.

The earliest A-wings were hand-assembled at Alliance facilities like Cardooine and Chardaan Shipyards. This resulted in interesting modifications; some fighters incorporated actual wood furnishings for the cockpit interior, such as the one that Rogue Squadron pilot Tycho Celchu flew during the Battle of Endor. In 0 ABY, the Soaring Dactillionss were assigned the prototypes to fly at the Cardooine Rebel base. After a week, they came under attack by the Empire, and the Dactillions flew the fighter in battle. Although they proved that the starfighter had superb qualities, only two of the pilots survived.

More serious was the slow production rate, allowing the fielding of just a few full squadrons. Only one full unit, Green Squadron, was present at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY. Elsewhere, A-wings were issued to a handful of crack units, like Nomad Squadron and Pash Cracken's wing.

The combination of hand assembly, second-hand components, density of complex systems, and a general lack of quality control, aggravated maintenance. The A-wing had the second worse maintenance to flight ratio in the Alliance fleet in 3 ABY.

Operational deployment
The Rebel Alliance acquired some A-wings at some point after the Battle of Yavin, which they eventually used for the first time when ambushed by Imperial forces in the Ison Corridor.

The first Alliance raids using A-wings surprised Imperial forces, which had been unable to penetrate the veil of secrecy over the interceptor's development. The Rebel's Rogue Squadron employed A-wings during the search for the starship Nonnah around six months after the Battle of Yavin. The squadron also employed it during a battle above Taloraan. Wedge Antilles flew it during a raid on Bespin, and also flew the starfighter during a strike at Destrillion. Rebel pilot Ace Azzameen also flew the A-wing during a number of missions with the Alliance Fleet. A lone A-wing piloted by Arvel Crynyd played a major role when it helped to destroy the Star Dreadnought Executor during the Battle of Endor, by ramming its bridge, causing the entire ship to fall and crash into the second Death Star.

The A-wing was also used by the Alliance's successor as galactic government: the New Republic. In 8 ABY, Rogue Squadron pilot Tycho Celchu led Surprise Squadron at the capture of Kuat. Their A-wings were equipped with experimental ion torpedoes. The mission was a success and the massive shipyards orbiting Kuat fell into New Republic hands.

A-wings also participated in the attack on Mon Calamari, where several were destroyed by World Devastators.

In 13 ABY, A-wings were stationed on Coruscant. Gold-striped craft escorted Kir Kanoss shuttle to a landing pad when it entered restricted airspace near the Royal Palace. A-wings were also assigned to General Han Solo's fleet for mop-up operations around that time. A contingent of A-wings was also carried on-board a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser captained by Lar Ndigo, who was assigned to Solo's fleet and was detached to reconnoiter the planetoid RZ7-6113-23. The A-wings fought off attacking Restored Empire V-Wing starfighters during the ensuring battle over the planetoid.

Later, after the peace treaty with the Galactic Empire, A-wings were flown by pilots of Kyp's Dozen to hunt smugglers before the squadron was decimated by Yuuzhan Vong pilots.

In 44 ABY, two A-wings were assigned to the Galactic Alliance Starfighter Command contingent at Skifter Station orbiting Kuratooine.

Though it had been designed to defend immobile stations or slow-moving Alliance starships from starfighter raids, the A-wing was pressed into service as a quick-strike fighter as part of the post-Yavin Alliance strategy of guerrilla warfare. Using its impressive straight-line acceleration and advanced jamming package, A-wings were able to hit targets before they could respond, and then flee before any defense could be organized.

This change found its apex in a devastating tactic known as the A-wing Slash which was developed by GeneralGarm Bel Iblis. A group of X-wings would approach an Imperial convoy, hiding a number of A-wings in their drive exhaust. The X-wings would then pull away, diverting attention away from the speedy A-wings, which could launch HM-6 concussion missiles against the convoy and pull away.

The A-wing also found use in reconnaissance missions, and would become a favorite among Fleet Intelligence and Alliance Intelligence operatives for its speed. A team of A-wings could exit hyperspace near an Imperial objective, begin jamming enemy sensors, draw scans and holographic imagery, and retreat before being detected. If it was detected, the pilots could easily outrun any pursuers, ensuring the safety of the pilots and the intelligence. While the A-wing became popular for "hit-and-fade" raids and reconnaissance duty, it was required to operate from a nearby base of operations or carrier ship because of its navigational computer's limitations, which could only store coordinates for two hyperspace jumps before requiring calibration.

The TIE/IN interceptor, better known as the TIE Interceptor, was perhaps the Empire's closest equivalent to the A-wing. The Interceptor had two more laser cannons and better agility which gave it an edge in a dogfight, but its lack of shields and warhead launchers limited its durability and tactical usage. The Interceptor was (like all mass-produced TIEs) generally available in larger numbers, but A-wing pilots tended to be more skilled as they had a higher survival rate than their Interceptor counterparts. In a pure chase, the A-wing could outrun the Interceptor, however this was only if the A-wing was undamaged. Later Imperial starfighters such as the TIE Avenger, TIE Defender, and Missile Boat were easily more than a match for the A-wing, however they were never mass-produced due to turmoil in the Imperial Navy.

Replacement
Shortly after the Battle of Endor, the second generation A-wing, the Mark II, entered production. While A-wings were originally built on an individual basis by the Alliance itself, the Mark II was mass produced by the Incom Corporation. One notable alteration was that the laser cannons of the A-wing Mark II were configured for full 360-degree rotation.

The value of a high speed interceptor was clear, but the A-wing had major defensive and navigational limitations. Thus, new starfighters like the E-wing or T-65AC4 X-wing were created with comparable speed, but some models were given heavier shields and armor, astromech compatibility, and more powerful weapons. Despite the introduction of newer starfighters and efforts to standardize fleet operations, the A-wing's exceptional design allowed it to endure through the Yuuzhan Vong War.

A number of A-wings also found their way into civilian hands, often being used as scout vessels or escape vehicles. Squadrons were also captured by pirates, who used them in the same raiding capacity as the Alliance.

RPG D6 Stats
Craft: Incom Corporations RZ-1 A-wing Starfighter

Type: Interceptor and multipurpose Starfighter

Scale: Starfighter

Length: 9.6 meters

Skill: Starfighter Piloting: A-wing

Crew: 1

Crew Skill: Astrogation 4D, Sensors 4D+2, Starfighter Piloting 5D, Starship Gunnery 4D+2, Starship Shields 3D+1

Cargo Capacity: 40 kilograms

Consumables: 1 week

Cost: 175,000 (new)

Hyperdrive Multiplier: xl

Nav Computer: Limited to two jumps

Maneuverability: 4D

Space: 12

Atmosphere: 450; 1,300 kmh

Hull: 2D+2

Shields: 1D

Sensors:

Weapons:
 * Passive: 30/OD
 * Scan: 50/ID
 * Search: 75/2D
 * Focus: 4/4D+1

2 Laser Cannons (fire-linked)

Fire Arc: Front

Skill: Starship Gunnery

Fire Control: 3D

Space Range: 1-3/12/25

Atmosphere Range: 100-300/1.2/1.5 km

Damage: 5D

2 Concussion Missile Tubes

Fire Arc: Front

Skill: Starship Gunnery

Fire Control: 3D

Ammo: 6 each

Space Range: 1/3/7

Atmosphere Range: 50-100/300/700m

Damage: 8D

Enemy Targeting Jammer

Fire Arc: All

Skill: Sensors; works against all starfighters within range

Space Range: 1-3/7/15

Atmosphere Range: 100-300/700/1.5 km

Damage: -2D from fire control