There were many battles in the Galactic Civil War. A great many of them were fought in the dark reaches of space. What would these battles be without starfighters? In this document, the different fighters of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic will be examined.

Of the many fighters, the Y-Wing came first. This fighter was renowned for its durability and abilities in close-quarters combat. It consists of three major parts. They are the armored cockpit, a reinforced central spar, and a cross-wing. The cockpit contains weapons control and the pilot. The cross-wing supports the two engines, giving the Y-Wing its name.

The Y-Wing has room for two pilots and one R2 or R4 astromech droid. It also has a pair of laser cannons, a pair of proton-torpedo launchers (with eight rounds each), and a small ion cannon.

The Y-Wing was the main fighter in the Rebel arsenal until the superior X-Wing fighter was introduced. The Incom T-65 X-Wing fighter was the last starfighter produced before the Empire nationalized the company.

The X-Wing was very advanced for its day. It was a small, single pilot fighter. The pilot controls everything from the direction to the weapons, unlike in the Y-Wing, which can have a separate gunner. For weapons, the X-Wing had four laser cannons, which could be fired individually, in pairs, or all at once. It also had a pair of proton-torpedo launchers with a magazine of three torpedoes each.

The X-Wing was known for its durability, since it had a reinforced hull and powerful shield generators. It also had a full ejection system, for the safety of the pilot. The X-Wing was commonly used for dog fighting, transport, and escort duties.

By the battle of Endor, the A-Wing was introduced. It was designed from the beginning to outrun any ship in the Imperial Fleet. Its speed comes at a price however. It is very fragile and easily damaged. It also requires constant maintenance, as one hit is often enough to cause critical system failures, or destroy it outright. The ship is only 9.6 meters long, leaving almost no room for extra equipment.

They do have enough to survive though. They have two pivoting laser cannons, with a 120-degree field of fire. The A-Wing can also be fitted with concussion-missile launchers if the mission requires them. It also has a sensor-jamming array, which allowed them to do hit and run missions very effectively. A-Wings were by far the most maneuverable fighters in the Rebel Fleet.

The next fighter was the B-Wing, developed by Commander (now Admiral) Ackbar. It was developed to be a powerful heavy-assault starfighter, in which it excelled.

The Rebels were light on credits, but they needed the firepower of a capital ship. The B-Wing was only four meters longer than an X-Wing, but it had much more firepower than even many Imperial ships. The B-Wing was essentially a single long wing, with the cockpit on one end. When in combat situations, it would open up its S-foil wings to increase its field of fire.

B-Wings are difficult to handle, so only a few pilots were qualified to fly it. Those who did would frequently get attached to their ships. The B-Wing was stocked with weapons. In its standard configuration, it held three ion cannons, a high power laser cannon, two proton-torpedo launchers, and a pair of auto-blasters.

The B-Wing was further modified to the B-Wing/E, which had a two-person cockpit. The second person was a dedicated gunner. In both configurations, the weapons could be fired in many different sequences.

One of the most recent additions to the fleet was the E-Wing. It was introduced during the Thrawn Era, and came to dominate the skies during the revived Emperor's reign. The E-Wing was initially made for the same hit and run type missions as the older A-Wings. However, it also served as an excellent medium assault fighter.

The advances that lead to the E-Wing's outstanding performance were too overwhelming for an R2 droid. To counter this problem, they switched over to the new R7 droids. The R7's were able to handle the advanced flight control, power regulation, and incredible firepower.

The primary weapons were linked triple laser cannons. They also carried sixteen proton torpedoes, which made them incredibly capable of taking out capital ships. It was often assigned missions that required powerful fire, but needed a faster craft than the B-Wing.

The Rebels have had a lot of luck with their ships. They have been advancing at an amazing rate, and the designs have been so good, they haven't had to retire any of their ships. The oldest fighters, the Y-Wings, have been moved to the outer territories, because they are sturdy fighters, but they can also play the role of a light bomber when needed. The E-Wing and the B-Wing are the heavy fighters of the New Republic, while the A-Wing and the X-Wing are still favorites of many pilots.

Sources: Star Wars: Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, The Star Wars Encyclopedia.