TIE/D fighter

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Size:
  6.1 meters long

• Weapon:
  Twin laser cannons

• Affiliation:
  Galactic Empire

• Type:
  Experimental droid starfighter

• Manufacturer:
  Sienar Fleet Systems

• 

From the Movies

From the Expanded Universe

Though the Clone Wars had taught the galaxy the effectiveness of flesh-and-blood pilots over droid starfighters, Imperial engineers were still determined to produce the ultimate automated space combat fighter. Demand for pilot-less craft was low during the height of the Empire, when the Imperial war machine had an endless supply of clone and Academy-trained personnel from which to draw. Following the defeat at Endor, however, the Empire found itself needing to be conservative with regard to risking their own pilots' lives.

Rather than develop a new droid starfighter from the ground up, Sienar Fleet System used the standard TIE/ln as a starting point, and adapted advanced Cybot Galactica Ace-6 droid brains as pilots. Much of the spaceframe of the TIE/D comes from the standard TIE, with additional armor plating, twin laser cannons, and rectangular solar arrays for additional power needs.

Though the droid brains can be updated and reprogrammed with new tactics and maneuvers, they are not nearly as inventive or spontaneous as living pilots. As a result, New Republic pilots could outwit these automated drones in much the same way as Jedi and Old Republic clone pilots could best the droid fighters of the Confederacy.

The TIE/D fighter was introduced during the Battle of Mon Calamari, when Imperial World Devastators unleashed terrible destruction on the ocean world. The bulk of TIE/D manufacturing plants were within the World Devastators themselves, so when these massive weapons were destroyed, most of the Empire's TIE/D fighters were taken with them.

Behind the Scenes

The TIE/D fighters were first seen in the Dark Empire comic series from Dark Horse Comics.