Associations: escort frigate Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Slave I

A tractor beam is an invisible force beam that drags objects from place to place. Tractor beams are used for cargo handling, starport traffic control and for capturing starships. Also known informally as grappling rays or magnetic beams, tractor beams are common armaments aboard military vessels.

A tractor beam itself usually cannot disable a ship, but it can reduce target maneuverability, increasing the likelihood of gunnery attacks connecting with vital systems. A ship attempting to break free of a tractor beam lock may suffer crippling engine damage due to system strain.

Imperial vessels such as Star Destroyers and the Death Star were equipped with powerful tractor beam projectors used to capture and reel in craft suspected of subversive affiliation.