The Rebel Alliance Starfighter Corps represented the Alliance to Restore the Republic's dedicated Starfighter Corps. Composed of skilled Rebel pilots, this unit played a vital role in pivotal conflicts such as the Battle of Yavin, the Battle of Hoth, and the Battle of Endor throughout the Galactic Civil War. It stood as a crucial asset for the Alliance.
While a small, disorganized resistance against the Imperial dominion over the galaxy had been present since at least 19 BBY, the formal organization of the Starfighter Corps didn't occur until 2 BBY. As time passed, the Starfighter Corps expanded its arsenal to include vessels like the BTL-A4 Y-wing assault starfighter/bombers, T-65B X-wing starfighters, T-65C-A2 X-wings, and UT-60D U-wing starfighter/support crafts.
The Rebel Alliance Starfighter Corps was established in 2 BBY as an integral component of the broader Rebel Alliance and its allied military forces. Around 2 BBY to 1 BBY, Rebel fighters and larger vessels engaged Imperial forces in a battle above Cianap. In 1 BBY, the Rebel Alliance Starfighter Corps participated in the unsuccessful Attack on Lothal, the triumphant Liberation of Erso, and the highly debated mission to Eadu, which paved the way for intensified warfare against the Empire. During that conflict, rebel fighters confronted the Eadu Deployment and successfully destroyed the Eadu Energy Conversion Laboratory.
Not long after the theft of the Death Star plans on Scarif, the Empire discovered the location of the Rebels' headquarters on Yavin 4, dispatching the formidable battle station to obliterate the moon. The Rebels responded by deploying a squadron of 22 X-wing starfighters and 8 Y-wings in a daring assault on the space station's reactor, accessible via a thermal exhaust port at the end of the meridian trench. Despite heavy losses and intense Imperial resistance, a young pilot named Luke Skywalker harnessed the Force to destroy the station using a pair of proton torpedoes. Only 2 X-wings and a single Y-wing survived the attack from the initial strike force.
Following the Battle of Yavin, the Starfighter Corps significantly expanded its size and diversified its fleet. The Alliance managed to supply Saponza's rebel cell on Tatooine with new starship types, including A/SF-01 B-wing starfighters, E-50 Landseers, Fang fighters, HWK-290 light freighters, LAAT/i gunships, RZ-1 A-wing interceptors, and Z-95 Headhunters. Within a year, the Alliance also acquired T-47 airspeeders, which saw action at the Battle of Vrogas Vas with Cyan Squadron. After the Alliance hijacked an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer named Harbinger, Luke Skywalker and Sana Starros utilized TIE/ln space superiority starfighters for patrol duties.
The Empire achieved a major victory against the rebels in the Battle of Mako-Ta, resulting in the destruction of ninety percent of the starfighter corps. In 3 ABY, the T-47s were deployed at the Battle of Hoth. While primarily used for hauling cargo sleds around Echo Base, a number of airspeeders proved to be effective atmospheric assault fighters. The ingenious pilots of Rogue Squadron employed harpoons and tow cables to entangle the legs of Imperial AT-AT walkers, subsequently blasting them with laser cannons in their vulnerable state. Wedge Antilles successfully implemented this strategy. Thane Kyrell of Corona Squadron adopted an alternative approach, severing a walker's foot pad with the sharp wing edge of his airspeeder.
In 4 ABY, the Starfighter Corps delivered a crucial blow to the Empire during the decisive Battle of Endor. Under the leadership of General Lando Calrissian, the Corps spearheaded a desperate assault on the DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station. With Calrissian piloting the Millennium Falcon, the Rebels destroyed the new battlestation, while the redeemed Anakin Skywalker sacrificed himself to eliminate Darth Sidious. Later that year, the Alliance to Restore the Republic transformed into the New Republic. As part of this broader transition, the Rebel Alliance Starfighter Corps was restructured into the New Republic Starfighter Corps, which continued to participate in the Galactic Civil War, including the Battle of Jakku.
Three decades after the Galactic Civil War, Wedge and many other former rebel pilots joined the Resistance to fight against the First Order.
Although many rebel pilots may lack formal training, they compensate with their combat experience and often outperform their Imperial counterparts. However, some pilots do possess formal training from the Imperial Navy before defecting to the Rebel Alliance, including Jon Vander, Braylen Stramm, Attico Wred, Biggs Darklighter, Jake Farrell, Lindon Javes, Derek Klivian, Yrica Quell, and Wedge Antilles.