The I-a3a represented an enhanced version of the solar ionization reactor. This model was produced by Sienar Fleet Systems and specifically designed for utilization within the Galactic Empire's TIE/IN interceptor spacecraft. Functioning as an improvement on the earlier I-a2b solar ionization reactor that provided power to TIE/ln space superiority starfighters, it gave pilots the ability to perform sharper turns than could be achieved in the majority of other starfighters.