The R-22 A-wing, later dubbed the Spearhead, was a state-of-the-art starfighter model designed by Kuat Systems Engineering at the end of the Clone Wars. Although the newly established Galactic Empire rejected mass production of the craft, the prototypes ended up serving in the planetary defense forces of Tammuz-an. Eventually, the Alliance to Restore the Republic procured several Tammuz-an R-22s and modified them into what they dubbed the RZ-1 A-wing interceptor.
The Kuat Systems Engineering R-22 starfighter was noted for its durable, yet remarkably lightweight, wedge-shaped frame. Its capabilities were superior to those of the Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor, of which it was the direct successor. It boasted deflector shields, a pair of laser cannons, and a missile launcher.
Shortly after the end of the Clone Wars, a three-year long conflict that pitted the Galactic Republic against the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Kuat Systems Engineering improved upon its Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor design to create the next generation of starfighters. Although the resulting R-22 did test the limits of maneuverability and speed, the newly established Galactic Empire, successor state to the Republic, rejected its mass production in favor of Sienar Fleet Systems' TIE Fighter line. Nevertheless, the Kingdom of Tammuz-an purchased the batch of R-22 prototypes for use in their planetary defense fleet. Because of their resemblance to a Tammuz-an ceremonial spear, the fighters were soon nicknamed "Spearheads."
A RZ-1 A-wing interceptor derived from the R-22 Spearhead
More than a decade later, several of the anti-Empire rebel cells that would ultimately crystallize into the Alliance to Restore the Republic managed to acquire a number of Tammuz-an Spearheads. The highly customizable starfighters were left in the hands of the Underground Engineers, a network of rebel mechanics. The Engineers kept the remarkable frame of the R-22, but stripped it of its armor, missile launcher and shields. They updated the weapons, installed new technology, and swapped the original engines with a pair of Novaldex J-77 "Event Horizon" sublight engines. The resulting craft was dubbed the RZ-1 A-wing interceptor. In time, the RZ-1 spawned its own variant, the two-seated RZ-1T trainer.
After the fall of the Galactic Empire and the transition of the Alliance to Restore the Republic into the New Republic, Kuat Systems Engineering brought back the R-22 design as the base for the RZ-2 A-wing interceptor, a more streamlined model that incorporated years of Rebel Alliance field modifications and customizations.
The R-22 Spearhead as it appeared in the 1985 Star Wars: Droids television series.
The R-22 Spearhead originally appeared in the Star Wars Legends continuity, and was brought into canon in the 2017 reference book Star Wars: A-wing Deluxe Book and 3D Wood Model.
In Legends, the R-22 was first introduced in The New Essential Guide to Characters, intended to resolve the discrepancy of A-wing starfighters appearing in stories set before the Battle of Yavin when most sources established that they were developed after the event.
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