TIE fighter series

The TIE line's earliest development began during the late Republic Era, with Sienar Systems Advanced Projects Laboratory's advancements on the field of ion propulsion. Part of the Laboratory's classified project roster was the Scimitar, a heavily modified custom Star Courier which utilized experimental high-temperature ion engines to travel in high speeds. To solve the engines' energy consumption problem, Raith Sienar devised a system of twin folding radiator panels that were equipped in the ship's wings and provided the massive power needed while preserving its aerodynamic shape.

By the end of the Clone Wars, Republic Sienar Systems, Advanced Projects' parent company found itself bankrupt and ownership was transferred to the InterGalactic Banking Clan; with the Clan's dissolution after the battle of Scipio, its holdings, including RSS were transferred to the Office of the Chancellor. Following the end of the war and the formation of the Galactic Empire, Emperor Sheev Palpatine, having become aware of Sienar's talent from the APL's designs uncovered during the war, decided to award Sienar the contract for the design and manufacture of the first Imperial-made starfighter to fill the ranks of the newfound Imperial Navy. Until then, the Imperial Starfighter Corps was comprised of a variety of Republic- and privately-manufactured vessels such as Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighters, ARC-170 and ARC-40b Scout-Reconnaissance Fighters, Alpha-class Xg-1 Star Wings and M3-A Scyk interceptors..

Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, the man who would later be appointed by the Emperor to serve as governor of all of the Outer Rim Territories under the title of Grand Moff, personally assigned the design of the project that would become the TIE line to Raith Sienar in a memorandum outlining his doctrine's main points of strength through fear. Tarkin's ideology would later be dubbed the "Tarkin Doctrine" by the media. Tarkin also laid out the basic requirements of the project: it had to be an economical, easy to manufacture and mass produce starfighter that would simultaneously strike fear in its enemies and make its pilots dedicated and compliant to the Navy command. The starfighter, according to Tarkin, should also produce a distinctive sound designed to set it apart from other generic designs and serve as its signature in battle.

Upon delivery of the memorandum, the Imperial Admiralty formally itemized their requirements and budget for the new starfighter, based on Tarkin's outline, to allow Sienar to begin work on a protoype. Additional features requested were limited range and ground control systems, lack of a landing gear and hyperdrive, and limited life support, all measures designed to limit pilots' independence from the fleet and reduce the chances of defection. Tarkin further insisted on the craft lacking even rudimentary deflector shielding, a standard feature in every spaceborne vessel used to protect the pilot from space debris and . Despite protests from other naval officers, Palpatine himself endorsed the proposition, arguing that pilots would be encouraged to complete their missions quickly to return to the safety of their hangars.

Sienar eventually started his work on the design, drawing from a number of his and Kuat Drive Yards (RSS' main opposition) designs, including his prototype Star Courier and the Nimbus- and Actis-class already used by the Navy. Those included the Star Courier's solar collector wings and the Actis-class' spherical pressurized cockpit and twin ion engines, the latter of which were extensively tested and experimented on by Sienar until he developed a working high-performance prototype that capitalized and improved upon previous models, the P-s3. Sienar included those features into the plans for the first TIE fighter prototype, which, according to Imperial mandates was designed to be exclusively spaceborne. In presenting the plans to the Navy, however, Sienar surprised them with an additional design for a slightly more expensive vessel which was going to also be able to function in a planetary atmosphere as well as land on its wings. Naval command authorized Sienar to move ahead with the assembly of prototypes for both designs, the latter of which was slightly bulkier and featured stronger pylons and reinforced spars connecting the wings to the cockpit. This design was ultimately proven to be more effective that the original, and in 18 BBY the newly formed Sienar Fleet Systems was greenlighted to begin mass assembly of the first exclusively Imperial starfighter, the Twin Ion Engine Line edition starfighter, or simply TIE/ln.

The TIE/ln was introduced to the Navy's starfighter forces within the same year and saw action in the Invasion of Mon Cala, one of the earliest open conflicts fought by the Galactic Empire in the name of asserting its power. At the time of the invasion, the fighters were new. Forces such as the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Sovereign's group -which participated in the invasion- adopted some of the new SFS-produced models, while, as part of the five-year plan for the Outer Rim's industrialization, factory worlds including Lothal were charged with producing even more to eventually replace all Republic-era starfighters in the Navy. This goal was more or less completed within the same decade; by 5 BBY the complement of bases such as the Alkenzi Air Base and the Lothal Imperial airfield were entirely comprised of TIE/ln.

Despite Sienar's design being more than capable of eliminating pirate and mercenary threats when used in conjunction with Imperial capital ships and meeting more or less all of the Navy's requirements, Raith Sienar continued experimenting with the craft and his own Star Courier design to create an even more advanced starfighter. By using the folding bent-shape wings of the Scimitar and combining them with the TIE/ln's solar ionization reactor and twin ion engines, Sienar created a working prototype dubbed the TIE Advanced v1. This ship was delivered to the Empire, and at least four were produced and assigned to the Inquisitorius for their Jedi hunting. The Navy kept the prototype in its possession and tasked ace flying baron Valen Rudor with performing early testing of the model for a possible introduction to the fleet, but the ship was destroyed by the Phoenix Cell in a bombing at the Empire Day parade on Lothal. Limited testing of the model continued from the Inquisitors yielding encouraging results in both atmospheric and orbital combat performance, and at least one TIE/ad v1 was used by captain Lindon Javes of Helix Squadron. However, a number of shortcomings (namely, the limited power supply capabilities of the wings which forced the craft to use fuel instead of the reactor) as well as the loss of many prototypes to the rebels resulted in the model never being approved for mass production.

Nevertheless, the v1 was considered by many in the Navy to be a groundbreaking and thoroughly impressive design. At some point before 4 BBY, Darth Vader, the Emperor's enforcer and effective Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial High Command approached Sienar with schematics for an advanced starfighter based on the v1 to serve as his personnal vessel. Sienar started work on the vessel, which, in continuing the v1's legacy was dubbed the TIE Advanced x1. By 4 BBY, the starfighter was complete and delivered to the Dark Lord of the Sith. Following his exact specifications, the x1 was equipped with longer bent wings than the v1 which were more than capable of meeting the increased energy requirements of the TIE's added deflector shields and hyperdrive. These were also shorter in height than the v1's, making it a smaller, more streamlined target and able to perform extreme maneuvers including sustained recoverable rolling and flying backwards. The craft was heavier in weight and firepower than both the /ln and the v1, featuring an enlarged durasteel superstructure behind the cockpit to house the hyperdrive and shield projector, and a cluster missile launcher with 20 projectiles.

Darth Vader utilized the x1 in a number of occassions with extremely positive results, including taking out the Phoenix Cell's flagship Phoenix Home and nearly single-handedly determining the outcome of the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY. Heavily damaged during the latter, the ship was nonetheless recovered and repaired, leading to a debate within the Navy on whether or not it should be formally introduced to the fleet. TIE Advanced prototypes, still considered a new design at that time, were at the disposal of Imperial forces based on the planet Tatooine during the Empire-Rebel struggle for the world. In fact, the Tatooine rebel cell was able to secure some x1s for its operations against the Empire. In the end, the proposal to formally introduce the x1 into the Imperial Navy was rejected on the basis of the starfighter's very high cost of 160,000 credits compared to the TIE/ln's 60,000.

A select few squadrons were equipped with the x1 before the project was scrapped. Despite its limited production, however, the TIE Advanced became a favorite amongst elite pilots. Indeed, an Ace of Storm Squadron flew the starfighter at one point. Despite the formal end of the project, Vader would also continue to fly his x1. A TIE fighter with the central design of a regular TIE fighter but wings akin to those of an x1 was part of the Hunter Fleet and fought in the Battle at Elessia.

While Sienar experimented with the TIE Advanced line, the Imperial Navy started encoutering the first issues with the TIE/ln. The vessel was designed for short-range operations, but mission requirements started increasingly forcing pilots to fly further away from their capital ships and stretching the TIE's capabilities. Furthermore, the TIE/ln was not properly equipped for ground attack operations, forcing the Navy to use Star Destroyers, whose weapons proved to be overpowered and messy for precision bombing. After unsuccessfully attempting to solve the problem with a modification to the TIE/ln dubbed the TIE/gt, the Navy eventually decided to task Sienar with producing a dedicated bomber. Sienar Fleet Systems responded with the TIE Surface Assault Bomber, codenamed the TIE/sa.

The new model was equipped with the elongated bent-wing design previously tested with the TIE/x1, and was properly equipped for independent long-range operations -although it still lacked a hyperdrive. It was layed out in a twin-pod design, with the starboard-side carrying the pilot and flight computers, and the port-side one carrying heavy ammunition including concussion missiles, proton torpedoes, thermal detonators, proton bombs and orbital mines. Sienar also equipped the TIE/sa with a 398X bomb sight and a T-s7b targeting computer developed specifically for precision bombing in orbital and atmospheric conditions. The new bomber was welcomed by the fleet and by 11 BBY it was actively being used in anti-capital ship operations, independent and squadron-based low and high atmospheric attacks and surgical sabotage strikes.

Although the Navy's TIE/ln and TIE/sa proved more than capable of handling the insurgents and pirates that plagued the Empire during the first years of its rule, the emerging rebellion began to slowly turn the tide of orbital combat with shielded, faster and more maneuverable starfighters including the BTL-A4 Y-wing starfighter reclaimed from the Republic's reserves and most importantly the extremely fast RZ-1 A-wing interceptor. Eventually, the Naval leadership considered the introduction of an improved model of starfighter that would be able to match their rebel opponents. Again, the engineers of Sienar Fleet Systems fulfilled the Navy's request with the TIE/IN interceptor, the next TIE design Sienar tackled after the x1.

The TIE/IN was essentially a stripped-down version of the TIE/x1, lacking the hyperdrive, shielding and extended reinforced superstructure of the original prototype. It nonetheless retained many of the x1's best qualities, including the improved engines, solar collector cells, and same bent-wing design, which was further improved by opening a horizontal hole in the middle of the wings to increase pilot visibility. The dagger-shaped craft was powered by an improved I-a3a solar ionization reactor connected to an autothruster, which allowed the TIE/IN to perform tight maneuvers impossible in most other craft. Its firepower was also increased with four all-new L-s9.3 laser cannons on the wingtips, which allowed it to be more than a match for rebel starfighters. Continuing the tradition of Inquisitorius pilots being the first to test new vessels, the Imperial Navy assigned a prototype of the TIE/IN to the Second Sister who performed extensive trial runs and also used it to investigate reports of a Jedi on Bracca. The trials' positive results encouraged the Imperial leadership, and the TIE/IN soon entered production as the Navy's third mass-produced starfighter after the TIE/ln and TIE/sa.

The TIE/IN officially entered service with the Imperial Navy in 3 BBY, while the x1 was still being developed as a prototype. The interceptor was first fielded within elite units, such as the 128th Fighter Group and the 181st Imperial Fighter Wing, and to TIE/ln squadron commanders for combat testing. The new fighters proved to be extremely effective. By the time of the Battle of Hoth in 3 ABY, they started to slowly replace TIE/ln as the preferred starfighter-to-starfighter combat craft, with TIE/IN making up one-fifth of the Imperial starfighter fleet by 4 ABY.

By 2 BBY, it was apparent to the Imperial High Command that the newly-introduced T-65B X-wing starfighter as well as the formation of a coherent and organized Alliance to Restore the Republic had resulted in a rapidly evolved orbital combat theater. While the Emperor seemed to side with the Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research's continued development of the DS-1 battle station as a solution to the rebel threat, Grand Admiral Thrawn started investigating the Imperial Security Bureau's interrogations of attempted defectors from the Imperial Starfighter Pilot corps to identify common grounds. What he discovered was that nearly all defectors reported a growing reluctance to pilot unshielded, badly defended and fleet-dependent craft like the standard TIE/ln.

In response, the Grand Admiral spearheaded an initiative to develop a well-defended and armed, hyperdrive-equipped shielded fighter that would be able to operate independently from the fleet and strike behind enemy lines, mimicking the Rebels' tactics to the Empire's advantage. Furthermore, in an official report submitted to Grand Moff Tarkin, Thrawn outlined that the project would not only be advantageous against rebel pilots, but also increase the loyalty of the Imperial pilots. Development of the classified project began in the Sienar Systems Advanced Projects Laboratory on Lothal in 2 BBY, where Thrawn submitted very specific design aspects for the starfighter, including a tri-wing design incorporating three sets of inverted TIE/IN wings mounted further away from the cockpit to increase visibility. Thrawn based his design on a prototype high-powered starfighter submitted years ago by industrialist Morgan Elsbeth and at the time rejected by Moff Isdain, taking note of the design's unique layout of emphasis on starfighter warfare. Reports from several SFS engineers suggested that Thrawn even displayed a rare Kamino saberdart to demonstrate the wings' orientation and its effectiveness. Computer simulations of the proposed design confirmed the speed and maneuverability advantages of the layout, and an experimental prototype was assembled for flight tests and dubbed the TIE/d "Defender" Multi-Role Starfighter.

The prototype was combat-tested by veteran flight instructor Vult Skerris of the Skystrike Academy during Operation Handoff, where it was able to reach a rebel convoy carrying rebel leader Mon Mothma via its hyperdrive and then outgun the escorting Gold Squadron's Y-wings, destroying two of them. Although it was heavily damaged by the Archeon Nebula's gases, it was later also flown by Darth Vader during the Imperial–Grysk conflict, with the Dark Lord admiring its effectiveness himself. Vader personally reported on the project to the Emperor, expressing his support, and suggested a number of improvements including heavier weapons and simplified controls, which the SFS engineers were quick to implement.

With both the Emperor and members of the High Command including Tarkin and Admiral Balanhai Savit supporting the project while simultaneously disproving of Project Stardust's (the DS-1 development division) costly delays, work started anew on the Defender project, with an improved prototype based on Vader's suggestions being ready by 1 BBY and codenamed the TIE/D Defender Elite. Intended to become the Imperial Navy's next-generation response to the rebel threat, the model was equipped with eight TIE/IN L-s9.3 heavy laser cannons, a warhead launcher with six missiles, a tractor beam projector, advanced P-sz9.7 twin ion engines and a dedicated CRX-9 targeting computer, all developed specifically for the prototype.

The design was extensively tested on flight simulators against virtually all fighters used by the rebels at the time, and found to vastly outperform all of them. Official flight tests using the first assembled prototype were scheduled to be performed during that same year, with both Lothal's Governor Arihnda Pryce and Grand Admiral Thrawn attending and Vult Skerris piloting. However, the local resistance group led by former governor Ryder Azadi managed to steal the technical plans of the original TIE/D prototype and inform Alliance High Command of the project's development. After Alliance officers including Hera Syndulla analyzed the plans, they determined that mass-production of the fighter would result in their starfighter forces being quickly decimated, as they had no way of defeating the advanced starfighter; thus, destroying the project became a priority. Phoenix cell operatives Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren managed to infiltrate the site of the first official flight test and steal the TIE/D Elite prototype before Skerris had boarded it.

Thrawn saw the opportunity for an impromptu live-fire test, and dispatched three of the airfield's elite TIE/IN to pursue them, with the untrained Bridger being able to shoot down all three using the Elite's advanced weapons. Pryce remotely disabled the prototype, causing it to crash, and Thrawn determined the test to be a success, as the craft was advanced enough to allow even an unskilled pilot such as Bridger to defeat elite Imperial pilots.

Despite the Defender Elite's excellent performance, another elite prototype was destroyed in a massive rebel attack on Lothal determined to destroy the project's factories and stop it from going live. Although Thrawn's blockade was successful in intercepting and destroying the invading X-wings, the TIE/D was caught in the Chimaera's friendly fire and crashed, while a significant part of the groundside assembly lines were bombed and disabled. Amidst Orson Krennic's insistence that Project Stardust should take priority over the now uncovered Defender project, Tarkin advised Thrawn to make a case directly to the Emperor to ensure the project's continuation. With the Grand Admiral and his forces off-world, the Phoenix cell attempted a final attack on Lothal's Capital City, during which governor Pryce intentionally destroyed the Lothal City fuel depot in an attempt to capture them. This strategic mistake depleted the remaining Defender Elite factories from critical resources needed to continue development of the starfighter, and the project was scrapped, with all funding ultimately directed to development of Project Stardust.

Tarkin stated that the Defender would be the next in production line as soon as the superweapon was complete, but Thrawn's dissapearence in the Liberation of Lothal and Tarkin's death in the Battle of Yavin left the project without direction. The entire Defender line was decommissioned, yet Defenders still saw some use as the Galactic Civil War continued. Indeed, some advancements were made, such as the development of a new model dubbed the TIE Advanced x7. However, it did not advance from the prototype stage due to all six examples being destroyed in the Battle of Hoth. Additionally, five TIE Defenders were used by the Dark Squadron under Beilert Valance around the same time.

As well as the TIE/ln, Imperial pilots would make use of flight simulators and TIE training drones for training purposes. One TIE variant was the TIE/rb heavy starfighter, a bulked-up version of the TIE/ln with heavier armor as well as a secondary pod with heavy laser cannons. Another TIE model was seen on an Imperial supply moon.

Another early TIE variant was the TIE/gt, which eventually evolved into the more prominent TIE/sa bomber, with inward-bent wings and a second pod to carry ordnance. A heavy variant was the TIE/ca "Punisher" Starfighter, which contained quadruple the payload of the TIE bomber. The TIE/fc, TIE/sr, TIE/rc, and TIE scout were models used for reconnaissance missions. While it resembled a TIE/ln, it featured a hyperdrive to allow for long-range travel.

The TIE/sh shuttle was derived from the TIE bomber and maintained its two-pod configuration, with the second pod built to carry passengers between capital ships. It was identified by its wings, which were distinctively bent outward. Another TIE shuttle variant was the TIE Boarding Craft, which more closely resembled the TIE bomber and was used for the transportation and boarding of up to two stormtrooper squads. Along with the TIE shuttle, it was one of the few TIE variants equipped with deflector shields.

The TIE lander was a triple-hulled TIE variant that could transport an entire company of troops. A more unique model was the TIE/rp Reaper attack lander, a shuttle used to transport elite troops to points on a battlefield. It featured two pointed, forward-facing wings.

The TIE Advanced v1 was an advanced starfighter prototype equipped with a hyperdrive, shields, and curved folding wings with extra armor. It commonly saw use by members of the Inquisitorius. The TIE Advanced x1 was another advanced fighter with similar features, but was smaller and featured bent wings similar to the TIE bomber. One such model served as Darth Vader's personal starfighter. However, the TIE Advanced x1 was too expensive to mass-produce, so the TIE/IN interceptor was created as its successor. While it lacked a hyperdrive and shields, it featured extra laser cannons mounted on its pointed wingtips. The TIE Avenger was also inspired by the TIE Advanced.

Grand Admiral Thrawn's fighter initiative on Lothal saw the development of the elite TIE/d "Defender" Multi-Role Starfighter, which was equipped with heavy cannons, shields, and a hyperdrive. Its characteristic three wings resembled those of the TIE Interceptor inverted, and the fighter proved a powerful combatant against rebel starfighters. An even more powerful variant called the TIE/D Defender Elite was developed, but the entire project was halted by the destruction of the Lothal City fuel depot.

Other experimental TIE models included the TIE/ag "Aggressor" Starfighter, a medium attack craft with a rear-mounted turret, the TIE/ph "Phantom" Multi-Role Stealth Starfighter, a stealth fighter with cloaking abilities that saw extremely limited use, the TIE/sk x1 experimental air superiority fighter, a fighter designed for optimal atmospheric flight and base defense, and the TIE crawler, a tank that resembled a TIE cockpit with tank treads replacing its wings.

The Mining Guild's affiliation with the Empire granted it access to certain Imperial resources, including TIE models, which the Guild modified into the TIE/mg Mining Guild starfighter.

Imperial remnants still utilized TIE fighters following the destruction of the Empire. Moff Gideon's Imperial remnant made use of several Outland TIE fighters, which resembled a TIE/ln, but featured wings that folded outwards upon landing. Commodore Visler Korda's Imperial remnant also produced the auto-fighter, a drone TIE fighter, during its time on Rekkana.

The First Order Navy continued to use TIE fighters based on the Empire's designs. Manufactured by Sienar-Jaemus Fleet Systems, the new TIE models boasted significant upgrades from Imperial technology. The successor to the TIE/ln was the TIE/fo space superiority fighter, which, unlike most TIE models of the Empire, was equipped with basic shielding to protect the pilot.

The First Order Special Forces used the TIE/sf space superiority fighter, another advanced model equipped with a hyperdrive and shields as well as a gunner-operated turret on the underside of the cockpit. The fighter's hull featured red markings to identify its affiliation with Special Forces. Also in use were the First Order's TIE/se Bombers, a transport called the TIE/es assault shuttle, and a stealth fighter known as the TIE/wi Interceptor.

More elite pilots such as Major Elrik Vonreg used the TIE/ba Baron Space Superiority Interceptor, an all-red TIE Interceptor. Inspired by the TIE Defender, First Order technicians sought to revive heavy weapons capabilities and developed the TIE/vn space superiority fighter, which was tested by only the most elite pilots, including Kylo Ren. Ren later utilized a TIE/wi modified interceptor during his time as Supreme Leader.

The Sith Eternal's fleet, the Final Order, used the TIE/dg starfighter, which was identifiable by its triangular wings.

The TIE line first appeared in the first Star Wars film, Episode IV A New Hope of the Original trilogy, in 1977. Within Star Wars canon, it was first identified in the 2015 reference book Ultimate Star Wars. Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide gave the alternate title of "TIE-series," but the 2019 novel Thrawn: Treason would later write this name as "TIE series."

• Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
• Rogue One: Recon A Star Wars 360 Experience
• † LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures
• LEGO STAR WARS: Celebrate the Season — "Twas the Night Before Life Day"
• Star Wars: Puzzle Droids
• Star Wars Resistance Racer
• LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
• LEGO STAR WARS: Celebrate the Season — "Sithmas Battle"
• Star Wars: Visions — "THE TWINS"
• Star Wars: Visions — "T0-B1"

• The Art of Star Wars: Visions