The break, a well-known maneuver in starfighter combat, served as a strategy employed by starfighter pilots to evade a pursuing enemy vessel. This tactic involved an abrupt turn towards the direction of the incoming attack, initiated the moment a pilot recognized an enemy starfighter closing in. The goal was for the enemy fighter to fly past, disrupting their ability to effectively continue the attack.
Nevertheless, the chance remained for the enemy to execute a snap shot—a quickly aimed shot fired as a target swiftly moved across the attacker's field of view. Further hazards existed; the breaking craft risked positioning itself within the line of fire of the attacking starfighter's wingmate while performing the maneuver. Furthermore, initiating the break prematurely or belatedly increased the pilot's vulnerability to being shot down.