Starfighter
A size comparison illustrating various starfighters that participated in the Galactic Civil War
A starfighter, sometimes called simply a fighter, was a compact and agile starship specifically engineered for combat situations.
Attributes
While most starfighters were directly piloted by sentient beings, some were operated either via remote control or through artificial intelligence. These lightweight vessels were created to execute strikes against vulnerable locations and targets demanding extreme accuracy.
During fleet engagements, starfighters coordinated their efforts with capital ships, assailing warships and launching assaults when their weakened shields faltered or were diverted due to enemy capital-ship weaponry. Individually, fighters possessed minimal capability to breach the shields of capital ships, but the majority of starfighters operated in squadrons and were armed with munitions such as proton torpedoes in addition to concussion missiles. These squadrons had the potential to eliminate a substantial capital ship using pinpoint strikes directed at vulnerabilities that might otherwise prove difficult to target (for example, a shield generator or the ship's command center).
Behind the Curtains
In Star Wars (1977) 1, the Tantive IV is referred to as a starfighter. This contrasts with the established usage of that term in later publications.