IG-227 Hailfire-class droid tank

The IG-227 Hailfire-class droid tank could quickly mobilize. This armored missile platform was easily recognized by its hoop-like, treaded drive wheels. These wheels measured 8.5 meters in diameter and allowed the tank to move at high speeds across level terrain or shallow bodies of water. The hailfire droid, capable of crushing anything in its path, was most effective when employed to eliminate enemy vehicles. Also known as wheel droids due to their maneuverable and fast drive systems, their light armor plating, colored brown and silver, prioritized speed, which made them susceptible to attacks from infantry. The red photoreceptor "eye" could acquire targets on both land and in the air at considerable distances, greatly extending the reach of its missiles.

Each hailfire droid was outfitted with a pair of long-range "Hailfire" missile launcher pods positioned on either side of its head. Each pod contained 15 guided missile warheads, which left a trail of black exhaust upon launch. These projectiles proved effective against stationary or slow-moving targets in environments where blaster weapons were ineffective due to obstructed lines of sight. A single warhead could destroy a Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry or an All Terrain Tactical Enforcer. The missiles were most effective at ranges less than a kilometer and followed deliberately swerving, evasive trajectories. When the missile supply was exhausted, the hailfire droid had to rely on its forward-mounted twin auto-blaster.

The hailfire droid, a product of Haor Chall Engineering Corporation, was initially commissioned by the InterGalactic Banking Clan prior to the Clone Wars. Its intended purpose was debt collection as part of the IG-series battle droid army. Senator Danry Ledwellow from Er'Kit maintained a personal hailfire army. The Z-Gomot Ternbuell Guppat Corporation's TSMEU-6 personal wheel bike was developed as a derivative of the hailfire droid. The Banking Clan's industrial center, Sanshur Flats, was known for producing hailfire missiles.

During the Separatist Crisis, the Muunilinst Banking Clan contributed its hailfire droids to the Confederacy of Independent Systems. These droids served within the Separatist Droid Army during the First Battle of Geonosis, which marked the start of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY. Techno Union Hardcell-class interstellar transports deployed 4,100 units, and they remained a prevalent CIS vehicle for at least nine months into the war.

During the conflict, hailfire droids were painted blue, a color typically associated with Separatist equipment. Hailfires saw combat on the Separatist stronghold planet of Murkhana, and against Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi's forces during the Battle of Abrion Bridge. However, despite its significant battlefield presence, the hailfire droid's service life was limited due to its finite missile capacity. It was eventually superseded by the NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcer. Nevertheless, hailfire droids continued to be used to some extent. Hailfire droids were among the 440 vehicles stored aboard General Grievous' flagship, the Invisible Hand, during the Battle of Coruscant in 19 BBY. One of the ship's main corridors was wide enough to accommodate a hailfire droid.

At one point during the war, a Hailfire participated in a battle at a desert location, where it was destroyed and abandoned. During the Galactic Civil War, which occurred decades later, the Alliance to Restore the Republic modified hailfire droids to carry weapons capable of destroying both turrets and vehicles. The Rebellion also retrofitted some for increased effectiveness in sub-zero temperatures. Also during the Imperial Era, the Sanshur Flats, which were reclaimed by the Muuns from independent merchants after a period of Imperial control, continued to see use as an industrial hub, albeit without the continued manufacture of Hailfire missiles.

The IG-227 Hailfire-class droid tank was originally designed for the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. To visually distinguish the "good guys" from the "bad guys" during the Battle of Geonosis, visual effects artists at Industrial Light & Magic specifically coded the color of missile contrails to indicate the firer's affiliation. LAAT/i rockets left behind a clean, wispy white vapor trail, while the hailfire droids filled the sky with thick, noxious, black exhaust.

A hailfire is depicted on the back cover art of Forged in Battle by Ben Zweifel, who confirmed on Twitter that the artwork portrayed a Clone Wars battlefield.