The Starfighter Corps of the Rebel Alliance functioned as the Starfighter Corps for the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Composed of Rebel pilots, this unit played a role in several key engagements, including the Battle of Yavin, the Battle of Hoth, and the Battle of Endor, all during the Galactic Civil War. It stood out as a significant strength of the Alliance.
While a small and disorganized resistance against the Imperial control of the galaxy had been present since at least 19 BBY, the formal organization of the Starfighter Corps did not occur until 2 BBY. Over time, the Starfighter Corps expanded to include various spacecraft, such as the BTL-A4 Y-wing assault starfighter/bombers, T-65B X-wing starfighters, T-65C-A2 X-wings, and UT-60D U-wing starfighter/support crafts.
The Starfighter Corps of the Rebel Alliance was established in 2 BBY as a component of the broader Rebel Alliance and its allied military forces. Around 2 BBY to 1 BBY, Rebel pilots and larger ships engaged Imperial forces in the battle above Cianap. In 1 BBY, the Rebel Alliance Starfighter Corps participated in the unsuccessful Attack on Lothal, the successful Liberation of Erso, and the controversial mission to Eadu, which paved the way for increased conflict against the Empire. During that mission, rebel pilots fought the Eadu Deployment and destroyed the Eadu Energy Conversion Laboratory.
Not long after the theft of the Death Star plans on Scarif, the Empire discovered the location of the Rebels' headquarters on Yavin 4 and dispatched the massive battle station to obliterate the moon. The Rebels launched a squadron of 22 X-wing starfighters and 8 Y-wings in a last-ditch effort to attack the space station's reactor, which could be accessed via a thermal exhaust port at the end of the meridian trench. Despite heavy losses and strong Imperial opposition, a young pilot named Luke Skywalker utilized the Force to destroy the station using proton torpedoes. Of the initial attacking force, only 2 X-wings and one Y-wing survived the attack.
Following the Battle of Yavin, the Starfighter Corps significantly expanded its size and diversified its fleet. The Alliance managed to supply Saponza's rebel cell on Tatooine with new starship types, including A/SF-01 B-wing starfighters, E-50 Landseers, Fang fighters, HWK-290 light freighters, LAAT/i gunships, RZ-1 A-wing interceptors, and Z-95 Headhunters. Within a year, the Alliance had also acquired T-47 airspeeders, which were deployed at the Battle of Vrogas Vas with Cyan Squadron. After the Alliance hijacked an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer named Harbinger, Luke Skywalker and Sana Starros utilized TIE/ln space superiority starfighters for patrols.
The Empire achieved a major victory against the rebels during the Battle of Mako-Ta, resulting in the destruction of ninety percent of the starfighter corps. In 3 ABY, the T-47s saw action at the Battle of Hoth. Although primarily used for towing cargo sleds around Echo Base, a number of airspeeders proved to be effective atmospheric assault fighters. The resourceful pilots of Rogue Squadron used harpoons and tow cables to entangle the legs of Imperial AT-AT walkers, then destroyed them with laser cannons in their weakened state. Wedge Antilles successfully used this technique. Thane Kyrell of Corona Squadron took a different approach, severing a walker's foot pad with the sharp wing edge of his airspeeder.
In 4 ABY, the Starfighter Corps dealt a significant blow to the Empire in the crucial Battle of Endor. Under the leadership of General Lando Calrissian, the Corps spearheaded a desperate attack on the DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station. With Calrissian piloting the Millennium Falcon, the Rebels destroyed the new battle station, while the redeemed Anakin Skywalker sacrificed himself to eliminate Darth Sidious. Later that year, the Alliance to Restore the Republic transformed into the New Republic. As part of this broader change, the Starfighter Corps of the Rebel Alliance was reformed into the New Republic Starfighter Corps, which continued to participate in the Galactic Civil War, including the Battle of Jakku.
Thirty years after the Galactic Civil War, Wedge and many other former rebel pilots joined the Resistance to fight the First Order.
Despite many rebel pilots lacking formal training, their combat experience often compensated for this, leading them to outperform many Imperial pilots. However, some pilots did receive formal training from the Imperial Navy before defecting to the Rebel Alliance, including Jon Vander, Braylen Stramm, Attico Wred, Biggs Darklighter, Jake Farrell, Lindon Javes, Derek Klivian, Yrica Quell, and Wedge Antilles.