The V-4X-D ski speeder, alternatively known as the Resistance ski speeder, skim speeder, or the Single Pilot Operator, represented a powerful ground assault vehicle engineered by Roche Machines.
The V-4XD ski speeder, a product of Roche Machines, functioned as a low-flying airspeeder utilized by the Rebel Alliance during the era of the Galactic Civil War. This ski speeder incorporated a stabilizer strut to ensure equilibrium while traversing alien landscapes. While the strut's retraction enabled limited altitude gain, this action frequently resulted in significant instability for the craft.
Due to its superficial resemblance to the A/SF-01 B-wing starfighter, Captain Poe Dameron once quipped that the speeder was essentially "a B-wing that couldn't fly."
Originally, Roche Machines marketed the V-4 series ski speeders to asteroid slalom racers. However, the sport ceased operations following a catastrophic incident where racers were decimated by a stone mite infestation. Subsequently, the vehicles experienced a resurgence in popularity among explorer groups, who adapted the ski speeders for diverse applications.
The Rebel Alliance transported a number of these vehicles to the planet Crait in an attempt to reactivate a base formerly used by the early Rebellion. Ultimately, the rebels opted against utilizing the facility due to hazardous weather conditions and the risk of Imperial detection. Following a clash with an Imperial commando squad, the remaining speeders were abandoned on the planet.
These same speeders were later retrieved and employed by the Resistance during their conflict against the First Order in 34 ABY. During the Battle of Crait, thirteen of these salvaged speeders, stripped down to their essential components, were deployed against the advancing First Order Army.
The initial glimpse of the Resistance ski speeder occurred in the first teaser trailer for Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi on April 14, 2017.