The V-wing airspeeder represented a combat airspeeder innovation from the New Republic, intended as a successor to the outdated cloud cars. This allowed the more valuable starfighters to concentrate on battles in space.
Famous for their creation of the B-wing starfighter, the Verpine Slayn & Korpil hive colonies engineered the V-wing airspeeder. The V-wing achieved exceptional velocity through its marriage of a standard repulsorlift system and potent ion afterburners.
This single-pilot vehicle could reach a top combat speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour. Moreover, the inclusion of the powerful Chab-Ylwoum scramjet booster enabled the craft to hit speeds of up to 1,400 kilometers per hour. The rear of the vehicle featured flaps for braking and maneuvering. Between the engines were heat dispersal fins. However, operating at such high speeds presented potential hazards, and overuse of the scramjet could lead to critical overheating of the drive system, leading to the scramjet being reserved for emergency escapes. Due to the absence of shields, the V-wing pilot had to rely on the vehicle's size and speed to evade enemy speeders and starfighters.
The V-wing's armament consisted of two linked blaster cannons positioned on either side of the vehicle, boasting an effective range of two kilometers. These blaster cannons also possessed a rapid-fire mode, proving effective against shielded adversaries, though continuous firing for more than three seconds would cause them to overheat.
The V-wing's unusually high operational ceiling meant they could be launched from both ground-based facilities and starships with hangar bays. When deployed from space, the airspeeder depended on V-wing airspeeder transports, which could initially carry four V-wings (later models could carry six) into planetary atmospheres. A larger capital ship could accommodate up to ten of these transports, allowing for the rapid deployment of numerous V-wings to a planet under attack. The craft also featured a refueling port, situated on the starboard stern.
As the conflict with the remaining Imperial forces persisted, the New Republic military recognized the necessity for a cost-effective and easily maintained vehicle for defending planets. The V-wing, with its ability to be quickly deployed, high speed, and low cost, provided the answer.
The V-wing's first taste of combat occurred at the Battle of Calamari in 10 ABY. Wedge Antilles and his fellow Rogue Squadron pilots flew these vehicles and successfully disabled three smaller World Devastators.
The V-wing also participated in the Battle of Coruscant against the Yuuzhan Vong. While highly effective against the incoming atmospheric craft, the V-wings were ultimately overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies.
The V-wing airspeeder made its debut appearance in the Star Wars: Dark Empire comic series.
In the game Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, the V-wing is equipped with a missile launcher containing six cluster missiles, a feature absent from any reference book entries about the V-wing. It is likely that this missile launcher is not considered canonical, and is simply a result of the game's mechanics.
The V-wing's design originated from an earlier concept for the T-47 airspeeder.