Missile Boat (Star Wars)
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| Star Wars craft | |
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| XM-1 Missile Boat | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Cygnus Spaceworks |
| Specification | Fleet Defender |
| Type | Advanced Space Superiority Fighter |
| Length | 15 meters |
| Weapons | One Taim & Bak KX6 Laser Cannon; Two SFS M-s-8 Advanced Concussion Missile Launchers (20 missiles each); Two General Purpose Warhead Launchers |
| Shield | Forward/Rear projecting Novaldex Shields (120 SBD) |
| Hull | Quadranium Steel armored Titanium hull (20/19 RU) |
| Crew | 1 pilot |
| Top Speed | 125/122 MGLT / 21 MGLT per second (Speed & acceleration 2x when SLAMs are in use) |
| Troop Capacity | 0 |
| Affiliation | Galactic Empire/Imperial Remnant |
| Cargo Capacity | Minimal |
| Passengers | 0 |
In the fictional Star Wars Expanded Universe, the XM-1 Novawing, commonly known as the Missile Boat was an Imperial starfighter built by Cygnus Spaceworks that was rushed into service to counter Grand Admiral Zaarin's TIE Defenders. It is the successor to the Alpha XG-1 Starwing Assault Gunboat, and has similar characteristics including the overall hull design and cockpit configuration.
The Missile Boat was not present in the multiplayer-oriented X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, although it made an appearance in X-Wing Alliance. There was a significant difference between the TIE Fighter and X-Wing Alliance models of the missile boat; the former was sleeker and less boxy by comparison.
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[edit] Specifications
Its weapons consisted of 1 Taim & Bak KX6 laser cannon, two advanced concussion missile launchers (20 missiles each), and two more warhead launchers of variable payload (advanced concussion missiles, advanced proton torpedoes, mag pulse torpedoes, heavy rockets or space bombs). (Previous Imperial starfighters only carried a maximum of 16 missiles.) Its two dedicated missile launchers more than compensated for its lack of fixed energy armament and besides their anti-starfighter purposes, they could be used for intercepting enemy warheads (in order to protect a VIP's craft) or even as unguided rockets. The Missile Boat's massive warhead payload was sufficient (in the TIE Fighter game) to singlehandedly destroy a large capital ship or facility from a safe standoff distance. Even if the enemy had an advanced anti-warhead defense missile system, the Missile Boat could expend a few of its own missiles to easily overwhelm it.
The Missile Boat was usually armed with a tractor beam to hold the TIE Defenders so that they could be destroyed by the craft's many missiles at stand-off ranges (2.5 kilometers in the Star Wars: TIE Fighter flight simulator) rather than attempting to enter dangerous dogfights with it.
Its shields were slightly more powerful than that of the Assault Gunboat in order to compensate for its weaker hull. The single laser cannon on the missile boat has an unusually fast firing rate to compensate for the fact that it is only a single laser, however most pilots rarely made use of that "pea-shooter" and instead diverted its energy towards shields or the SLAM. At cruise speed the Missile Boat was rated at 125 MGLT, making it a touch faster than the A-wing, and considerably faster than the X-wing star fighter. It could also use the new SLAM (Sub-Light Acceleration Motor) System to double its speed up to 250 MGLT, by drawing on its laser cannon's generator and draining its power; the speed boost allowed the Missile Boat to outrun enemy advanced concussion missiles or quickly close within firing range. Dumping shield recharge and laser cannon recharge to engines and activating the SLAM resulted in a speed of approximately 420 MGLT, over four times the speed of a standard configuration X-wing.
[edit] History
Due to the Missile Boat's capabilities, Imperial flight commanders warned their pilots not to let this craft fall into enemy hands. One, however, did fall into the hands of the Imperial traitor Grand Admiral Zaarin. Shortly before the Battle of Endor, one of Zaarin's co-conspirators, another former imperial officer named Namuura Din, wished to defect to the Rebels. He knew the Missile Boat would be a perfect bargaining tool. His ship, the Victory Star Destroyer Zeplin, met with the Rebel Mon Calamari Cruiser Link. Din transferred the Missile Boat over to them, as well as information that the Death Star at Endor was an elaborate trap. Just after these transactions were complete, a task force under the command of Darth Vader arrived to stop the meeting, as Imperial intelligence learned of it. By then the meeting was over, and the Link entered hyperspace. The Zeplin was captured along with Namuura Din. The Imperial task force followed the Link, and learned that since its commander had ordered the ship to go so fast, it exhausted most of its fuel. Vader seized upon the opportunity, and captured the Link and it's commander, before he could radio to Rebel command that the new Death Star was a trap. The Missile Boat, however, had already launched, and went to a Rebel space station. Vader's task force followed it there and destroyed it before it could flee again.
Due to the huge expense in producing each Missile Boat, only small numbers were produced. In contrast to more conventional Imperial starfighters such as TIEs, it was costly to re-arm each Missile Boat before a mission, considering the high price of the advanced concussion missile and the large numbers of warheads needed to make this craft effective. Combat losses and Zaarin's successful attacks on Missile Boat production facilities caused this starfighter to be recalled from active combat duty and put into storage shortly before the Battle of Endor.
[edit] References
- RPGGamer.Org Missile Boat data, accessed May 21, 2006.
- Star Wars: TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM
- Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance
- TFHB Technical Database Missile Boat data, accessed May 21, 2006.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| Vehicles of the Galactic Empire | |
|---|---|
| Entries in italics denote vehicles from the Expanded Universe | |
| Ground vehicles | |
| AT-ST | AT-AT | AT-TE | 74-Z Speeder Bike | Juggernaut | AT-PT | TIE crawler | |
| Starfighters | |
| TIE Fighter | TIE Interceptor | TIE Bomber | TIE Advanced x1 | TIE Avenger | TIE Defender | TIE/D fighter
TIE Hunter | TIE Phantom | Assault Gunboat | Missile Boat | Skipray Blastboat | A-9 Vigilance |
|
| Capital ships | |
| Star Destroyer | Super Star Destroyer | Executor | Nebulon-B Frigate | Corellian Corvette
Lancer-Class Frigate | Interdictor Cruiser | Carrack-Class Light Cruiser |
|
| Other | |
| Lambda-class shuttle | Death Star | Walker Dropship | World Devastator | Sun Crusher | |
| See also | |
| Star Wars air vehicles | Star Wars aquatic vehicles | Star Wars ground vehicles | Star Wars starfighters | Star Wars support craft |
|
