Star Files: T-65B X-wing Starfighter

  Hello all!  As part of restarting this blog, I decided to start with a new entry: Star Files.  In this series, I will be going over various characters, technologies, and ships in Star Wars, and what better to start this series with the most iconic ship: the T-65B X-wing! (Important note: For this series, I will be focusing on the current canon version created by Disney)

Intro

  The T-65B X-wing was created by the Incom Corporation, which was known for producing Clone Wars-era starfighters.  When the Empire came into power, the Emperor wanted a strong military that could keep order in the galaxy.  Because of this, the Incom Corporation was replaced by Seinar Fleet Systems, most known for their TIE series.  Because of this, engineers working on the T-65 defected to the Rebellion and helped them build these ships.  Being used by the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic, this ship saw a lot of action in it's lifetime, and it would be succeeded by the T-70 and T-85 X-wings. 

Operational History

  The T-65B X-wing began service as early as 1 BBY during the attack on Lothal.  They were used by various Rebel cells such as Saw Gerrera's Partisans.  

  The X-wing was also present at the first battle of the Galactic Civil War in 0 BBY: the Battle of Scariff.  Here, Red Squadron would protect the fleet while Blue Squadron would aid Rogue One on the ground providing aerial support and reinforcements.  Their help allowed Rogue One to transmit the Death Star plans to the Rebel fleet and resulted, though it resulted in the death of Blue Squadron and some of Red Squadron.  A few days later, Red Squadron would assault the Death Star and managed to destroy it.

  The X-wings would continue to serve the Rebel Alliance on multiple missions during the Galactic Civil War including the Battle of Hoth and even the Battle of Endor before the Rebel Alliance became the New Republic.

  When the New Republic was established in 5 ABY, there was still resistance from the Empire, who was now on the defensive.  The X-wing continued to serve the New Republic on various missions such as the Battle for Kuat Drive Yards, along with protecting Project Starhawk, a secret project that took parts from Imperial Star Destroyers and built a massive warship.  This can be seen in the most recent EA Star Wars title: Squadrons.  One year after the Battle of Endor, X-wings took part in the Battle of Jakku, which ended the war and resulted in the signing of the Galactic Concordance treaty.  The T-65B X-wing would continue to be used by the New Republic until they were succeeded by the T-70 and T-85 X-wings.

Systems and Armaments

  The T-65B was efficient for multiple reasons.  For one, they possessed shields, which allowed them to take enemy fire much easier.  They also had a hyperdrive, making them ideal for hit-and-run attacks.  These features were nonexistent for their enemy, the TIE Fighter.  Because of this, the X-wing was able to overpower the TIEs and were considered more effective.  The X-wing was also equipped with S-foils to allow heat exhaust to escape much easier.  These S-foils would extend into an "x" position, hence its name.

  The X-wing was also equipped with four laser cannons and proton torpedos, which Luke Skywalker used to destroy the Death Star.

Other Notable Versions

*B-class X-wing - Existed during the New Republic Era  

*Patrol X-wing - Used for reconnaissance like its predecessor, the ARC-170 starfighter 

*T-65C-A2 X-wing - An older model of the T-65B; at least one was used at the Battle of Scariff

*T-70 W-wing - Successor to the T-65B, later used by the Resistance to fight the First Order

*T-85 X-wing - Most current model and successor of the T-70  

Sources:

“X-Wing Starfighter.” Wookieepedia. Web. 12 Oct. 2020. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/X-wing_starfighter.