Instantly recognizable to any Star Wars fan, the TIE series of starfighters were small vessels designed to overwhelm opponents. Used by the forces of the Empire, the TIE stands for Twin Ion Engines (those two giant solar panels on either side). Referred to as “eyeballs” by Rebel forces, seeing swarms of them emerging like a cloud was enough to frighten even the bravest of pilots.
The TIE Fighter contained almost no creature comforts. It had no hyperdrive, no shields, and no life support (which wasn’t too healthy for the pilot if their suit failed). Its only weapons were two fixed laser cannons. This meant it was incredibly cheap to build and maintain, so huge attack wings could be launched from carriers at a moment’s notice. Pilots were therefore expendable, especially if assigned to protect Death Stars.
The TIE Interceptor was another Imperial starfighter but its design was 20 years ahead of the primitive TIE Fighter. The solar panels were turned lengthways so as to make the vessel not quite such a good target. Gaps were cut in the panels to reduce pilot blind spots. Four laser cannons instead of the previous two gave it a good chance of killing more expensive enemy vessels during dogfights. The Interceptor’s innovative modular design also allowed it to be fitted with shields, a hyperdrive, or even life support. Being more complex, the Interceptor was more expensive to build. But for Imperial fighter pilots, flying an Interceptor gave them the best chance of survival.
Either way, they both need better targeting systems, especially when fighting Jedis using only The Force to navigate.
