Advanced Jedi starfighter

The Eta-2 Actis Interceptor, sometimes known as the "Jedi Interceptor", is a fictional starfighter from the Star Wars saga. It was created for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, based on the "Jedi starfighter" from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and, in part, the TIE fighter from the classic trilogy.

Following on from the success of the Delta-7 Aethersprite Interceptor, Kuat Drive Yards subsidiary Kuat Systems Engineering designed the Eta-2 Actis Interceptor. Like its predecessor, the Jedi Interceptor was forced to either dock with a larger ship or use an external hyperdrive ring for faster-than-light travel; however, it had room for a full astromech droid instead of a truncated unit as was fitted into Delta-7 interceptors. The standard fighter complement of a Venator-class Star Destroyer included 192 Eta-2 interceptors.

Thanks to its status as a war-time starfighter, the Eta-2 had more firepower at its disposal than the Delta-7&mdash;two twin-barrel laser cannons and 2 ion cannons&mdash;though the fighter's limited power systems restricted the ability to fire continuously. Raith Sienar's twin ion engine design allowed the Eta-2 to achieve a maximum acceleration of 5,200g. Unlike the Delta-7, the Eta-2 did not have shields.

Some of these interceptors were customized by their pilots. While Obi-Wan Kenobi's red-hued fighter was more in line with the factory standard, Anakin Skywalker's craft was modified by the young Jedi Knight. Both fighters were flown into action during the Battle of Coruscant, though during the conflict, Obi-Wan's astromech - R4-P17 - was destroyed by a flight of deadly 'buzz droids'.

Following the Clone Wars, elements of the Eta-2 Actis design were used in the creation of Sienar Fleet Systems's TIE fighter - most notably the spherical cockpit, vertical radiator panels and twin ion engines. The Delta line was sold to Sienar some years after the Galactic Republic became the Galactic Empire.