Proton torpedo/Legends

"I hate torpedoes; let's destroy them!"

- An Aggressor-class destroyer captain

The proton torpedo was a type of ordnance used throughout the Galaxy. It's most notable use was during the Battle of Yavin, when Luke Skywalker destroyed the Death Star I by launching a pair of proton torpedoes into the space station's exhaust pipe.

Description
Proton torpedoes came in a wide array of sizes and yields; from massively powerful capital ship weapons designed for orbital bombardment, to small but nimble kiloton range ones like those Luke Skywalker employed against the first Death Star. Proton torpedoes employed nuclear or thermonuclear warheads which integrated Nergon-14 mined on Tyne's Horky &mdash; likely as the catalyst that triggers the explosion by compressing the bomb material. The blast was typically focused into a tight cone (the weapons employed by the LAAT/i had a setting of 2 degrees) to maximize effectiveness and minimize collateral damage and energy leakage away from the target.

A number of torpedo designs were shielded to protect them from being shot down either by skilled pilots or the target's defensive flak guns.

Small starfighters like the Rebel Alliance T-65 X-wing and Y-wing fighters often had their laser weaponry complimented by ordinance launchers capable of firing proton torpedoes. The energized torpedoes carried a devastatingly powerful blast, and could be fired at much greater ranges than the standard laser cannon. The torpedoes were exceptionally maneuverable, able to make a 90 degree turn within a turning circle of a meter. During the Rebel attack run on the Death Star I, Alliance fighters had to use high-speed proton torpedoes on the thermal exhaust port that protected the Death Star's sole vulnerable point. Since the port was ray-shielded, standard laser weaponry would have been ineffective. Proton torpedoes were also used during the Battle of Naboo by Naboo N-1 Starfighter pilots. Anakin Skywalker accidentally crash landed in the Droid Control Ship and destroyed the control ship using proton torpedoes.

Notable models

 * MGA-1
 * MG7-A proton torpedo

Behind the scenes

 * In the X-wing series of computer games, proton torpedoes were slower than concussion missiles but more damaging. However, this contradicts information in many canon sources which show that both proton torpedoes and concussion missiles are just general types of weapons with various yields. Because of that, this "fact" should be dismissed as a mere game mechanic.
 * The proton torpedo could be an homage to the photon torpedo of Star Trek. The near homophonic similarity in the names has been parodied numerous times.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Episode I Adventures 2: The Bartokk Assassins
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars: Battlefront
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars Republic: The Hunt for Aurra Sing
 * Shatterpoint
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Star Wars Empire: The Short, Happy Life of Roons Sewell
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Shadows of the Empire: Evolution
 * X-wing Rogue Squadron: The Phantom Affair
 * X-wing Rogue Squadron: Requiem for a Rogue
 * X-wing Rogue Squadron: Blood and Honor
 * X-wing: Rogue Squadron
 * X-wing: Isard's Revenge
 * Specter of the Past
 * Recovery
 * Vector Prime
 * Star by Star
 * Dark Journey
 * Destiny's Way
 * The Unifying Force
 * The Unifying Force