TIE/AG Aggressor starfighter

The TIE Aggressor, full name SANTHE/SIENAR Technologies TIE Aggressor, was a multi-role superiority starfighter-strike fighter.

Characteristics
Like most other TIE series starfighters, the TIE Aggressor sacrificed shields and armor for firepower and maneuverability. It was strong in multipurpose mission profiles, but was more expensive than specialist fighters, like the TIE/In Interceptor or the TIE/sa bomber, and its pilots required more training. As such, it was noted as being a TIE fighter that was a combination of a fighter and a bomber, the craft saw limited use, and never really left the experimental phase.



This ship had a laser cannon turret on the top-back of the craft used to defend the craft from pursuers. With a good gunner, the rear turret could be very accurate and hard to evade, which made attacks from the rear or above very difficult even with all shield power channeled forward. Many TIE Aggressor pilots were trained to skirt the outer edges of a combat zone, letting their gunner take shots at any enemy fighters that were currently engaging Imperial craft. If any enemy fighters attempted to pursue the Aggressor, the pilot would fly away from the combat zone, exposing the pursuing craft to the rear turret, while the Aggressor's wingmate would fall in behind the Rebel fighter. The ship represented a distinct break in typical Imperial Starfighter design philosophy, placing survivability and performance over cost efficiency and ease of maintenance.

Like most Imperial fighters, the Aggressor sported a small profile, making it a difficult target to hit. Its maneuverability suffered however, as what limited space was available was needed to provide additional power for the turret. In addition, as the turret needed extra firing space around the sides of the ship to line up shots, the Aggressor had a distinct shortage of ionization and radiation paneling in comparison to most TIE fighters. Because of this shortage of space, the standard TIE cockpit pod used for the Aggressor was lacking its usual chin-mounted weapon hardpoints, instead utilizing external racks for modular forward-facing laser cannons.

History
The TIE Aggressor was developed prior to the destruction of the first Death Star as a direct response to a perceived growth in the amount of heavy shipping aligned with the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Because of its distinctive properties, it was usually a favorite for Imperials who were free spirited and enjoyed longer missions away from base and apart from the large numbers usually associated with Rebel bombardments.

Behind the scenes
The TIE Aggressor was created as an Imperial counterpart to the turret-oriented Y-wing for the Jump to Lightspeed expansion for Star Wars Galaxies. They were considered one of the more difficult starfighters to defeat in PvE combat due to the rear turret.

Though not one of the most popular PVP ships due to its low maneuverability, the TIE Aggressor was one of the most versatile ships in the game. It could be very successfully flown with a single player or when utilized with a gunner. As the fourth smallest ship in Jump to Lightspeed, it was difficult to hit, even though it was relatively sluggish, and at ~125k mass, it was able to utilize a dizzying array of diverse ship parts.