Arc 170 fighter

It was an ancestor of the T-65 X-wing starfighter, which would be mainly used by the Alliance to Restore the Republic. In support of Anakin and Obi-Wan in the Battle of Coruscant, the two Jedi are escorted by a squadron of ARC-170 fighters (aggressive reconnaissance fighters). Absolutely loyal to the Republic, the clone pilots have the mission of diverting the Trade Federations fighters and clearing the way for the Jedi. With the inbred obedience that they received in the Kaminoan breeding station, these brave fighters voluntarily sacrifice themselves, so that the Jedi can fulfill their mission. However, the clone pilots also have access to the skills of the bounty hunter Jango Fett and place themselves in the path of the enemy undaunted by death. The reconnaissance fighter has a class 1.5 hyperdrive and carries torpedoes and laser cannons. It is therefore less manoeuvrable than the Jedi Starfighter and the fate of the ARC-170 is decided solely by the know-how of the three-man crew…

DESIGN
The ARC-170 was jointly produced by Incom and Subpro Corporations. Like their other starfighter designs of its time, such as the lighter Z-95, and the heavier PTB-625, and NTB-630, the ARC-170 had a narrow spaceframe flanked by large engines. The ARC-170 also possessed an S-foil system, which helped to radiate heat, something that aided the fighter's shielding. This also provided additional stability during atmospheric flight.[5]

Using its front deflector shield projectors to disperse heat generated from air resistance, the ARC-170 could reach hypersonic speeds when flying in an atmosphere.[5]

The ARC-170 was a departure from other starfighter designs of the Clone Wars era. Fighters such as the Alpha-3 Nimbus and the Eta-2 Actis were built to be small, fast, and maneuverable, at the cost of heavy weapons, shields, and hyperdrives. On the other hand, the ARC-170 was large, rugged, and capable of long independent operations.

MILLITARY ROLL
The ARC-170 was often sent on dangerous scout missions and raids deep in enemy territory.[5] To allow the ARC-170 to perform these missions, the fighter was equipped with a Class 1.5 hyperdrive, and its nose was filled with powerful sensors, scanners, and jammers.

The ARC-170 carried enough consumables for five days of operation. However, the supplies and additional equipment had a price and the ARC-170 was quite slow. Durable armor and shielding, as well as two tail guns, helped the ARC-170 to survive when surrounded by swarms of smaller, faster enemy fighters, although it remained vulnerable to enemy anti-fighter guns.

WEOPONRY
The ARC-170 possessed powerful weaponry. It carried six proton torpedoes, and its wingtip-mounted medium laser cannons were unusually large for a starfighter.[5] ARC-170s were often used as the heavy-hitters in strike forces, escorted by V-wings and Eta-2s.

The ARC-170 was crewed by three clones: a pilot, a co-pilot who operated the wingtip-mounted lasers, and a tail gunner who operated the rear-mounted cannons. The fighter also carried an astromech droid to perform onboard repairs and navigation.

CUSTOMIZATION
Elite pilots would often customize their vessels during the Clone Wars, such as painting their fighters with markings similar to the ones on predatory animals

History

CLONE WARS
ARCs were used fairly extensively during the late Clone Wars. Shortly before the Battle of Coruscant, a squadron of ARCs provided cover for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker on Tythe, but were destroyed.[6]

During the Battle of Coruscant, the ARC-170-filled Clone Fight Squad Seven covered for Kenobi and Skywalker as they made their way to the Invisible Hand. Although Squad Seven suffered many casualties, they allowed the two Jedi to successfully board the ship and rescue Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Large numbers of ARC-170s were destroyed by droid tri-fighters in the battle.[7]