IGV-55 surveillance vessel

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The IGV-55 surveillance vessel, or Imperial listener ship, was a starship model used by the Galactic Empire for surveillance, intel, and recon. Utilized by Imperial Intelligence's Information Office, these vessels monitored communications and scanned data, looking for signs of seditious activities.^[2] They were similar to Gozanti-class cruisers, although extensively modified with additional sensors and transmitter dishes.^[5]

HistoryEdit

In 2 BBY, a team of Imperial intelligence officers and slicers led by the Imperial controller LT-319 operated on an IGV-55 surveillance vessel. This starship was modified to include a strong signal array capable of transmitting and intercepting signals from long distances. Under the leadership LT-319, the team hijacked the rebel astromech droid Chopper and attempted to use him to find the location of the Phoenix Cell's Chopper Base. However, their plot was foiled by Chopper's master Hera Syndulla, who transmitted a massive data surge which overwhelmed the cruiser's systems and compromised the fuel cells, causing an explosion which destroyed the ship and its crew.^[3]

Behind the scenesEdit

The IGV-55 surveillance vessel first appeared in "Double Agent Droid,"^[3] the nineteenth episode of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels' third season.^[6] The ship's overall design, specifically it being a standard freighter that was extensively modified with additional sensor and transmitter dishes, was based on real-world AWACS planes. Likewise, the operations center aboard the vessel, and by extension, the staff aboard the controller, were inspired by the controller rooms seen in George Lucas's first feature-length film, THX 1138.^[7]