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For other uses, see Lightspeed and Panther.

The Lightspeed Panthers were a starfighter wing of T-65 X-wing starfighters who served the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War against the Galactic Empire. They were famed for their decorative fang-jawed nose art that adorned their fighters.[1]

Equipped with Incom Corporation T-65 X-wing starfighters, the Lightspeed Panthers performed with distinction during the Fei Hu campaign, destroying at least 286 Imperial TIE/LN starfighters during the first nine months of the engagement, while the Lightspeed Panthers only lost four craft. The success of the Lightspeed Panther's efforts—along with the overall success of the T-65 during combat engagements—forced the Empire to respond by introducing the Lancer-class frigate and TIE/IN interceptor starfighter in an attempt to level the battlefield and prevent one-sided campaigns such as the one at Fei Hu.[1]

Behind the scenes[]

"The 'Lightspeed Panthers,' with their snazzy nose art and devastating kill ratio, are a direct reference to the Flying Tigers of World War II […]"
―Paul Urquhart[2]

The Lightspeed Panthers were mentioned in the reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare, written by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart[1] and released on April 3, 2012.[3] On June 7, 2012, Fry posted a statement from Urquhart on Tumblr as part of the tenth part of a series of endnotes for The Essential Guide to Warfare in which Urquhart revealed that the Lightspeed Panthers were a direct reference to the Flying Tigers,[2] a group of volunteer American pilots who fought for the Chinese Air Force during World War II.[4] The Flying Tigers were also noted for their high kill ratio and the teeth nose art on their planes,[2] though the art on the Flying Tigers' planes depicted shark teeth.[4] Urquhart also noted the similarities between the T-65s of the Lightspeed Panthers, and the P-40 Warhawks of the Flying Tigers, stating that they were both pilot-friendly multi-role fighters.[2]

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