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The Manta-class assault starfighter was manufactured by the Tapani Starship Cooperative at the Tallaan Shipyards during the time of the Galactic Empire. It was the starfighter of choice in the Tapani Sector.
The Manta-class starfighter had a flat, organic design inspired by the creature for which it was named. It featured a magnetic docking clamp instead of a mechanical landing claw, allowing the starfighter to clamp to the hull of a Tapani-class carrier for transportation. The Manta-class starfighter was not fitted with a hyperdrive, hence the need for interstellar transport.
A Manta being stolen from a Tallaan repair depot
The starfighter was designed to defend against pirates that preyed on ships traveling the Shapani Bypass. It had two configurations, acting as a high-speed interceptor or attack ship. While in intercept mode, the wings were configured parallel to the hull which maximized speed but only provided average manoeuvrability. Although few ships could outrun a Manta in this configuration, the aggressive capability of the ship was reduced since most power was automatically routed to the engines, leaving only the ion cannons enabled. When in attack mode, the wings swung down 90 degrees, enabling the fighter's two heavy laser cannons to be deployed, therefore greatly increasing the ship's attack potential. In attack mode, the fighter increased its manoeuvrability though lost significant speed when it reduced its forward momentum for maneuvering.
Factory-model Manta-class starfighters cost around 95,000 credits.