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An X-wing targeting computer
- "Luke, you switched off your targeting computer! What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm all right." - ―Yavin Base controller, to Luke Skywalker, not anticipating Skywalker's Force abilities during the Battle of Yavin
A targeting computer, sometimes called target computer, targeting synchronizer, or a fire-control system,[1] was a device used aboard starfighters to aid pilots in targeting their weapons. A target was considered vulnerable when it was aligned with the electronic crosshairs of a targeting computer's gun-sights. During the Galactic Civil War, the targeting computers used by the Alliance to Restore the Republic indicated the distance in meters.[2]
Targeting computers are a necessary component in a dogfight as all combat craft are equipped with some form of sensor jammer to avoid from being hit. The more sophisticated the targeting computer however, the quicker it is able to achieve a "target lock" on the enemy.[3]
A targeting computer was also necessary in order to shoot down missiles, particularly those traveling at extreme velocities.[4] Even with a targeting computer, some targets could be very difficult to hit: during the Great Hyperspace Disaster, Galactic Republic Longbeam cruisers had a one-in-three chance of hitting debris from the Legacy Run traveling at close to light-speed.[5]
