Vehicles:ImperialStarDestroyer

Star Wars History: From Exar Kun to Luke Skywalker and beyond

Main -> Vehicles:Home -> S -> Star Destroyer, Imperial

Imperial-class Star Destroyer

One of the most feared starships ever created, the Star Destroyer is the main capital ship of the Imperial Navy. Designed by Kuat Drive Yards, this wedge-shaped, 1600 meter long vessel is enough to take on a small Alliance fleet by itself.

The standard weaponry includes 60 turbolasers for use against enemy capital ships, 60 ion cannons for disabling starcraft, and tractor beams to sieze enemy ships for boarding. The command tower holds the essential systems and controls along with the bridge. On top of the command tower are two deflector-shield generator domes which provide the shielding for the ship.

Along with built-in weapons, the Imperial-class Star Destroyer has docking for fighter escort and planetary assault units. Standard fighter escort includes a full wing (72) TIE's (6 squadrons of 12 ships). At the time of the Battle of Yavin, there were 4 squadrons of standard TIE l/n Fighters, 1 squadron of TIE Interceptors, and 1 squadron of TIE Bombers. At the Battle of Endor a squadron of TIE Interceptors had replaced a squadron of TIE Fighters. Other ships included 8 Lambda-class shuttles, 15 Stormtrooper transports, 5 assault gunboats, and variable numbers of Skipray Blastboats and Gamma-class assault shuttles.

The standard planetary assault units aboard included 20 AT-AT walkers, 30 AT-ST scout walkers, and 9700 troops. The second option was to have a prefabricated base, 10 AT-ATs, 10 AT-STs, 40 TIE fighters, and 800 troops. The standard invasion force usually consisted of 6 Star Destroyers along with supporting cruisers and carrier ships.

A couple other features include a solar ionization reactor which is the dome located on the bottom behind the landing bays, 3 main ion engines, and 4 smaller, emergency ion engines.

Shortly after the Battle of Yavin an upgraded version, the Imperial II-class, was designed. It included a heavier hull and heavy turbolasers replaced the standard turbolasers.

More than 25,000 Imperial and Imperial II-class Star Destroyers were built. Some of them were captured by the Alliance, but most were destroyed or are still in the hands of the Imperials.

Star Wars: A New Hope. (1977). 20th Century Fox.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. (1980). 20th Century Fox.

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. (1983). 20th Century Fox.

Sansweet, Stephen J. Star Wars Encyclopedia. (1998). Del Rey Books.

Smith, Bill. Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels. (1996). Del Rey Books.