The Fang fighter—also known as the Protectorate starfighter—was a fast and incredibly agile Mandalorian starfighter that was custom-built for fighter combat by the MandalMotors company. Favored by the elite pilots of the Concord Dawn Protectorate, who leveraged the vessel's narrow attack profile and pivot wing technology to achieve unmatched agility. Fang fighters were well suited to executing deadly head-on charges such as the Concordia Face Off maneuver. Fang fighters were armed with a hidden torpedo launcher, that allowed a pilot to surprise their quarry with a deadly salvo, and a pair of forward-mounted laser cannons.
A fast[2] and highly maneuverable starfighter,[7] the Fang fighter was designed and manufactured by MandalMotors,[1] a prominent Mandalorian starship company[8]headquartered in Mandalore's capital city of Keldabe.[9] Possessed of a frame that was considered elegant yet aggressive in design, the Fang fighter had a thin, angular silhouette and a cranked-delta platform that gave the vessel an unmistakable profile. The fighter's fuselage took the form of a small, elongated hexagon with a low-profile canopy that covered the vessel's midship-mounted cockpit; the starfighter's aft section was dominated by a single, large, high-output ion engine. Two articulated S-foil wings were mounted to the fighter's fuselage, each capable of rotating and able to be raised or lowered, and possessed of a large, additional ion engine. The Fang fighter featured a sophisticated vectored thrust system, advanced flight controls, and automated vernier thrusters.[1]
Fang fighters could accommodate a single pilot,[5] with no room for other passengers, and enough consumables for a standard day. They possessed an array of close range sensors, a Class Two hyperdrive, and an onboard navigation computer. The Fang fighter's S-foil wings house the majority of the starfighter's weapon systems, comprised of a pair of forward-mounted laser cannons. Just forward of the cockpit, mounted in the fighter's underside, was a retractable torpedo launcher that carried a single proton torpedo, offering the vessel a degree of tactical flexibility.[1] The hidden launcher allowed a pilot to launch a devastating salvo before their quarry realized the vessel was carrying ordnance.[3]Fang fighters typically cost 120,000.[1]
The Fang fighter was custom-built for starfighter combat.[2] The vessel's narrow attack profile[6] and pivot wing technology could be used to achieve unmatched agility,[7] making the Fang fighter well suited to executing deadly head-on charges such as the Concordia Face Off maneuver.[6]
Fang fighters were first introduced to Star Wars canon in "The Protector of Concord Dawn," the thirteenth episode of the Star Wars Rebels animated television series' second season, premiering January 27, 2016.[13] Later that same year, Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game released the Protectorate Starfighter Expansion Pack, introducing the fighter to the original Star Wars Legends continuity.[2] The Star Wars: Edge of the Empire roleplaying game supplement, No Disintegrations, provided further information on the Fang fighter when it was released on February 2, 2017.[1]