Model: Scimitar Assault Bomber

Manufacturer: Sienar Fleet Systems

Designation: Heavy Short Range Assault Bomber

Length: 13.8 meters

Crew: 2

Cargo Capacity: 200 kilograms

Consumables: 2 days

Speed: 90 MGLT

Hull: 34 RU

Shields: 30 SBD

Weapons: 2 Laser Cannons and 16 Concussion Missile Launchers (1 warhead each) and 1 Proton Torpedo, Orbital Mine or Thermal Detonator Launcher.

 

The TIE Scimitar Assault Bomber is named after the Scimitar Assault Wing, which is part of the Qeimet Fleet in the Hook Nebula. This wing is one of the most highly decorated TIE Bomber ground assault units in the Empire. The former wing-commander Tomax Bren and his pilots are reportedly responsible for the Scimitar design. The Scimitar actually uses a single ion engine, but it is still faster than the TIE Bomber. The pilot has been joined by a bombadier/co-pilot, and both are housed in a detachable cockpit module which has it's own life support and power supply, increasing crew survivability. The Scimitar adds a repulsorlift engine, and is specifically intended to support ground forces and attack surface targets, rather than space assaults (which it also has been used for). It has a similar weapons load to the TIE Bomber, but uses a simpler weapons mount. The entire underside of the fuselage may be opened for weapons release, and the drum is driven from a center mounted spindle, rather than the overly complicated, mounted gears of the Bomber. This entire system may be lowered free, allowing the weapons drum to be slid off of the spindle, improving the speed of reloading (particularly in forward areas), and allowing a single Scimitar Assault Bomber to function as a scout ship with a target designator and defensive jammers mounted on a special drum.

While the Scimitar Assault Bomber is the only Scimitar ship to have been placed into production, an escort fighter, an interceptor and a heavy bomber have all been designed based off of this basic model. With the development of the TIE Avenger and TIE Defender it is unlikely that these other fighters will ever see the light of day.