Vulture-Class Droid Starfighter
Craft: Xi Char Variable Geometry Self-Propelled Battle Droid, Mk. 1
Type: Autonomous Starfighter
Scale: Starfighter
Length: 3.5 meters (walking) 6.96 meters (in flight)
Skill: Starfighter piloting
Crew: 0 (Droid Brain)
Crew Skill: All skills 4D+1
Cargo Capacity: None
Consumables: None
Cost: 40,000 (new), 19,000 (used)
Maneuverability: 3D
Space: 10
Atmosphere: 333; 1,200 kmh
Hull: 4D
Sensors:
Passive: 20/0D
Scan: 40/1D
Search: 60/2D
Focus: 3/3D
Weapons:
2 Blaster Cannons (fire-linked)
Fire Arc: Front
Skill: Starship gunnery
Fire Control: 0D
Space Range: 1-5/10/17
Atmosphere Range: 100-500/1/1.7 km
Damage: 5D
2 Proton Torpedoes (4 torpedoes each)
Fire Arc: Front
Skill: Starship gunnery
Space Range: 1/3/7
Atmosphere Range: 30-100/300/700
Damage: 9D
Background: The Variable Geometry Self-Propelled Battle Droid, Mark I, also known as the Vulture-class droid starfighter, or more simply as the vulture droid, was an unmanned model of droid starfighter manufactured by Haor Chall Engineering and utilized by the Trade Federation and later the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The fighter relied on overwhelming numbers during combat. Constructed in the cathedral factories of Xi Char, their creation through precision manufacturing was considered an act of religious worship. It was present at many engagements including battles during the Clone Wars.
With the effectiveness of droid starfighters debated in strategic circles for generations, vulture droids were as such capable of extreme maneuvers that could crush even the sturdiest organic pilot, but lacked the resourcefulness and cunning that living pilots brought into combat. Nonetheless, a lack of life-support systems allowed more room for armaments and fuel, and the lack of an organic pilot removed any moral responsibility for its destruction.
Like the ground forces made up of battle droids, vulture droids were remote controlled by a control ship, but as time passed later generations of the fighter were able to operate with limited independence due to the installation of artificial intelligence. They were also known to be able to communicate with each other by chattering. While not in flight, vulture droids could transform into walking mode to patrol the surface or provide support during battles, and was specifically designed to fill both space and ground-based roles.
A variant of the vulture droid featured an ion weapon. One of this variant battled Ahsoka Tano and Padmé Amidala while they were flying N-1 starfighters during starfighter practice. The unit was destroyed.
The design of the vulture droid formed the basis for producing the Hyena-class Droid Bomber, another type of automated droid starfighter used by the Separatist Alliance. Vulture droids were not considered as smart as tri-fighters and hyena bombers, and relied on speed and overwhelming numbers in combat scenarios.
