Utility Tug
The Utility Tug was a tiny spacecraft produced by Nicholas/Gordon Spacewerks, very similar in design to the Phylon Freight CT-11 space tug.
Characteristics
The Tug was a common sight throughout the Galaxy, busily towing cargo containers to and from the storage holds of freighters and spaceborne trading outposts. The tiny craft's small size hid powerful tractor beams that gave it the ability to manipulate and haul loads far greater that its own mass.
Unlike a Heavy Lifter, the Utility was not fitted with a hyperdrive, so its use was limited to in-system ferrying and haulage, although the larger commercial freighters commonly carried one or more in their cargo holds.
Not only was the Utility Tug useful for commercial use, it was also a key tool for the maintenance of starfighters parked around space dock. A tug driver needn't be familiar with the controls of every different kind of vehicle in the yard, from Z-95 Headhunter to Skipray Blastboat, instead they could just grapple it with the tractor beams and haul it off to wherever it was needed.
Obviously, the Utility Tug was not designed for combat. Its lack of shielding and extremely fragile (by starfighter standards) unarmored hull made it an easy kill for raiders. Although some were customized by their pilots to support armaments. Thus, in more lawless areas of the Galaxy it was often necessary for tugs to be accompanied by a starfighter escort, just in case some bold pirates contemplated taking advantage of its weakness and make off with any valuable cargo being loaded out of range of a space platform's turbolaser cannons.
Variations
NGS produced three distinctive versions of the Utility Tug:
Type 1 was generally brown in color, with a small cockpit at the front
Type 2 lacked the brown livery, and had a canopy that extended much further to the rear of the vehicle.
Type 3 also lacked the brown coloration of the first type, but regained a smaller cockpit like the first design, however, it was now positioned towards the center of the vehicle. This version was also equipped with much more powerful sublight drives, and was rated at 33 MGLT (three times that of the previous two designs).
Behind the scenes
While the tech room reveals different manufacturers, and a subtly different design between this craft and the CT-11 space tug, in the X-wing Collector's Edition the Utility Tug model is used to represent the CT-11. It is probable that the developers simply invented a new manufacturer for the same craft while the later games were in production.
In Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, aside from its regular use of hauling cargo and craft, Tugs could also be configured to rearm and repair vessels. Later, a dedicated Combat utility vehicle was developed specifically for this purpose.
Appearances
- Star Wars: TIE Fighter (First appearance)
- Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
- Star Wars: Balance of Power
- Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance
- Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith
Sources
- TIE Fighter: The Official Strategy Guide
- TIE Fighter: Defender of the Empire: Official Secrets & Solutions
- TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM: The Official Strategy Guide