IG-227 Hailfire-class droid tank

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"Be careful, Mace! Their missiles are lethal!"

―Luminara Unduli to Mace Windu^[7]

The IG-227 Hailfire-class droid tank, also known as simply the Hailfire droid or the wheel droid, was a droid tank constructed by Haor Chall Engineering for the InterGalactic Banking Clan prior to and during the Clone Wars. It was highly effective against armor.

Description[]

Hailfire-NEGVV — A *Hailfire*-class droid.

The Hailfire-class droid tank was a self-aware mobile missile platform capable of destroying enemy vehicles and entire platoons of enemy soldiers. It ran on large hoop-like wheels on either side of the main armored command module, which enabled it to operate on almost any terrain at impressive speed.^[4]

The Hailfire-class was well equipped, with missile launchers fitted on each side of its head, each missile rack carrying 15 guided rocket warheads powerful enough to cause significant damage to enemy targets. A well-placed shot with one of these missiles was enough to destroy a Republic AT-TE walker,^[8] and was effective against other armored units.^[6] Each Hailfire-class droid tank also had a retractable double blaster for use against infantry and other "soft" targets.^[3]

The Hailfire-class also had many different configurations that boasted various types of weapons. Some of the configurations included heavy blaster artillery, ion cannons, or anti-personnel stun weapon batteries. The wheels' inward design gave Hailfires a wider lateral range and the ability to crush tightly grouped soldiers and small vehicles.^[9]

History[]

"We've come to repossess the planet."

―InterGalactic Banking Clan commander Horgo Shive^[10]

Hailfire Droids BOG AOTC — A *Hailfire*-class droid firing missiles during the First Battle of Geonosis.

Before the Clone Wars, the Hailfire-class droid was used by the Banking Clan's euphemistically named "Collections and Security Division" to punish customers which had failed to pay their debts on time. The Banking Clan pledged the droid as part of the combined arms of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, although in a non-exclusive deal.^[4]

Hailfire-class droid tanks first appeared as part of the army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Battle of Geonosis, where they disabled or destroyed numerous AT-TEs and injured or killed countless clone troopers before being destroyed by LAAT/i gunships. During the war, many Hailfire-class droids of various models and types continued to fight in battles against the Republic's army, and were used extensively during the first parts of the war.^[4] They proved a sufficiently unique threat that the GAR created specialized clone anti-hailfire units, such as Bantha Squad, to more effectively engage them.

HailfireDroid-SWCTP — Front view of a *Hailfire*-class droid.

A hailfire droid was dispatched into a Separatist attack on a Republic base holding rare Jedi artifacts, but it was destroyed by the BARC speeder-equipped clone trooper Trooper.^[11] Due to the limited supply of 30 warheads for each unit, the Banking Clan retired the Hailfire from the battlefield for some time. The Clan came up with an answer to this problem, though: air-mobile refresh droids that could resupply the Hailfire-class droids with warheads were partnered with them on the battlefield, and once again, the Hailfire-class became the scourge of slow-moving vehicles.^[6] During the Clone Wars, like many other vehicles, the Hailfire droid was re-painted in the Separatist color scheme.

Following the execution of the Separatist Council by Darth Sidious's new apprentice, Darth Vader, these units were deactivated. However, some Hailfire-class components were reactivated and used by the Wookiees against Imperial landing parties during the Empire's subjugation of the planet in 19 BBY.^[12]

In 1 ABY,^[13] the Alliance to Restore the Republic used Hailfire-class droids during several attacks on cities held by Imperial forces.^[14]

Behind the scenes[]

In Attack of the Clones, Confederate rockets, including those of Hailfire-class droids, were keyed to leave black smoke in contrast to the white trails left by Republic missiles.

In Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns, Hailfire droids are mistakenly portrayed as anti-air vehicles.