Imperial TIE Heavy Bomber

The standard TIE Bombers was developed to replace the aging TIE/gt fighters. The new bombers were heavier and more deadly against larger targets. But still before final testing had ended and before line production had begun, some Imperial officers from the Starfleet Research and Development Group wanted even heavier bombers build. The Rebellion had been spreading like a virus from planet to planet and had become a serious threat, one to be reckoned with. The Rebel forces recently encountered by the Starfleet had been more well equipped and in larger numbers than ever before. And with help from the ugly and repulsive Mon Calamari specie and their huge MC cruisers, they had already managed to take out large Imperial installations and even a few Imperator Class Stardestroyers. Direct fleet to fleet battles had not until recently occurred between Rebel and Imperial forces. The R&D officers anticipated a much larger threat from Rebel capital and command ships in the near future and therefor started their own development and testing of medium and heavy versions of the TIE Bomber.

The new bombers should be able to take the TIE Bombers role in full scale fighter assaults. Primary in assault on larger ground and space installations or capital spacecraft. By carrying a bigger payload of warheads, they could speed up the final destruction of the enemy, and thereby saving many Imperial fighters from the enemies guns and artillery, hopefully without having to withdraw during battle for resuppliement of Warheads.

The first enhanced TIE Bomber model became the TIE/hbm. This enhanced bomber has the same basic features but nearly twice the firepower of the TIE Bomber. The propulsion engine is upgraded to compensate for the added mass of the craft, thereby giving it the speed of the standard TIE Bomber.

The idea of the Rebel forces becoming a "real" threat to the unmatched Imperial Military was by many high ranking seniors considered pure nonsense. The Rebellion was a political situation and not a major military conflict - how could they possibly pose any danger to the Starfleet. All the persons involved in the development of the TIE Heavy Bomber was soon retired from active duty. Sadly the project leader Commodore Korin Maxus took his own life after this humiliating incident. The project and the TIE Heavy Bomber production was immediately closed down.

But 3 months Later, just after the destruction of the Imperial I Death Star at Yavin, the group was in all haste ordered back to R&D. They should continue their development of heavy assault TIE bombers. If possible they should develop an even heavier bomber.