The Prowler is a high-endurance fighter meant to engage enemy craft at extreme range. It is primarily used for fleet defense and patrol duties, acting as the outermost layer of defense against incoming fighters or long range missile attacks.
The Prowler’s primary weapons are its 10 Longbow missiles, meant for the long range interception of small, maneuverable targets. These missiles provide long range defense for capital ship battlegroups and planetside bases. In addition to the Longbows, the Prowler carries four Falcon anti-fighter missiles and a pulse laser for dogfighting, in case enemy fighters manage to close to their own engagement range.
As an interceptor, the Prowler must be able to maintain a significant distance between itself and its targets; as such, it is outfitted with powerful STL engines, giving it a maximum acceleration of 765 G’s. Despite this speed, however, the Prowler is very large, and not particularly maneuverable. Though it is capable of engaging in short range dogfights, it is not quite as formidable up close as dedicated space superiority fighters.
Not as common as the more well-rounded Raptor fighters flown by most Republic pilots, the Prowler is a specialty craft used primarily for asset defense, and for interception in large scale fleet battles.