The Defender was 5.3 meters long and armed with three laser cannons: one in the nose of the craft, and one each on either side beneath the wing. To save space and weight, the standard Defender starfighter was not equipped with a hyperdrive. Its extendible S-foil maneuvering struts could retract into the spaceframe for non-combat situations, but once an enemy had been engaged, the struts swung down and forward to give the Defender better positioning for maneuvering-jet bursts.