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Durge firing flechettes from his Gatling gauntlet
Flechettes were small, sharp-edged metal blades, fired at high speed as projectile weapons. Normally, they are fired rapidly at one time, meaning that one salvo of flechette fire could mean hundreds upon hundreds of blades flying at supersonic speeds.
Description
Flechettes were small, razor-sharp projectiles that were capable of tearing through blast vests, ceramic armor, and plasteel armor when propelled at high velocities, such as being launched from a flechette launcher. Individual flechettes were housed in canisters that were launched towards a target; the canisters would then explode closer to the target, spreading hundreds of flechettes over a ten-meter diameter.[1]
Larger flechettes, measuring up to eleven centimeters were also produced, and these were intended for use against enemy combat vehicles. The shaped charge explosive was designed to keep the larger flechettes together, spread them over only a five meter area in diameter, allowing the flechettes to be focused against a specific area of the vehicle. Antivehicle flechettes were capable of penetrating durasteel armor up to ten centimeters thick.[1]
History
During the Clone Wars, they were discovered to be a useful weapon against Jedi Knights: while individual flechettes would not cause serious injuries, they could not be easily deflected by lightsabers, and moreover, while the exposed skin of most organic sentients was vulnerable to them, the armored chassis of battle droids were not, making them excellent weapons for droid troops in close-quarters combat.
Accordingly, flechette launchers were sometimes issued to Separatist forces used to fight Jedi, including some of the A-series assassin droids which Asajj Ventress carried aboard her personal starfighter.
