The GAT-12j Skipray Blastboat like others in the GAT series is a combination of a fast starfighter and a heavily armed capital ship. This craft was in the Empire's service at least a few weeks after the debacle at the Battle of Yavin and featured weapons that are capable of taking on smaller capital ships. The power boosted, combat-orientated GAT-12j is slight modification over the original GAT-12h. Its most significant additions were larger ammunition bays which increased the warhead capacity for its concussion missile and proton torpedo launchers. When comparing the GAT-12h and GAT-12j the difference lies in the duty distribution. Unlike the GAT-12h which places all the secondary duties on the forward gunner, the GAT-12j splits the duties more evenly. Due to its lack of manoeuvrability in the cold, hard death of space, the GAT-12j relies on its speed and surprise to deliver a devastating first strike to survive.

    These craft usually operate in recon lines of two to four ships. To take advantage of the Skipray's powerful heavy armaments, they were deployed in areas where combat was likely. The GAT series was the Empire's standard gunship for demanding point missions and patrol assignments. They were routinely employed to patrol entire sectors, patrol the far reaches of a solar system, or performing fleet point duties with or without starfighter support. They were usually planet or space station bound and were swift enough to overtake most system intruders. However, it must be noted that the Skipray never became popular in the Imperial Navy, although it does employ a small number of them. As a result SFS dumped the excess ships on the open market, and many can be found in the employ of local militias, smuggler groups, pirates (via theft), and other small military and paramilitary forces. Pirates find the GAT-12j's weapons ideal for subduing light freighters and plies well against larger ships.

    Its cockpit only seats one. Directly behind the cockpit is the weapons/tech compartment where the other three crew members are located, as well as the ship's main hatch. This craft features three landing gear one in front, two in the aft. It comes equipped with two stabilizer fins (which are affixed to the ship's main body via rotating sleeve around the sublight engine), one located dorsally and one ventrally. When switching configuration, the Skipray rotates its wings from landing configuration (parallel to the ground) to flight configuration (perpendicular to the ground) for combat and flight operations. The Skipray design is aerodynamic, and thus performs exceptionally well in an atmosphere and is easily capable of conducting manoeuvres that are normally only possible with high-performance airspeeders.

*After Endor* Five years after the disaster at the Battle of Endor the GAT-12j was the most popular model of the GAT series in use.