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Imperial Army pilot

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(Redirected from AT-ST Driver)
An Imperial AT-AT pilot during the Battle of Hoth.

Imperial Army pilots were the Galactic Empire's support personnel responsible for the operation and maintenance of a variety of vehicles, such as the AT-AT and AT-ST, within the Imperial Army.

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[edit] Equipment

Imperial Army pilots were usually unarmed, but on occasion, senior NCOs or officers would have a standard issue BlasTech SE-14R light repeating blaster, Thermal Detonators, Concussion grenades and possibly even a Merr-Sonn V-6d mortar launcher.

Imperial Army pilots usually did not wear armor due to protection given by Imperial vehicles, but higher ranking NCOs and commissioned officers often wore some protective armor into combat. This was the case with General Maximilian Veers at the Battle of Hoth.[1] They had numerous amounts of vehicles assigned to them including the AT-PTs and the AT-STs.

[edit] AT-AT pilots

Selected from hardened combat troopers, AT-AT pilots were specialized soldiers that were trained to pilot the All Terrain Armored Transport in blatant "shock" tactics, attacking their enemy in plain sight after having landed at great distances from their intended targets.[2]

An Imperial AT-AT pilot.

AT-AT drivers typically worked in teams of two, and they were in charge of everything from guiding the massive walkers over all types of terrain, to firing the AT-AT's powerful heavy laser cannons, to carrying out the orders given to them by the combat coordinator, who also occupied the cockpit.

The task of guiding the walkers over uneven terrain was a difficult challenge, and to ensure that the pilots of these massive war machines were the best of best, they were put through a many hours of simulation tests and similar instruction. Because of their armored cockpits and their commanding view of the battlefield, their training stressed their importance on the battlefield, which gave many pilots the idea that they were invincible. This enlarged ego lead to many pilots developing an arrogant attitude when dealing with the infantry. They received their orders from a combat coordinator who was also stationed on the AT-AT's bridge.

AT-AT pilots wore their armor as a reminder of their combat history. AT-ATs were not climate controlled, therefore pilots sent to operate on snowy worlds such as Hoth wore armor with a heating unit in order to survive in the cold. They were dressed completely in white with snow boots, a jumpsuit with pockets, and an armor vest with straps around their groin and legs. Their helmets had polarized snow goggles for enhanced visibility and were adorned with an Imperial Army emblem in red. The helmets were connected directly to vehicle's computer, allowing easy monitoring of its vital systems.[3] A computer on their chest armor heated their suit and helmet. The survival pack worn by these pilots was an advanced design which enabled the suit systems and heater to run off a single power pack for up to five days without requiring a recharge. They wore driving gauntlets with a comlink for communication. These pilots were usually armed with a blaster pistol and grenades.

While they were not required to, due to the cockpit of AT-AT being pressurized, AT-AT drivers usually wore their life-support gear and armor as last line of defense, in case the hull was breached in a hostile atmosphere. The life-support gear and helmet worn by the AT-AT pilots were similar to the gear worn by TIE pilots, except for being light gray and some other small customizations.

Like all AT-AT crews, the pilots lived and worked in their machines over much of each mission. It was common for them to even involve themselves in the maintenance of the walkers, reinforcing the theory that the crew was an extension of the walker and vice versa.[2]

[edit] Notable AT-AT pilots

[edit] AT-ST pilots

Major Marquand and Lieutenant Watts pilot Tempest Scout 2 at the Battle of Endor

AT-ST pilots were trained to have an incredible sense of balance and terrain, due to the All Terrain Scout Transport's bipedal locomotion instability compared to the quadruped AT-AT.

They wore black boots with a black bottom and a gray jumpsuit with pockets. Their helmet was open-faced with a chinstrap. Goggles were attached by a strap to the back of the helmet, but some chose not to wear it. They wore limited shoulder and arm armor, and long black gauntlets. Both shoulder portions of their jumpsuit had the Imperial emblem in black. They also had harnesses around their shoulders and waist, and they also carried concussion grenades, a blaster pistol, a blaster rifle, emergency flares, spare ammunition, a comlink, and two thermal detonators, which were coded with blank keys in case they fell into enemy hands. Because their armor was designed to allow unrestricted movement, they were only armored on their upper body and head. They wore a light chest armor plate under their jumpsuit.

[edit] Notable AT-ST Pilots

[edit] AT-PT pilots

AT-PT pilots operated inside the All Terrain Personal Transport. They were also trained to have an incredible sense of balance and terrain. Although protected by the AT-PT's armor, they still wore armor in case the vehicle was destroyed. They carried standard Imperial sidearm pistols, blaster rifles, and grenades.

[edit] Behind the scenes

In Star Wars: Battlefront II, the AT-AT pilot is referred to as an "Imperial engineer" on Hoth. In the new Star Wars Miniatures pack, Imperial Entanglements, the 181st Imperial Fighter Group pilot looks just like the AT-AT pilot, rather than its normal colors.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Non-canonical appearances

[edit] Sources

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ↑ Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back
  3. ↑ Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Squadrons Over Corellia (Card: AT-AT Helmet)
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