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Imperial Army pilot

Redirected from AT-ST pilot

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.

1 Equipment
2 AT-AT pilots
- 2.1 Notable AT-AT pilots
3 AT-ST pilots
- 3.1 Notable AT-ST Pilots
4 AT-PT pilots
5 Behind the scenes
6 Appearances
- 6.1 Non-canonical appearances
7 Sources
8 Notes and references
- 8.1 In other languages

EquipmentEdit

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-ATs and the AT-STs.

AT-AT pilotsEdit

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]

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 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 were very similar in appearance to Imperial TIE pilots, though retained a color scheme that was reminiscent of the Phase II clone pilot attire, being a light grey flight suit complete with webbing, along with white gloves, boots and helmet. Although not required in the pressurised environment of an AT-AT cockpit, the operators at the controls of an AT-AT utilised life support gear that would ensure their survival in the event of a hull breach in a hostile environment. 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.

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]

Notable AT-AT pilotsEdit

Maximilian Veers

AT-ST pilotsEdit

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, and long black gauntlets. Both shoulder portions of their jumpsuit had the Imperial emblem in black. 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.

Notable AT-ST PilotsEdit

AT-PT pilotsEdit

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.

Behind the scenesEdit

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.