The Republic and Imperial Walkers
by Andrew Liptak, August 19, 2003

 

In THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, the battle of Hoth was dominated by the presence of walkers; large, armored vehicles that were almost impervious to laser cannon fire. These walkers were called the AT-AT walkers, or All Terrain Armored Transport, and were as much of a threat to an enemy's psyche as was their shield generators and guns.

The battle of Geonosis in ATTACK OF THE CLONES brought a new walker in, helping to bridge the gap between the Prequel Trilogy and the Original Trilogy. This new walker had six legs, and several more guns than the AT-AT, and was more easily destroyed. This walker was called the AT-TE walker, or the All Terrain Tactical Enforcer. This walker, along with several others, are the predecessors to the ones seen in the Original Trilogy.

The idea for a mechanical walker came around the time of the battle of Naboo. It was in this program that the All Terrain Personnel Transport (AT-PT) was created. The AT-PT was designed to give one soldier the firepower and presence of an entire squad. It was armed with several heavy cannons and a grenade launcher, and could move faster than ordinary soldiers.

The AT-PT program was ultimately cancelled when a majority of the AT-PT walker prototypes were lost with the Kataana Fleet. The walkers would not be seen until the battle of Geonosis, nearly ten years later.

Around the time of the battle of Naboo, someone who claimed that they were a representative of the Republic and Jedi contacted the cloners on Kamino and requested that an army be built for the Republic. Using a bounty hunter named Jango Fett, the army was soon being grown. The cloners realized that they had to do more than just grow the clones. They had to find ways to transport the clones and give them heavy fire power for the battles that lay ahead. They contacted Rothana Heavy Engineering (RHE), a subsidy of the Kuati Drive Yards, one of the most respected ship and military contractor in the galaxy. From RHE, the cloners were able to add assault cruisers, heavy artillery and a new type of walker, the AT-TE.

The AT-TE was a very useful asset to soldiers on the battlefield. It could be dropped into a combat zone very quickly, allowing the commanders to put as much power into their assaults rapidly, often taking enemy commanders and soldiers by surprise. The AT-TE also boasted a top speed of 60 kilometers an hour, giving more speed to assaults. Finally, it was heavily armed and shielded, allowing it to take a large volume of gunfire before being seriously damaged. This walker however, could not repel missile attacks, and Commerce Guild rocket droids destroyed many walkers.

The arrangements of the walker's six guns allowed it to attack from every direction, while a seventh gun, a heavy projectile cannon, could be used to hit longer range targets. Four guns on the front of the walker could swivel, giving them a larger target zone in the front, while two guns in the back would allow the walker to attack if surrounded. The AT-TE had a crew of seven, comprised of a pilot, spotter, projectile gunner and four additional gunners. An IM-6 medical droid was also stored on board to treat battlefield injuries. The AT-TE could carry up to twenty soldiers into battle, although most were brought in by gunship.

The AT-AT walker was the next model of walker that was introduced before the battle of Jamiin. Unlike the AT-TE walker, this walker could carry more soldiers into a fight, all the while being more imposing to the enemy forces. The AT-AT walker was more heavily armored than the AT-TE, making it harder to destroy in battle. The main difference between the AT-TE and AT-AT walkers wasn't so much design but purpose. The AT-TE was designed to fight. The AT-AT was designed to fight but to also intimidate enemy soldiers. This could change the entire battle. Frightened soldiers break formations, run and make mistakes, making it easier for Republic soldiers to move in and attack.

There were several smaller walkers that also made appearances during the Clone Wars and later, the Rebellion. The All Terrain eXperimental Walker (AT-XT) design was a variation of the lost AT-PT walker. Standing on two legs, these two-legged walkers could move faster across large areas, and could also operate in areas that larger ones could not. They were armed with several guns, two on the front and two on top. The design was successful enough that another walker, the All Terrain Scout Walker (AT-ST) was very similar, utilizing the same two-legged design, although some of the weapons were removed.

It is very likely that there will be at least one type of new walker in the very near future, given the successes that they have shown on the battlefield. Walkers can go places that aircraft cannot go, they can operate as a mobile gun platform if needed and a heavily armored troop transport that frightens the enemy into submission. Combined with air power and ground soldiers, an army with walkers can be unstoppable.

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