LAAT Gunship Variants (Pre-Clone Wars to Imperial Era) 1

The most common LAAT-series model was the LAAT/i, an infantry transport and mobile gun platform used throughout the Clone Wars. The LAAT/i could carry up to 30 clone troopers into combat, although they were also used to deploy recon scouts in advance of a battle. Variants were modified to carry additional military speeders or deploy larger war machines, such as walkers, onto the battlefield. Later versions of the LAAT/i replaced the door-side gunnery balls in favor of larger doors to maintain pressurization of the interior. This allowed the gunships to be dropped from an orbital cruiser and fly in space, rather than needing the cruiser to enter the atmosphere. This allowed for much faster and stealthier troop deployment.

In addition to the LAAT variants, there were several other gunship models that both pre- and post-dated them and were designated with similar acronyms. Most notable were the AIAT/i gunship, the VAAT/e transport, and the HAET-221 gunboat.

LAATs continued to be used well into the era of the Galactic Civil War; for example, during the Kamino uprising, where clone anti-Imperial troopers and Kaminoans attempted to escape the planet in these transports. It was also used in small numbers by the Alliance to Restore the Republic as a troop transport.

Por Diego