Low Altitude Assault Transport/Legends

"These gunships fly like butcherbugs and cut into us like Blood Carvers. We must have one."

- Archduke Poggle the Lesser

The Low Altitude Assault Transport (LAAT), also known as the LAAT-series gunship, was a gunship series used by the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. The series was produced by Rothana Heavy Engineering.

History


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, because it could carry so many troops into combat, they were used to get recon troopers down before bringing in the larger craft. Variants were modified to carry additional military speeders or deploy larger war machines, such as walkers, onto the battlefield.

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.

Notable models

 * Low Altitude Assault Transport/carrier
 * Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry
 * Low Altitude Assault Transport/vehicle
 * Republic command gunship

Behind the scenes
In the beginning of Dark Empire, a crashed vehicle that resembles an LAAT can be seen in the panel where the hyperspace wormhole first touches down on Coruscant.

In Star Wars: Battlefront II, the LAAT was classed as a space drop ship, probably modified.

The design for the LAAT is largely based on that of the Russian Mi-24 Hind helicopter gunship. The real-world gunship also fulfills the dual role of ground attack and troop transport.

In a trailer for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, there is a gunship model visible. It is unknown if this is a modified LAAT gunship or a new design altogether.