HAVw A5 Juggernaut

"Day 17: Forward drive shaft on Juggernaut-11 has snapped. Requesting replacement drive shaft.''" "Day 22: Resubmitting request for replacement drive shaft." "Day 38: Drive shaft still has not arrived. Please advise." "Day 50: Awaiting drive shaft." "''Day 123: Awaiting drive shaft."

- Excerpt from log of Imperial machinist stationed on Dathomir

The Heavy Assault Vehicle/wheeled (HAVw) A5 Juggernaut was a large powerful assault vehicle used during the Clone Wars by the Galactic Republic and later during the Galactic Civil War by the Galactic Empire.

During the last days of the Clone Wars, the Juggernaut was one of the most powerful ground vehicles, being used alongside its successor, the A6 model. Soldiers commonly referred to the Juggernaut as the "rolling slab" due to its brute size and boxy appearance.

It could effectively spearhead a ground assault, act as a mobile command center, engage in hit-and-run raids and even act as an antiaircraft battery against airspeeder or low-flying starfighters.

Development of the A5 also resulted in a smaller, specialized model, the A5-RX battle tank, which was built for exploring planets and operation in situations where its larger brethren would be unsuitable due to their large size.

Characteristics
The Juggernaut primary frame was a 22 by 15 meter shell with extremely tough and heavy armor plating. Inside the armored box, the Juggernaut could carry fifty troops and equipment and a complement of close support craft such as speeder bikes and light airspeeders.

The massive frame rested upon five pairs of oversized wheels connected to a flexible system of shocks, servos, and enhanced suspension that allowed the Juggernaut to achieve speeds of 160 kilometers per hour on flat terrain. This drive system allowed the Juggernaut a distinct advantage in urban atmospheres, but made traversing dense or unstable terrain a challenge.

Although fast on flat terrain, the Juggernaut was slow to move through certain environments due to its wide turning radius. The innovation of cockpits at both ends of the craft allowed to smooth the process, but also led to confusion when the pilots failed to coordinate, locking the drive wheels in opposite directions.

Six gunners that received targeting information from a spotter and sensor operator perched in a 360-degree-view sentry tower placed above the rear command cabin coordinated the Juggernaut's weapons systems. Each gunner was responsible for one weapon system, which included two fixed forward-facing heavy laser cannons, one turreted heavy laser cannon, one turreted blaster cannon, and two turreted concussion grenade launchers. The predominance of turreted weaponry further enhanced the Juggernaut's usefulness in urban combat theaters, particularly the anti-personnel weapons that provided cover for disembarking troops.

Troops in the sentry tower often found themselves as easy targets for enemy air strikes, making many hesitant to be assigned to that station.

Compared to the AT-AT, the A5 was less maneuverable, less resistant to damage, had lighter weapons and less powerful lasers and required a bigger crew to operate, although it also was significantly faster.

History
Juggernauts dated back to the waning days of the Galactic Republic, being used by planetary governments seeking to build their own defense forces. They were sold to planetary governors, corporations, and even private interests, as many were known to have fallen into the hands of Hutt clans.

At least one juggernaut with specifications that paralleled the A5 model was used during the First Battle of Felucia, where it served as the command vehicle of Commander Ahsoka Tano, as it engaged in fighting alongside two AT-TEs. This Juggernaut was destroyed shortly after Tano and her troops were forced to evacuate, leaving it to be overrun by enemy droids of the CIS.

As the Galactic Republic continued to engage the Confederacy of Independent Systems in all-out war, Kuat Drive Yards, producer of the Juggernaut, took the initiative to distribute the craft to Outer Rim worlds poorly in need of armored equipment. Unfortunately, this method of delivery would sometimes lead to criminal elements and even the enemy itself gaining the enormous vehicles. This was a rare instance of Kuat Drive Yards directly producing an armored ground vehicle for the Grand Army of the Republic, rather than using its Rothana Heavy Engineering subsidiary. Towards the end of the Clone Wars, the A5 model was replaced by the heavier and larger A6 Juggernaut.

As the Clone Wars came to a close and the Imperial military machine rose from the ashes of the Grand Army of the Republic, most Juggernauts were commandeered by the Imperial Army and relegated to Outer Rim campaigns and backwater planetary defense forces as newer ground assault vehicles bolstered their arsenal.



The AT-AT, which included some similar design elements of the Juggernaut, became the primary heavy assault vehicle of the Galactic Empire and the AT-ST absorbed the close-support role the Juggernaut also fulfilled. Despite these advancements, some occupational governors and garrison commanders preferred the original Juggernaut, regardless of its shorter range and weaker weapons, due to its easier use in urban environments, more versatility and better anti-infantry weapons.

Eventually, the Empire decommissioned many Juggernauts and sold others to planetary governments and corporations, to whom the vehicle was initially marketed. This made the Juggernaut a common sight in mercenary forces, private armies and other fringe elements. Some fell into the hands of the Rebel Alliance. Circa 0 ABY, the prestigious Raithal Academy used A5 Juggernauts, among other vehicles, to train Imperial Army cadets. However, by the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War, very few remained operational.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Empire: To the Last Man
 * Star Wars: Empire: In the Shadows of Their Fathers
 * Star Wars Rebellion: My Brother, My Enemy
 * X-wing: Rogue Squadron
 * Darksaber
 * Crimson Empire
 * X-wing: Rogue Squadron
 * Darksaber
 * Crimson Empire