Desert stormtrooper

"Let me see your identifications."

- A sandtrooper in Mos Eisley

A sandtrooper, or desert trooper, was an Imperial stormtrooper equipped with modified armor and equipment to withstand the harsh climates of desert planets like Tatooine.

Equipment
They were nearly identical to standard stormtroopers except they had additional training in specialized areas and advanced cooling systems in both their helmets and suits that offered them protection from the relentless heat. Visual differences in armor included a distinctive diamond-shaped left knee plate, non-ribbed chest and back plate connectors as well as reinforced abdominal plating. It was typical for non-commissioned officers (white and orange pauldrons) and above to remove the “drop boxes” on the waist; a redundant and unnecessary accessory given the upgraded load-bearing kit requirements for sustained operations with minimal resupply. Additionally, the usual thermal detonator worn by normal Stormtroopers on the lower back was not present, as its wear and access would be impeded by the typical SD-48 survival pack.

Their armor consisted of an 18 piece anti-blaster cocoon shell like that of a stormtrooper, but also had a heat-reflective coating worn over a temperature-control body glove. The sandtrooper helmet featured automatic polarized lenses, a built-in comlink, and breathing filters.

All desert sandtroopers carried E-11 blaster rifles, DLT-19 heavy blaster rifles, T-21 light repeating blasters, or RT-97C heavy blaster rifles, long-range comlinks, food, and water packs. Sandtroopers wore colored pauldrons as a designation of rank. A sandtrooper sergeant's pauldron was white, while an enlisted trooper's pauldron was all black. Squad leaders, who led units of seven troopers, wore orange shoulder pauldrons.

History
"Stop that ship! Blast 'em!"

- Mod Terrik

The stormtrooper detachment dispatched in 0 BBY to investigate a crashed escape pod on Tatooine just prior to the Battle of Yavin consisted of sandtroopers. They had heavy weapons, survival gear, and shoulder pauldrons denoting rank.

Sandtroopers, along with representatives from every specialized Stormtrooper Corps, were assigned to Darth Vader's personal Death Squadron.

In 8 ABY a contingent of sandtroopers were deployed from the Chimaera to capture the moss painting, Killik Twilight.

Non-canon appearances

 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
 * Trooper
 * Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back