Imperial jumptrooper

An Imperial jumptrooper was a variant of the Galactic Empire's stormtrooper. The direct successor of the the Republic Clone jet troopers, they were assigned to the battlefields with the most treacherous terrain.

Overview
The jumptroopers were an air-to-ground attack unit that were trained to engage in airborne, entrenched or otherwise inaccessible enemies. They were also trained in the use of hit-and-run attacks where they ambushed the enemy from above and often provided Stormtrooper squadrons with air cover during pitched battles.

They were the primary Imperial unit designated to "keep order" on low gravity worlds or on atmospheric platforms such as Cloud City.

Equipment
These soldiers wore the standard Stormtrooper armor though their shoulders were black and had patches of red paint on it. Their armor was similar to Commander Cody's. Furthermore, the forehead of the helmet was shaped in a black V and had a single red line on it. Two red lights featured by the chin.

They were equipted with:


 * AJP-400 Hush-About personal jet pack
 * rail detonators
 * heavy blaster rifles
 * Plasma casters
 * Merr-Sonn Missile Systems (built in their jetpack)
 * Rocket launchers

They were equipped with an AJP-400 Hush-About personal jet pack that allowed them to burst through the air in short spurts of about 20 seconds and allowed them to hover over a location for an extended period of time. There was, however, the danger of the jetpacks exploding if they were struck by a Force lightning.

In addition to this, they were armed with a "DN bolt caster" plasma disruptors which was far more powerful than standard Imperial-issued weaponry and was noted for its lack of a recoil when fired. This allowed the Jumptroopers to discharge the fiery white bolts of the weapon without any fear of changing their flight path or being knocked off balance while flying. This allowed them to seek a high advantage point in the air and take out their foes at a distance. Besides this, they were occasionally outfitted with rocket launchers.

The troops utilized a heavy blaster rifle as on of their primary armament. To give an added punch, the jump troopers possessed an integrated Merr-Sonn Missile System in their jet packs that could fire rockets that possessed no homing capability, thus requiring the trooper to aim at the target directly. The missiles detonated with a grenade-like blast effect. The pack only contained a few missiles.

They were also known to use devastating rail detonator guns, that allowed them to eliminate targets from any angle they choose, as well as flamethrowers which they discharged when they were at close range to their enemies.

History
These troopers were stationed on Felucia, Bespin, Kashyyyk, and the Death Star shortly before the Battle of Yavin IV. They engaged in numerous battles against Galen Marek, who came by the planets on which they were stationed.

It is currently unknown how they differ from rocket troopers, whether they be a separate organization or if it is just another name for the same class of jetpack-equipped soldiers.

Behind the scenes
The Hasbro toy's design was based on the unit in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, as it possessed a hose connected the helmet to a breathing tank on the chest armor - the version seen in the PS2, PSP, and Wii ports looked more like a standard Stormtrooper, with heavy shoulder armor. The figure's bio was also stated that they were equipped with rail detonators though these do not feature in the game. The title of "jumptrooper" comes from Hasbro toy catalogs and does not feature a jetpack.

The Jumptrooper is also called the Raxus Prime Trooper in the Star Wars Miniatures game.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (video game)
 * Star Wars Rebellion: My Brother, My Enemy
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide
 * Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary