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"A Compact Assault Vehicle doesn't necessarily signal the presence of an Imperial base. It probably means just the opposite. The Empire uses these one troop vehicles on undeveloped worlds that aren't occupied territory. One trooper in a CAV can control a lot of territory."
―Luke Skywalker[6]

The Compact Assault Vehicle/Wheeled PX-10 was a single-soldier Surface Assault Vehicle manufactured by Nen-Carvon.

Characteristics[]

Imperial CAV

Side view of the PX-10

The Compact Assault Vehicle/Wheeled PX-10 was a tracked combat assault vehicle controlled by a single trooper.[1] Measuring 5.1 meters,[4] the vehicle was fast and well armored,[1] capable of reaching speeds of 260 kilometers an hour.[4] An extensive sensor and communications package allowed the PX-10 to drive itself, allowing the soldier to man the blaster cannon and focus on combat operations. However, the complex computer systems employed by the PX-10 were vulnerable to jamming. The jamming caused the input from the sensors to confuse the computers, rendering the programs governing the automated pilot assistance to not function.[1]

Armed with a single Mk 4e/S medium blaster cannon,[5] the PX-10 transformed a single soldier into a mobile armored assault force.[1] Able to carry one hundred kilograms of cargo and enough consumables to last two weeks,[3] the PX-10 was an equal combination of weapon and fort.[1] Restricted to military sale, PX-10s could be bought for 25,000 credits on the black market.[3]

History[]

The PX-10 was developed in response to the problem of spreading the Galactic Empire's resources too thinly across all the planets it controlled. Some remote planets were too insignificant to the Empire to warrant the deployment of a full occupational force, but still needed a significant Imperial presence. Armed with the PX-10, a single trooper was capable of generating the firepower of an entire squad. A number of PX-10 equipped troopers were able to control and hold a vast amount of territory, as long as the opposition did not have firepower to match, or overcome, the local Imperial force.[1] The Empire also used them as a surveillance tool, as well as to deny the Alliance to Restore the Republic from controlling assets due to a lack of Imperial presence. Nonetheless, Alliance forces soon came to recognize that the presence of a PX-10 signaled a reduced Imperial presence.[3]

Imperial doctrine called for PX-10 drivers to never leave their vehicles. Due to the known jamming issue with the onboard computers, PX-10s were less useful against high-tech opponents who knew how to exploit the PX-10's flaw, but were effective on primitive planets throughout the Empire.[1] The PX-10's vulnerability to sensor jamming, coupled with its limited weapons complement, meant that it never gained much traction with other organizations other than the Empire.[3]

ISTCAV

Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Ken inspect an abandoned PX-10

Around 18 BBY,[7] the Empire employed PX-10s operated by droid pilots for patrol and surveillance on the planet Acherin. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight Ferus Olin, and Raina Quill, a member of the Acherin resistance, encountered several while attempting to reach the city of Eluthan.[8]

In 5 ABY, Luke Skywalker—along with Han Solo, Leia Organa, Chewbacca, and the Jedi Prince Ken—discovered an abandoned PX-10 on bluff overlooking a beach on the picturesque planet Z'trop. Skywalker and Solo deactivated the vehicle's weapon systems.[6]

The Hydrospeare Corporation developed an aquatic modification of the PX-10 known as the Aquadon CAVa 400. Fitted with lateral and stern thrusters in addition to treads, the Aquadon CAVa 400 was a submersible assault vehicle that was instrumental in the Kath subjugation.[9]

Appearances[]

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