- "You're leading a battle-hardened unit, supported by Juggernauts, commandos and two Jedi!"
- ―Anakin Skywalker, to Rex
The HAVw A6 Juggernaut, also known as the A6 Juggernaut, Clone turbo tank, or HAVw A6 heavy assault vehicle, was an upgraded version of the HAVw A5 Juggernaut.
Description[]
- "Zone runners, sir! They're in amongst the Juggernauts!"
- ―A stormtrooper, on zone runners
The A6 Juggernaut model was larger than its predecessor. It measured 30.4 meters in height and 49.4 meters in length. Its interior space was greatly increased to allow for up to three hundred troopers and equipment, a complement of close support craft such as speeder bikes and light airspeeders, or a mix of both. A combination of twelve crew members were required to pilot and control the massive vehicle, although with an automation package, that requirement could be reduced to just two pilots.
With thick, thermally superconducting armor (capable of absorbing enemy fire and dispersing heat over a wide area) and a heavier load, the A6 Juggernaut could only achieve 160 kilometers per hour, and the turning issues of the A5 model were magnified with the A6. The slowness required for negotiating turns encouraged the A6's use on open terrain rather than urban battlefields.
Weapons systems were also upgraded to include a heavy laser cannon turret, a rapid repeating laser cannon, two medium antipersonnel laser cannons, two twin antipersonnel blaster cannons, and two turreted projectile launchers, loadable with variable-yield concussion grenades for close support or missiles added for anti-armor firepower. Missile range was 30km. Against an unshielded target, a Juggernaut could deliver the heat of a nuclear bomb into a small area.[7]
From a small pod above the vehicle's front, a spotter kept lookout for enemy forces. Though there was a large view of the area, he was an easy target for hostile troops. This observation mast could be retracted when not in use.
History[]
- "Imperial Juggernaughts. [sic] More of them."
- ―Ved Tarson, to Wyl Tarson
The A6 model saw its heaviest use in service of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars. Due to a flawed direct-delivery system maintained by Kuat Drive Yards during the conflict, some A6 Juggernauts also fell into the hands of the CIS.
HAVw A6 Juggernauts were used fairly extensively in the Battle of Kashyyyk alongside AT-APs, where they went up against enemy NR-N99 tank droids and DSD1 dwarf spider droids.
After the Clone Wars, the Imperial Army developed sleeker and more versatile combat vehicles. The various Juggernaut models were gradually phased out, and during the Galactic Civil War, they primarily served on battlefronts in the Outer Rim. Some fell into the hands of the Rebel Alliance. According to Imperial-turned Rebel General Crix Madine, the HAVw A6 Juggernauts tended to break down.[9] It appears that the HAVt B5 Juggernaut served as its successor, even though its purpose was different. A6s were deployed in the Battle of Hoth. By 13 ABY, they were one of a number of Clone Wars-era Galactic Republic vehicles being used by the Restored Empire faction of the Imperial Remnant.[4]
Later-generation AT-ATs would borrow certain design-elements from the Juggernauts.
Behind the scenes[]
The Juggernaut's designs entered the Expanded Universe via Joe Johnston's sketches of an unused heavy assault vehicle intended for The Empire Strikes Back. It and its role in the film was replaced by the AT-AT.
When chosen to appear in Revenge of the Sith, the realization of its scale and weapon systems greatly outstripped those imagined by the Expanded Universe, being roughly larger by a scale factor of two, or eight times larger in volume. To accommodate this, the version that appears on-screen was denoted as the A6 model, with the smaller, EU model already denoted as the A5.
The "Clone Turbo Tank" name possibly arose because at the time of the release of the prequels, Toy Biz owned the rights to produce toys named "Juggernaut" (as they had the Marvel license). Though Hasbro now has the rights to this name, the 2009 toy was still named Clone Turbo Tank. LEGO has also made 3 models of a Juggernaut, all called "Clone Turbo Tank". The first Clone Turbo Tank Lego set 7261, released in 2005, is an A6 Juggernaut model, as seen in Revenge of the Sith during the Battle of Kashyyyk. The second set 8098, released in August 2010, is a Juggernaut model with specifications similar to that of an A5 Juggernaut, as seen in the Clone Wars series during the Battle of Felucia. The third set 75151, released in May 2016, is based on the A6 Juggernaut from Revenge of the Sith during the Battle of Kashyyyk, similar to the first model.
Appearances[]
Non-canon appearances[]
- † LEGO Star Wars: Microfighters — "video game"
- LEGO Star Wars: Microfighters — "Tank Attack Antics"
- LEGO Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick
Sources[]
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross-Sections (First identified as HAVw A6 Juggernaut)
- Star Wars Trading Card Game — Revenge of the Sith (Card: HAVw A6 Juggernaut) ( (backup link))
- "Starships and Vehicles of Revenge of the Sith" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- "The Vehicles of Episode III" — Star Wars Insider 83
- "Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic" — Star Wars Insider 84
- Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption Expansion: Prima Official Game Guide (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections
- The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- "Classic Moment" — Star Wars Insider 111
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Pack: Clone Tank Gunner) (backup link)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Pack: Clone Turbo Tank) (backup link)
- † clone turbo tank in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Making of The Empire Strikes Back
- "Mini Magic!" — Star Wars Insider 130 (Picture only)
- Star Wars: Complete Vehicles
- Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Starships and Vehicles of Revenge of the Sith" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Complete Vehicles
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Crimson Empire III: Empire Lost 2
- ↑ "Burn the Behemoth!" — Star Wars: The Clone Wars Comic 6.17
- ↑ Rebellion 6
- ↑ Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross-Sections p. 20
- ↑ Rebellion 8
- ↑ Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide