Patrol transport The patrol transport , also referred to as the police gunship , known first as the Republic police gunship or Republic police helicopter and later as the Imperial patrol transport , was a gunship introduced during the Clone Wars to perform law enforcement functions on the Republic capital of Coruscant . Designed to be sleeker and smaller as well as less heavily armed than the Republic attack gunship , the patrol transport was better suited for policing the dense city - wide planet while reducing the risks of collateral damage . The patrol transport was armed with ball - mounted turret s and fixed cannons . A troop bay allowed for the rapid deployment of police officer s . Though utilized primarily by the Coruscant Security Force , the patrol transport also was available to the Coruscant Guard shock troopers who could procure them if need be . After the formation of the Galactic Empire , the patrol transport saw a broader use as a patrol craft for the Imperial Military on various worlds , as well as an escort carried on some of its capital ship s . Description . The Patrol transport was the civilian model of the Republic attack gunship and was sleeker , smaller , and less heavily armed . The police gunship possessed a spoked cockpit and solar gatherer panels which acted as the power generator for the ship . Two ball - mounted laser cannon s were underneath the cockpit and one laser cannon was mounted on the rear of the ship which were better suited for patrolling the city scape as well as having a lower risk overall in causing collateral damage . The patrol transports were also equipped with searchlights in the event that they had to conduct searches at night or in areas of Coruscant where visibility was low , such as the underworld . The gunship ' s cockpit also had two seats for the pilot and gunner , with the pilot being slightly behind of and elevated over the gunner . The side hatches opened for entry , and had a ramp near the rear in the event that the circumstances required rapid deployment of its personnel . History . The gunship was used during the Clone Wars and available to both flesh - and - blood police officer s and the Guardian police droid s of the Coruscant Security Force . It could also be used by the shock troopers of the Coruscant Guard and the Jedi Order . Two of these gunships were used on Coruscant by two teams of Coruscant Guards led by clone officer s Captain Rex and Commander Wolffe and Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Plo Koon to search for Skywalker ' s padawan Ahsoka Tano in the lower levels , after Tano escaped from the Republic military base . The gunships were utilized by several trooper s of the Coruscant Guard to search the planet for the clone trooper Fives . They eventually found him in a warehouse in the lower levels where he was shot by them . Some were stationed in the Jedi Temple ' s hangar . Under the Empire , the gunship was used by the Imperial Military on various planets such as Lothal as a patrol craft to help in putting down rebellious activity . Some were also held on " Imperial " - class Star Destroyers , such as Admiral Kassius Konstantine ' s " Relentless " and Captain Slavin ' s Star Destroyer , the latter of which used them to assist a freighter in docking with it . Behind the scenes . The Republic police gunship first appeared in the Season 5 episode " To Catch a Jedi . " The ship was originally designed for another " Star Wars " - related project , and was inherited by the " Clone Wars " team for use in this episode .