Imperial jumptrooper The Imperial jumptroopers , also known as skytroopers or air assault troopers , were a variant of the Galactic Empire ' s stormtrooper . The direct successor of the Republic clone jet trooper s , they were assigned to the battlefields with the most treacherous terrain . Overview . The jumptroopers were an air - to - ground attack unit that was trained to engage airborne , entrenched , or otherwise inaccessible enemies . They were also trained in hit - and - run attacks in which they ambushed the enemy from above . They often provided stormtrooper units 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 standard stormtrooper armor , though their shoulders were black with patches of red paint . Their armor was similar to the armor worn by Commander Cody . Furthermore , the forehead of the helmet was shaped in a black V and had a single red line on it with two red lights by the chin . They were equipped with : 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 time . Being hit with Force lightning would cause the jet pack to explode or malfunction , and the jumptrooper to spiral into the ground . They were armed with plasma disruptors , which were far more powerful than standard Imperial - issued weaponry and were noted for their lack of a recoil . Thus the jumptroopers could discharge the weapon ' s fiery white bolts without changing their flight path or being knocked off balance while flying . This allowed them to seek a high vantage 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 one of their primary arms . For added punch , a Merr - Sonn Missile System was integrated into their jetpacks that could fire rockets with no homing capability , thus requiring the trooper to aim at the target directly . The missiles detonated with a grenade - like blast . The pack only contained a few missiles . They were also known to use devastating rail detonator guns , which allowed them to eliminate targets from any angle , 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 . On Raxus Prime , jumptroopers were part of the garrison guarding the Imperial Ore Facility . They engaged in numerous battles against Galen Marek , who came by the planets on which they were stationed . They fought alongside Navy commandos and heavy troopers . A number of jumptroopers were stationed on the planet Kamino , where they attempted to stop the clone test subject of the deceased Starkiller . Despite their best efforts , the clone easily defeated them all and escaped the planet . Later , they fought the clone on Cato Neimoidia under command of Baron Merillion Tarko in the city of Tarko - se . He killed them all . When the Alliance to Restore the Republic attacked Kamino , the clone encountered and killed them also . Several were present during the Raid at Spaceport THX1138 to capture the Rebel agent aboard one of the StarSpeeder 1000 s . Jetpack - equipped stormtroopers known as air assault troopers , or airtroopers , helped to protect the AT - ATs of the Thundering Herd unit during the Battle of Hoth . Some of these airtroopers also accompanied Darth Vader during his attempt to capture Luke Skywalker on Bespin ' s Cloud City . Behind the scenes . " " featured airtroopers as one of its many enemies . Their designation as air assault troopers was later revealed in " Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 4 " . The Hasbro jumptrooper toy ' s design was based on the unit in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game , as it possessed a hose connecting the helmet to a breathing tank on the chest armor . The version in the PS2 , PSP , and Wii ports looked more like a standard stormtrooper with heavy shoulder armor . The figure ' s bio 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 called the Raxus Prime Trooper in the " Star Wars Miniatures " game .