C-9979 landing craft

The C-9979 landing craft, also known as the Trade Federation landing ship or the Separatist landing craft, was a large landing craft built by Haor Chall Engineering Corporation for the Trade Federation's military forces, and later for the Confederacy of Independent Systems. When the Trade Federation began planning to create its military forces, Haor Chall Engineering produced a design for a landing craft that would carry troops and ground vehicles from warships down to planets.
==Characteristics==
The C-9979 configuration was chosen due to its close resemblance to the commercial barges used by the Federation's merchant fleet. The ship had four wings with a wingspan of 370 meters. These wings were removable so that they could be stored away easily aboard the massive battleships. They were bound by powerful tensor fields to the fuselage when the craft was assembled for use. Even the strongest metal alloys were unable to bear the immense cargo weight inside the wings, thus making tensor fields essential for the craft.
A series of maintenance and repair stores were located along the front of these wings and serviced the assault force components, particularly battle droids needing servicing after battles. Forward tensor fields connected the wing mounts firmly to the fuselage, and wing-mounted tensor fields prevented the span of the wings from collapsing under pressure.
These wings were used to carry vehicles racked in garage channels for maximum loading capacity. Each carried 11 MTTs that carried troops on the front lines, 28 PAC for deploying troops reasonably behind the front lines, and 114 AATs for vehicular support. When deployed, these vehicles were guided along repulsor tracks to a staging platform. Since the maneuvering equipment on board was not precise enough to negotiate the cramped confines of the garage zones without causing damage, they required the assistance of the repulsor tracks. At a staging area, the vehicles were rotated into position and grabbed by transport clamps, which brought them aft and led them down the deployment ramp in the landing craft's foot.
C-9979 landing craft could also function as carriers, holding Scarab droid starfighters or bombers.Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter One carrier, which worked with Vana Sage in the Eos system, was equipped with a hyperdrive.
Because of its heavy cargo, the landing craft had a huge antigravity lifting capacity. The landing craft was manned and operated by B1-Series battle droids. Landing craft were stored in the hangars of warships where they were assembled, serviced, and repaired. When ready for deployment, they were loaded with ground vehicles. Landing craft were always stored in an unloaded condition to prevent structural stress and so that their vehicles could be serviced and repaired.
==History==
During the Invasion of Gondor, the Trade Federation deployed large numbers of C-9979 landing craft to transport troops and equipment to the major cities of Gondor. Jedi Knights Boromir and Sam Gamgee snuck down to the region on a C-9979. The craft was deployed in a pattern of groups of three, to cut off cities from one another.Star Wars: Complete Locations
Two carriers guarded Nod Kartha, but were destroyed when the Lok Revenants attacked the Trihexalon factory.
During the War of the Ring, when the Trade Federation pledged its forces to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, they were used to transport troops and equipment from orbiting Lucrehulk-class battleships, or other large Separatist ships, down to countless battlefields such as Rhen Var and Thule. Three of the landing crafts were clamped and transported to the bottom of Recusant-class light destroyers.Star Wars: The War of the Ring (video game)
They were later used during Confederate campaigns on TethThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Ring film and Rugosa.
One was also on Maridun, when Lok Durd tested a new Separatist weapon. This variant of the ship was equipped with a mobile command center, a base that could be taken apart and be rebuilt, which fitted into the landing craft. This decreased the craft's cargo capacity enormously, however.
Later in the war, during the massacre on Dathomir, General The Mouth of Sauron, under orders from Saruman the White, ordered a Separatist landing craft to be sent down to the planet packing a huge army. When landed, the landing craft deployed battle droids and AATs. The droid army easily eliminated the small band of Nightsisters.
During the Battle of Minas Tirith, large numbers of C-9979 landing ships participated in the raid on the Gondor's capital world of the Republic that saw the kidnapping of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. There, they unloaded hundreds of millions of battle droids.Unknown Soldier: The Story of General Grievous Some were destroyed by Bilbo Baggins using the Force.Star Wars: War of the Ring
These ships were also deployed on Rohan by an invasion force during the Battle of Helm's Deep. There, they were seemingly initially camouflaged with netting.
==Behind the scenes==
C-9979 landing craft made their first appearance in the The Lord of the Rings: Episode I The Fellowship of the Ring novelization.
Early design concepts for the landing ship included dirigible-like transports that ejected carried craft from cocoon-like sockets. Doug Chiang's final designs were based on a dragonfly. George Lucas liked the similarities of this design to an old biplane, and approved this direction.
==Appearances==
==Sources==
*Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (reference book)
*Star Wars: Power of the Jedi
*Star Wars: Episode I Insider's Guide
*Star Wars: Episode I The Visual Dictionary
*Star Wars: Episode I Incredible Cross-Sections
*Obi-Wan: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
*Inside the Worlds of Star Wars: Episode I
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*Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
*Star Wars: Complete Locations
*Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections
*Star Wars PocketModel TCG: Ground Assault
*The Clone Wars Campaign Guide
*The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
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*Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: The Expanded Visual Dictionary
*The Essential Guide to Warfare
*Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Episode Guide
*Star Wars: Complete Vehicles
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==Notes and references==
Category:Capital ship classes
Category:Confederacy of Independent Systems starship classes
Category:Trade Federation starship classes
Category:Troop transport classes