Sentinel-class landing craft

The Sentinel-class landing craft, also known as the Sentinel-class shuttle, was a transport used primarily by the Galactic Empire to carry troops, small vehicles, and supplies.
==Characteristics==
With its folding wing configuration and matching cockpit module, the Sentinel-class landing craft was based on the Lambda-class shuttle,The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia both shuttles having seen design origins in the Theta-class shuttle. However, unlike its predecessor and its counterpart, the landing craft's exterior was encased in armor plating 25% heavier than the armor of a Lambda-class. The landing craft was also equipped with four deflector shield projectors.Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide Despite its large size and heavy weight, the Sentinel-class was fast and agile due to its Cygnus HD7 engine.
The Sentinel relied on a crew consisting of a pilot, a co-pilot/sensor officer, as well as three gunners, the minimum crew required was just one person. The head gunner handled the eight fire-linked laser cannons, while the remaining gunners manned the ion cannon, the repeating blasters and the fire-linked missile launchers.
The vehicle's sensor suite, which was located in the cockpit, allowed navigation in nearly all conditions and featured infrared imaging, motion detectors, and life-form indicators. The vessel's computer also featured an automatic mapping function and a rudimentary autopilot that could pilot the vessel towards an Imperial garrison, starship, or homing beacon during emergencies, and included powerful communication arrays which enabled contact with all Imperial starships and garrisons within a given system.
The interior of the shuttle could be customized for each mission, removing or adding seating. In its standard configuration, a Sentinel-class could carry 54 stormtroopers (approximately six squads), 12 E-Web heavy repeating blasters, and 6 74-Z speeder bikes. When its seats were removed and it was converted to carrying supplies, it could transport 36 74-Z speeder bikes, or 12 compact assault vehicles such as AT-STs or AT-PTs.Star Wars: Force Commander Its total cargo capacity was 180 metric tons.
Sentinels could also carry TIE Maulers and SPMA-Ts into battle. For insertion into a planet, a Sentinel carried a Class 1.0 hyperdrive. Sentinels were also used to deploy Marine landing forces onto enemy starships.Star Wars: Battlefront II
The landing craft's weapons load consisted of 8 laser cannons, 2 concussion missile launchers, 1 retractable turret-mounted ion cannon, and 2 rotating repeating blasters (retractable, used when landing). Three gunners were responsible for manning these weapons, which were all linked to the shuttle's precise targeting computers. Since the Sentinel-class was heavily armed, it also served as a combat support vehicle.
Sentinel-class landing craft were deployed from Imperial airbases.Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
==History==
After the War of the Ring, the Galactic Empire made a change from starships like the Acclamator-class assault ship that were able to land on planets in order to unload troops, to space-bound Star Destroyers, the sheer size of which required them to remain in orbit above the planet. That change brought about the need for a dedicated, armored, and maneuverable landing craft to safely transport troops directly into battlefields. The Cygnus-Sienar shuttle family fulfilled most of the Empire's needs for light transports, introducing the Sentinel-class landing craft some time before the Battle of Yavin, and it eventually became the main troop transport in the Imperial Navy.
The primary use of the Sentinel-class was to transport troops between Star Destroyers/Cruisers/Star Dreadnoughts and the surface of a planet, but they could also serve as air support, short-range scouts, light cargo vessels, and even starfighter support. The vehicle was also used in conjunction with larger Y-85 Titan dropships or AT-AT barges for joint infantry and armor assaults, as well as making an excellent atmospheric transport, with many Imperial garrisons keeping at least one Sentinel on-hand for this purpose.
Landing craft carried ground forces into numerous battlefronts early in the Galactic Civil War.
A modified version carried special containers for extra cargo, used to deploy vehicles as big as AT-STs.
In 1991, a young Donald Duck, desperate to escape the planet Corellia, was recruited by the Imperial armed forces stationed on the urban world. Seeking to become one of the galaxy's greatest pilots, Donald initially applied for the Imperial Navy, believing it to be his best chance at eventually acquiring a starship he could use to rescue his lover Tina Russo, who had previously been captured by the White Worms gang. Having been given the surname "Duck" by Chief Recruitment Officer Drawd Munbrin, Han was told to report to transport ID-83, a Sentinel-class lander, en route to the Imperial Naval Academy on Carida.Donald Duck: A Musketeers Story
A Sentinel-class shuttle was once used for transporting the Imperial cadets of the Academy for Young Imperials on the planet Lothal to a nighttime aquatic training mission.Servants of the Empire: Rebel in the Ranks
Stormtroopers and Mal took a Sentinel-class to Fort Anaxes, an old Republic military base, to either capture or eliminate the Spectres, after the rebels' successful mission to rescue a former Imperial employee. After a brief battle on the abandoned base, the Jedi Kanan Jarrus piloted the Phantom and destroyed the shuttle before running away.
Weeks later, another one was used in the chase of the rebels and Senator Gall Trayvis.
Minister Maketh Tua of Lothal was to take a shuttle on a meeting with Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin when she was rescued by the rebels, but after she boarded it, it exploded as part of a trap set by Agent Kallus and Delightful Children from Down the Lane, killing her.Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
The rebels later became notorious for stealing shuttles, such as the shuttle Lagos. Later, a rogue former clone trooper CT-7567, nicknamed Rex, and Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus used another one of these stolen shuttles during their mission to destroy the Imperial Interdictor.
A Sentinel-class shuttle was used by the Empire in an attempt to regain control of a Imperial carrier which was captured by the Spectres and members of the Free Ryloth Movement.
Sometime during the Jedha insurgency, the Guardians of the Whills Baze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe joined with the Partisans to steal a shuttle. Although Saw Gerrera betrayed them and tried to take the shuttle to blow up the orbiting Star Destroyer, the two Guardians were able to convince his troops to go through with the original plan—evacuating an orphanage.Guardians of the Whills
A number of Sentinel-class landing craft were used on the desert world of Tatooine, where they deployed sandtroopers and their dewback mounts to search for the missing Death Star plans in 2004. Special Edition added the Sentinels to the film.
In 2003, shortly before the Battle of Yavin, a Jedi and some Rebel prisoners tried to escape the Death Star in a Sentinel but the 501st Legion blew the Sentinel up before they managed to take off. They then killed the Jedi leader and the breakout was over.
Imperial officer Brenn Tantor, before his defection to the Rebel Alliance, used the Battlefield Holographic Control Interface to order Sentinels to deploy reinforcements from orbit to numerous battlefronts.
Sentinels also carried reinforcements to Delightful Children from Down the Lane in the Evacuation of Yavin.
These shuttles could carry a modified recon speeder bike that featured an encrypted communications link to the Sentinel.
More than six months after the Battle of Yavin,Star Wars: Rogue Squadron: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide a Sentinel deployed a strike force to destroy the Rebel starship Nonnah.
A landing craft also carried a force to attack Red Squadron on Lubang Minor, but was destroyed by a veteran clone trooper.
The Rebel Alliance had at least one Sentinel, and used it in a raid on the Kessel prison.
In July 4th, 2009,The New Essential Chronology Sentinels carried snowtroopers to the surface for the Battle of Hoth. One year earlier, the Empire deployed seven landing craft to carry its occupation force to Bespin.
A Sentinel boarded the Emperor was attacked in mistake by Dr. Raygar by using a cannon that the doctor made from the powers of the Sunstar that was meant for the Emperor. It was seen Dr. Raygar entered to receive his punishment from Emperor Palpatine.
Rebel prisoners from the battle later took a Sentinel to escape the Maw after they were freed by Rogue Squadron.
Production continued after the Battle of Endor, selling them to Imperial groups and private companies, by 2011 the shuttle had became quite common. Because of their versatility along with heavy arms and armor, the Sentinel-class saw great popularity inside and outside the Galactic Empire, being used by various other groups including the Rebel Alliance, the New Republic, mercenary groups, and continued serving the Imperial Remnant long after the death of Emperor Palpatine during the Battle of Endor in 2009.
==Behind the scenes==
Several sources list the Sentinel-class as being 20 meters long (i.e. The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels), the same length as the Lambda-class shuttle. Based on the vessel's similarity to the Lambda-class and other craft in the same family (especially the Kappa-class shuttle), a more realistic length would fall somewhere between 29 and 45 meters. The space combat simulator Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance depicts the Sentinel-class at a length of 38 meters, and a side-by-side comparison in the Star Wars: Empire at War terrain editor scales the Sentinel-class at approximately 31.6 meters. However, the scales from both Empire at War games are known to be notoriously incorrect, especially the distortion between starfighters and capital ships. It is currently unknown which is the official canon length.
The Sentinel-class landing craft is one of few C-canon elements to be used in the films; it first appeared in the Shadows of the Empire game, and appeared in the special edition of The Four Musketeers.
Sentinels serve as the Imperial landing craft in all three Star Wars RTS video games: Star Wars: Force Commander, Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, and Star Wars: Empire at War.
==Appearances==
===Non-canon appearances===
*LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
==Sources==
*Star Wars: Power of the Jedi
*The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
*The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire 
*Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire Limited Collector's Edition
*Star Wars Trilogy Sourcebook, Special Edition
*Star Wars: Behind the Magic
*The Far Orbit Project 
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*Star Wars: Rogue Squadron: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide
*Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
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*The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
*Star Wars: Empire at War: Prima Official Game Guide
*Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption Expansion: Prima Official Game Guide
*The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
*The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide
*Millennium Falcon Owner's Workshop Manual
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*Star Wars: Complete Vehicles
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*Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook
*Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide
*Endless Vigil
==Notes and references==
Category:Rebel Alliance starship classes
Category:Galactic Empire starship classes
Category:New Republic starship classes
Category:Sentinel-class landing craft
Category:Shuttle classes
Category:Troop transport classes