Bantha-class troop carrier assault shuttle

The Bantha-class troop carrier assault shuttle, also known as an Assault Carrier, was a shuttle developed by Mon Calamari and Sullustan engineers for the New Republic.
==Characteristics==
The Bantha-class assault shuttle was a large craft intended primarily for planetary assault missions and commando raids. It was heavily armed, mounting a pair Golan Arms quad turbolasers, and equipped with heavy armor and shields. It also possessed a hyperdrive, allowing the shuttle to be used for long-range missions without the assistance of a capital ship.
The Bantha-class shuttle was operated from a raised command pod on the port side of the ship's dorsal hull, and troops were carried in a lower hull with three large forward hatches. Commandos often jumped from these hatches to ground level during rapid assaults. Two long booms extended forward of the main hull. On the ground, the shuttle was balanced on a single oversized landing gear.
==History==
In the New Republic's early years during the Galactic Civil War, the Bantha-class was developed as a response to the Sentinel-class landing craft. It was larger and more heavily armored than its Imperial counterpart, and mounted a heavier armament.
The Bantha-class assault shuttle first appeared during the assault on Oradin at the Battle of Brentaal IV, and also played an important role in the evacuation of Ciutric.
==Appearances==
*X-Wing Rogue Squadron 21 
*X-Wing Rogue Squadron 22
*X-Wing Rogue Squadron 23 
*X-Wing Rogue Squadron 33
*X-Wing Rogue Squadron 34
*X-Wing Rogue Squadron 35
==Sources==
*Star Wars Handbook 1: X-Wing Rogue Squadron 
*The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
* 
*The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Category:Assault shuttle classes
Category:Mon Calamari Shipyards products
Category:SoroSuub Corporation products
Category:Starship classes of the Alliance to Restore the Republic
Category:Starship classes of the New Republic