Armored Assault Tank

The **Armored Assault Tank Mk I**, also known as the **AAT battle tank**, the **AAT-1 Hover Tank**, or the **Trade Federation battle tank**, was a medium-sized repulsor tank used mainly by the Trade Federation and the Confederacy of Independent Systems prior to the rise of the Galactic Empire. The tank had heavy frontal armor that gave it the capability to plow through walls, and it was heavily armed with a payload of 57 shells. The tank required a crew of four battle droids to be fully operated and was able to carry six additional battle droids onto the battlefield. The tank's reactor and power and communications gear were kept in the rear for protection.

The vehicle was designed by the Baktoid Armor factories, with its most important parts placed in the back. Piloted by OOM pilot battle droids, AATs comprised a significant portion of the Trade Federation's ground forces. They were used to fight armies of pirates in the Outer Rim Territories before they were finally deployed in the Federation's Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY. Ten years later they would be used heavily during the galactic Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Though AATs did see a little action after the Republic transformed into the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, these instances were very rare. Despite this, dozens of AATs fell into the hands of the Alliance to Restore the Republic where they were modified extensively in order to better accommodate organic crews.

## Characteristics

The Armored Assault Tank had many weapons which made it powerful during battles. It had 57 shells that could reload in seconds. The AAT also had a heavy laser cannon which was its primary weapon. It could destroy a building in 2 shots with it's heavy laser cannon. The Armored Assault Tank also had Antipersonnel twin blasters on each side of the tank so it could fire while the primary weapon was still firing. Inside the AAT, the crew was only 4 battle droids. It had 2 AAT driver battle droids inside manning the twin turrets, the OOM command battle droid commanded and fired the primary weapon, and the OOM pilot battle droid drove the tank. Also, the Armored Assault Tank could carry 6 battle droids on the external handholds. The AAT could be piloted by organics, as shown with the Rebel Alliance and the Second Union.

## History

The AAT was designed for and used in the Trade Federation's Invasion of Naboo. It was later donated to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, where it served as one of its backbone infantry support vehicles during the Clone Wars. Many of the AATs used by the Confederacy were painted in Confederate colors such as blue and white, though some tanks used by the CIS were still painted in the tan previously used by the Trade Federation. The tanks were also donated to the Death Watch during their alliance with the Confederacy.

One of the most famous variants of the vehicle was constructed by Confederate General Lok Durd. He modified one of these into the Defoliator Deployment Tank which he attempted to test on Maridun and the Lurmen locals, but had his prototype destroyed by Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and his forces. This variant of the tank was later used by the Supreme Commander of the Droid Army, General Grievous to wipe out the Nightsisters on Dathomir.

After the Clone Wars, dozens of AATs fell into the hands of the Alliance to Restore the Republic where they were modified extensively in order to better accommodate organic crews. On the other side of the Galactic Civil War, the Galactic Empire's Imperial Assault Tank bore a great resemblance to the Armored Assault Tank. Separatist holdouts such as the one under governor Tawni Ames on the planet Desix kept their AATs as part of their defense forces, with Ames' ones being used against the Galactic Empire in her attempt to secure the planet's independence. The Empire also supplied a heavier version of the vehicle to the Trandoshans they allied with. The variant was armed with a flamethrower turret controlled by an additional gunner. The heavily camouflaged tank was used by Trandoshan hunters on Kashyyyk to burn down the remaining Wookiee villages. The Rebel Alliance used one AAT during the skirmish on the Ghost Moon against the SCAR troopers of Task Force 99.

Following the Imperialization of the Trade Federation by the Empire, stormtroopers would sometimes utilize AATs during a few battles in the Galactic Civil War (possibly including the Battle of Tatooine).

One AAT was refurbished and made serviceable during the Galactic Civil War by a former Imperial slave Wookiee named Quagga. It then saw service during Jabba Desilijic Tiure's gladiatorial game.

During the Age of the New Republic, many refurbished AATs were used by the Second Union in their armed forces and were a common sight in their ground troops.