The Police Gunship

The Police Gunship




http://www.starwars.com/databank/police-gunship
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Police_gunship


It is a Star Wars TV topic since that ship has not appeared in any movie, but was briefly seen in TCW and SWR.
It is a patrol craft, manoeuvrable and lightly armed. It is more for surveillance than for combat, which is also evidenced by the compartment of probe droids each Police Gunship has.

Originally it was not designed for any of the TV shows, but for "another Star Wars-related project" which I suspect is 1313, a video game set in the Coruscant underground.
I like that design itself a lot. I think it might be my favourite TV design (even if technically not a TV design). For me it is a perfect blend of originality and homage. Looking like an insect, perhaps a bumblebee, the Police Gunship is very distinct from the usual Republic vehicles, yet it still features sharp angles and other elements to set it apart from the Separatists. It looks quite unique. However the fact that it also takes inspiration from real life helicopters creates a familiarity with the more famous Republic Gunship. The solar panels make any Star Wars fan feel at home anyway.

Lastly I was amazed what a paintjob can do. It really looks like republic police when painted in blue, but when given Imperial grey, it could almost pass for a member of the TIE family.

However I am not sure if the Empire should have such a craft. Apparently the Gunship-type has fallen out of favour until at least ESB, more likely before that. Why should the Empire use a Police Gunship?
If they wanted a Gunship for its military, why not take ... well, a military gunship? Why reuse a Police craft?

What are your feelings about this ship?
Do you think it was unnecessary as existing craft could have taken its role (Republic Clone Gunship, Sentinel Class etc.)?
Was its reuse in SWR clever or cheap?
Please share your opinions.

 

This gunship seemed to have entered service late in the war so it probably has better hardware and armor as opposed to the LAAT/i Gunships that had to be created years before he Clone Wars started. Also this police transport isn't just like what a NYPD cop would drive up in, it's like the equivalent of a SWAT Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle. And these ships seem to be used a transports but the Empire rather than the LAAT/i Gunships which were viable in combat roles and usable in space.

 

Something similar appears in rebels. Also in TFU which is now noncanon also had a smaller imperial gunship that was like the sucessor to the LAAT much like this thing and the gunship from Rebels.

 

Its the same ship.

 

TFU utilized three vehicles that I think are more rugged and versatile designs than the one used in TWC/Rebels:

The Multi-Altitude Assault Transport (MAAT):



The Imperial Dropship Transport:




Nemesis-class gunship:

​

 

Good points. I agree it is not the regular police cruiser, and it has some military grade equipment. After all, Coruscant Underworld Police seems to be pretty heavily armoured, too.
Funny enough, we never saw this craft used by any police force! We saw it in the Jedi Temple, used by Clone Troopers and Jedi, and used by the Imperial military.

Perhaps the Empire not just uses them, but rather abuses them. There is a thin line between policing and oppressing. The police gunship may not be the best craft for the frontlines, but it is certainly well suited to control and intimidate a population. The Empire thus has entirely perverted the idea of "serve and protect" once more.

 

The Clone Troopers that used them were the Shock Troopers who are like the U.S.' modern day SWAT Teams or Secret Service. It makes sense for them to be using heavy equipment. The standard Republic police seem to be droids.

 

True, the Shock Troops took over a lot jobs that should be the job of the Police - it is but one step toward dictatorship, since it is very reminiscent of real life dictatorships which used military formations for policing missions. (And militarized the police).

We don't really know if there is a (canon) SWAT equivalent, but the existence of the police gunship strongly implies so. I mean, it is a police vessel, it has POLICE written in big letters all over it. And we have seen the rather well armoured Underworld Police:


I strongly suspect the Police Gunship oroginally belongs to them - even their colour scheme is similar: dark/greyish blue and white with yellow highlights.


However, are there any SWAT equivalents in the EU?

 

Yes. Shock Troopers I forgot about those Underworld Police but they seemed to be more like agents. Like maybe the FBI of the Republic. Tracking down a target, and hey are dressed a lot like a common mercenary or bounty hunter. The Police Gunship probably does belong to the Shock Troopers since it wouldn't make sense for any other of the police like units to use it. Also I would definitely not say the Shock Troopers were used for standard policing. They have not been seen arresting citizens or giving tickets. We've seen the Police Droids do stuff like that. The Shock Troopers have done what any SWAT, Secret Service, Diplomatic Security or special police unit would do. They have protected VIP's (Chancellor, senators), conducted raids on high value criminals (raid on Ziro's base), kept riots from going out of control, fortified political buildings (Hostage Crisis), conducted hostage rescues, and tracked a very dangerous target. The use of police to an almost dictator level would probably be in the Season 3 Mandalore arc were Almec used the Mandalorian Secret Police to try to assassinate the cadets.

 

They look like an experimental run strike force created by Palpatine ,as they even issued an advanced gunship design that resembeles too much the Tie class plus later during the Palpatine's formation of the Galactic Empire they become the official main city police force. The underworld police look inspired from Nazi Germany's trenchcoated, helmeted, gas masked Stormtroopers. With these terror looks and brutal para-military police officer being elevated to the upper levels of Coruscant and act as the main police force and replaced the silly police droids, it gives Palpatine an added level of control and security. The original concept art they looked like Jawa's with Gandalf's hat and aussie duster coats.