Why did the Empire scrap gunships from their military?

And I realise this was because they didnt have the ability too at the time, but there must be a in-universe reason, such as why the Vader/Obi-Wan fight wasnt as good as the other OT saber fights was coz one was old and one a cripple.

AT-ATs and Gunships are similar in that they carry troopers and speeder bikes. AT-ATs are better shielded, with more powerful lasers. However, gunships are faster and armed with rockets and composite lasers.

I therefore feel gunships are, in fact, superior to AT-AT walkers, but I understand it couldnt be done at the time ESB was made, so what is the reason?

So, both carry and drop troops. I know modified gunships drop AT-TE walkers, and arnt sure how AT-ATs are dropped onto the battlefield (Rogue Squadron games have the only theory I know of, but much of the material in them is prooven wrong by other, superior EU and/or the movie themselves. Good game tho).

I wouldnt have thought that walkers would be scrapped completely and replaced by gunships, but id have at least thought both were used, such as in the Battle of Geonosis.

Yes Ive searched the forums and found no similar posts, and Im fairly certain I have the right forum, despite a mention of the EU.

A24

 

One thing about gunships being superior to AT-ATs:

AT-ATs, as we've seen, are pretty much invulnerable to anything. Combined with the fact that their landing barges (see the new guide to the worlds pf Star Wars) can land pretty much anywhere, this makes them equally flexible as gunships, and a heck of a better delivery system for troops.


And gunships are exceptionally vulnerable to starfighters; AT-ATs can operate under an umbrella of TIEs and not have to worry about em.

 

Coukld you imagine the Battle of Hoth? it would be a major victory for the rebel. the Gunships are obviously less able, so could easily be destroyed by snowspeeders. also, the Empire wanted not only victory, but a morale to decline in the enemy. what would scare them more than a hugh walker coming slowy but surely, with enough armour "to survive a death star" figuratively speaking

 

Just because we dont see them doesnt mean they arent still in use. On Tatooine theyre dropping troops in from space, so an atmospheric gunship wouldnt be any use. On Hoth they would have to have landed them, moved them inside the shield, and then had them take off inside the sheild, plus the snowspeeders would have ripped them to pieces. On Endor its a dense forest, so the gunships would be no use. So its entirely plausible that the Empire would still use them, and theres not much to say they dont.

 

They technically still use gunships. The XG-1 Star Wing can be used on planetary assaults to provide support for armored/mechanized forces. Then there are the Landing Crafts, the Transports, and Assault Transports that all carry substantial armament (especially the ATR) along with troops.

 

I think the Empire probably still uses some type of atmospheric troop transport (the Juggernaut in the E.U.) but it probably isn't as versatile as the troop shuttle we see in the ANH SE. After all, a shuttle means troops can drop in from space, and combat can be taken care of with specialized vehicles (TIE bombers instead of gunships - more firepower and less loss of troops if shot down).

 

Yeah there isn't any place in the classic trilogy they could really use the Gunships.

The Star Destroyers we see in the classic trilogy are not able to land on a planet. They had to drop the Hoth attack force from space, and the Gunships are not space worthy.

Even if they could have been deployed, they wouldn't have gotten past the rebel's sheilds.

That's why they opted for the lumbering walkers, because slow moving vehicles can push their way through the surface tension of the feild.

Of course the attacks on both Death Stars happen in space so once again the gunships would not be of any use.

 

I believe in the computer game "TIE FIGHTER' there was some version of a gunship, but it was used in a strict Anti-Capital Warship capacity.

 

In TIE Fighter there was the Assault Gunboat which was a essentially a bomber, basically the Imperial equivalent to the B-Wing. It had laser cannons, Ion Cannons and a warhead capacity comparable to the B-Wing. It was used mostly for attacking capital ships, but could also be used as convoy escorts as for a while the Gunboat was the only Imperial starfighter with a hyperdrive.

A similar craft known as a Missile Boat was also created, mainly to counter the TIE Defender. It had one laser cannon and two sets of warhead launchers. The warhead capacity was huge. A missile boat could carry up to 80 concussion missiles or a smaller number of heavier ordinance. It came equipped with a hyperdrive and deflector shields like the Assault Gunboat, but also had the SLAMs. SLAMs were engine boosters that took power out of the laser cannon to give the Missile Boat a huge burst of speed that allowed it to outrun the TIE Defender.

 

Ya but that is also a video game. In the OT there are no gunships. I dont feel as if the Empire would have much use for them. They were already making a difference without them. They had Death Stars.

 

It's not that there aren't any Gunships, it's that we don't see any.

 

Good point, but at the same time I doubt the Empire used them often at all when they had Star Destoyers and others great pieces of Machinery to do the dirty work for them.

 

It would seem that the Gunships are geared towards full scale assaults, and with most of the galaxy being controlled by fear, they don't have to use them as much if at all.

The full scale assault we see in ESB could have used them if it wasn't for the sheilds. They needed to use the walkers that could slowly push their way through the sheilds.

 

Wow, everyone seems to really dislike gunships...

How come the speeders would take them down?

They have composite beams and missiles, and Im sure could quickly and easily take down the shield generator.

AT-TEs carry troops then evolved into troop-carrying AT-ATs, and so how come both AT-TEs and gunships carry troops if there was no need for them.

Everyone seems to be forgetting that there was an AT-AT equivilent (AT-TEs and SPHA-Ts) and a Star Destroyer eqivilent (Republic Assult Ships) in the Battle of Geonosis.

The only thing I cant come up with an arguement against is the getting past the shield. I guess thats the reason.

Oh, and sorry to bring in EU, but the gunships can seal up and be space-worthy I think, but only to get from orbit to a planet's surface, shown in the Clone Wars cartoons... Though that isnt a very reliable source Ill admit.

A24

 

How come the speeders would take them down?

All they would have to do is fly behind them and shoot them down. BTW the gunships are designated LAATs.

They have composite beams and missiles, and Im sure could quickly and easily take down the shield generator.

I'm sure they could, once the got past all the anti air batteries, snowspeeders, and a Rebel w/a rocket launcher.

AT-TEs carry troops then evolved into troop-carrying AT-ATs, and so how come both AT-TEs and gunships carry troops if there was no need for them.

AT-ATs carry more troops as well as speeder bikes and other equipment. The AT-TE isn't all that big or as heavily armoured.

Everyone seems to be forgetting that there was an AT-AT equivilent (AT-TEs and SPHA-Ts) and a Star Destroyer eqivilent (Republic Assult Ships) in the Battle of Geonosis.

I don't know if you could call them equivilent. Predecessors yes. The Republic Acclamator is quite a bit smaller than a Star Destroyer and not as heavily armed nor does it carry anywhere near as many fighters. Same with the AT-TE. It's smaller and not as heavily armed or armored.

The only thing I cant come up with an arguement against is the getting past the shield. I guess thats the reason.

That's always worked for me when people ask how come TIEs weren't used in the Battle of Hoth.

Oh, and sorry to bring in EU,

Than don't. Besides the Clone Wars cartoon shows them sealed. The Incredible Cross Sections says nothing of this. It says the cockpit is sealed, it says the troopers armor seals, but nothing about the LAAT itself.

Than again, during the "Look Sir droids" in ANH we see an Imperial Landing craft taking off. It is similar in appearance to the Lamda class shuttle used in ROTJ.


BTW, this is a really cool Star Wars toy as well

 

actually they pretty much tell you why they dont have gunships on Hoth. The Rebels had been on Hoth for how long now? and they had just got their snowspeeders to operate in the extreme cold of the Hoth atmosphere.
the Imperials would no doubt of had problems with their gunships and opted for something land based.