"The federation's battle-hardened droid army"

This is how Panaka described the Federatoin Army in the discussion just before the first scene with Jar Jar.

Who where the Federation fighting in the past?

 

Most likely pirates and smaller groups trying to muscle in on their territory and/or influence.

 

Don't forget that within a Senate of 50 million some systems, it's likely that there are civil wars and possibly even smaller, violent interplanetary disputes (nowhere near the scale of the Clone Wars, mind you) that may not even make it to the light of the Senate. Besides, given that they're robots, "battle-hardened" may simply mean they are programmed and trained specifically for warfare.

 

Don't forget that the droid army is primarly for debt collecting and fighting off priates. It may not be huge battlefield fighting experience, but then what do the Naboo Army have? Mock battles in simulators?

 

I think the bigger question is: how can something with NO emotion or feeling become "battle-hardened?"

 

he was talking about their metal bodies. they look to be beat up a bit. those droids are so cheap, they really are worthless.

they runfast too. seen them run during the battle on the mountains?

 

I don't think that's what he meant at all, starwarsagent. When something becomes "battle-hardened," it means that its very soul & emotions have been eaten away by the treacherous experiences of war. And since droids have no emotions....well, you know.

At least that's what I think.

 

I always thought he meant the metal was tougher and weapons were more war-like.

 

For me, the implication is that they are very experienced fighters....regardless of emotional stature.

 

And since droids have no emotions....well, you know.

But they are able to gain experience (see 3PO and R2)

So do the TF droids, all throughout the episode they make smart ass comments and seem to sometimes even act on their own accord. They can remember and learn.

"Where are you taking"
"to Coruscant"
"Coruscant...errrrr that doesn't compute, errrr YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"

You just know he had been watching 'Miamon Vice' on the holonet and told himself "i gotta use this one!"

 

Hype job.

It's not often you get a country declaring that their army is "the worst collection of ill-trained morons you'll ever see!" after all...

Besides, compared to the Imps in ESB, the TF droids look like demigods

 

I know it's not canon, but read Cloak of Deception. In this novel, you see how the Trade Federation slowly build it's army to protect itself against space pirates.

 

Several of the RPG supplements (the Secrets of Naboo sourcebook, the first edition Wizards core rulebook, the Living Force and Invasion of Theed campaign sets) and the "Stark Hyperspace War" story-arc from SW: Republic also dovetail with the Trade Federation's slow-burn military buildup over the centuries.

In the years immediately preceding the prequels, they'd grown increasingly less reliant upon the Republic Senate's "protection" regimens, and essentially took it upon themselves to hold a bigger gun than the other guy. Three years after TPM, the bulk of the Trade Fed's capital ship forces had been absorbed by and folded back into the local sector-defense forces of the Republic (per Rogue Planet)...but most of *these* sectors obviously must've split over to the Confederacy during the Clone Wars, owing to the TF's sudden upsurge in strength during those years.