The Y-45 armored transport hauler, also known as AT-hauler, was built by Kuat Drive Yards, one of the foremost military shipwrights in the galaxy, for use by the Galactic Empire.
An AT-hauler with gantry arms lifted for docking
Several ion engines provided the ship with thrust in realspace, while linked banks of repulsorlift generators gave it thrust and lift in atmosphere. Its maximum atmospheric speed was 125 kilometers per hour. The ship also had a hyperdrive, although its navigation computer only contained pre-calculated hyperspace jump destinations to a select group of Imperial outposts—in an effort to discourage thieves.
Its heavy-duty cargo lifter arms featured magnetic clamps on the underside that locked around the cargo. The load could be further secured by localized traction fields, as well as strong cable ties and winches of Steelton make. Energized tensile strength fields radiating through the arms helped the Y-45 withstand buckling under heavy weights.
Not unlike Sienar Fleet Systems's Abecederian line of shuttles, the Y-45 could rotate its arms upward in landing mode, to save space in hangar bays and landing fields. As such, it measured 20.10 meters in length and 6.50 in height in flight mode (with both arms extended), but 11.20 meters in length and 18.90 in height in landing mode (with both arms upward).
Other notable features of the Y-45 included its armored cockpit canopy with forward and downward viewports, a service gantry and clamp brace platform, and a shower stall inside the main compartment.
The Y-45 required a crew of only two: a pilot to handle the flight operations, and a co-pilot to manage the cargo-lifting operations.
An AT-hauler view showing the heavy-duty magnetic clamps
The Y-45 was designed for swift deployment of walkers anywhere onto the battlefield, except under an energy shield. It could either carry one All Terrain Defense Turret, one All Terrain Scout Transport, two 2-M Hover Tanks, or even one All Terrain Armored Transport.
In 14 BBY, a Y-45 delivered an All Terrain Scout Transport on Kashyyyk to deal with an attack on the Imperial Refinery lead by Saw Gerrera and his Partisans.
The Y-45 armored transport haulers were introduced to replace Clone Wars-era carriers, but by 10 BBY they were already in the process of being phased out themselves in favor of more versatile transports. Nevertheless, they still saw action on Mimban in that year, during an Imperial campaign against the native Mimbanese.
Beckett's gang used a stolen Y-45 on a job on Vandor.
The gangster Tobias Beckett and his crew stole a Y-45 from the Imperial forces on Mimban to grab a shipment of coaxium from a passing conveyex train on Vandor.
Some time after the Battle of Yavin, the anti-Empire Alliance to Restore the Republic salvaged several Y-45s, which they put to work on the battlefield. The Alliance notably used them to deploy Armored Assault Tanks and juggernauts. Rather than the standard Imperial light gray, those Alliance haulers were colored dark gray and orange.
A salvaged AT-hauler used by the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
The Y-45 armored transport hauler was created for Solo: A Star Wars Story, a stand-alone Star Wars film directed by Ron Howard that was released worldwide on May 25, 2018. Its design went through several iterations, the last of which was infused with a 1970s design sensibility. James Clyne, Lucasfilm Ltd.'s design supervisor for Solo, described it as a utilitarian, "Swiss army knife" of a ship. It was he who added the caged gantry to the bottom, and came up with the arms' stiff movements, which were inspired by an image of Frankenstein's monster. Two of the early inspirations for the transport hauler, were the Recognizer from the 1982 cult film TRON and the United States Army's Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe helicopter.
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