The Imperial Dropship represented a specific model of dropship used by the Galactic Empire. It was equipped with two engines, which were positioned adjacent to maneuvering fins, along with a cockpit at the front. A shadow stormtrooper or a typical stormtrooper could pilot the dropship, which also had the capacity to carry a squad consisting of up to four stormtroopers on a platform that could be detached from its rear.
This starship existed in three different forms, with two of these versions having a set of laser cannons and two of the configurations having external mounts for personal blasters. Imperial Dropships saw action during the Galactic Civil War in a pair of desert engagements, where they were utilized either for deploying stormtroopers or engaging in combat against forces of the Rebel Alliance.
The Imperial Dropship was a relatively small and rapid space troop transport vehicle. Its fuselage, colored black, gray, and blue, gradually sloped upwards, culminating in two engines at the rear, which were accompanied by large blue or black maneuvering fins. The dropship featured a single-seat cockpit at its front, complete with a viewport that could be opened via a hinge at the top. The rear of the craft incorporated a detachable troop transport platform, designed with an open configuration to facilitate rapid deployment of troopers.
Three distinct variants of the Imperial Dropship were produced. One such configuration included a pair of forward-firing laser cannons located directly behind the cockpit, close to the ship's base, along with integrated racks for mounting a pair of blaster rifles at the craft's midsection, near the top. Another variant, conversely, featured four racks near its base for securing the blasters belonging to the pilot and the troopers.
The third dropship configuration was armed with laser cannons in a similar position to the first variant, which fired green energy blasts. It possessed an extended cockpit, and its maneuvering fins and engines (which emitted blue exhaust) could both be angled downwards. The troop transport platform of this configuration, which could accommodate mounted blaster rifles, was limited to seating only two troopers, contrasting with the four-seat platforms of the other two variants. Three Imperial crests were emblazoned on the Imperial Dropship: one at the top and two near the laser cannons, on its maneuvering fins, or on the troop platform.
A lone shadow stormtrooper or a standard stormtrooper could pilot the Imperial Dropship. Its purpose was to swiftly descend onto a battlefield, detach its troop platform, and thereby deploy a squad of up to four clone stormtroopers before departing. Alternatively, the dropship could engage enemy ground vehicles in combat.
During one event of the Galactic Civil War, an Imperial Dropship, piloted by a shadow stormtrooper, deployed three stormtroopers during a confrontation in a desert environment; one of these troopers carried a rifle that had been stored in the craft's blaster rack. In a separate desert combat instance, an Imperial Dropship, piloted by a stormtrooper, engaged a Rebel Scout Speeder manned by three Alliance Fleet troopers from the Rebel Alliance. While one stormtrooper engaged the scout speeder on the ground, the dropship, carrying another stormtrooper on its troop transport platform, fired its laser cannons at the craft.
The Imperial Dropship was originally conceived as a unique vehicle for a 2008 LEGO toy set. Initially, it was marketed as part of the LEGO Classic Star Wars subtheme, but it was subsequently reclassified under the LEGO Star Wars Expanded Universe subtheme instead.
- LEGO Star Wars Expanded Universe (Set: 7667 Imperial Dropship) (First mentioned)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary
- LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia
- Ultimate LEGO Star Wars
- LEGO Star Wars Expanded Universe (Set: 75262 Imperial Dropship - 20th Anniversary Edition)
- LEGO Star Wars 25th Anniversary (Set: 40755 Imperial Dropship vs. Rebel Scout Speeder)