The Imperial Dropship Transport (IDT) represented a type of airspeeder crafted by Rothana Heavy Engineering for the ground forces serving the Galactic Empire. Functioning as a more economical and compact successor to the LAAT/i gunship utilized by the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars, its primary function was the conveyance and deployment of stormtroopers, armaments, or medical droids onto active battle zones.
The Imperial Dropship Transport, often shortened to IDT, was a specific transport airspeeder design. It was produced by Rothana Heavy Engineering to serve the ground forces within the Galactic Empire. Visually, it bore a strong resemblance to Rothana's earlier LAAT/i gunship from the Clone Wars era. However, it featured a more streamlined and angular construction, aligning with the Empire's contemporary design preferences. Its overall shape was trapezoidal, with a gently inclined front section housing the cockpit. The central portion of the craft consisted of a spacious, open bay capable of holding two full squads of stormtroopers, totaling 18 soldiers. Extending above this compartment were two substantial wings, connected along the top. When not actively deploying troops, the two cargo doors safeguarding the troop bay remained retracted beneath the main body. Similar to the LAAT/i, it possessed a maximum operational altitude of 100 kilometers and required a minimal crew of two: a pilot and a gunner. However, its armament was relatively light, consisting solely of twin laser cannons mounted on the wings and twin light blaster cannons positioned at the nose. It also incorporated short-range sensors and a loudhailer system.
In contrast to its predecessor, which had the capacity to perform supporting roles such as establishing air dominance and conducting air-to-ground artillery strikes, the IDT's purpose was solely that of a dropship. The Imperial Military utilized it to move detachments of stormtroopers, notably enabling the insertion of forces directly into enemy fortifications. Furthermore, it facilitated the delivery of weaponry and medical droids across hazardous regions. Consequently, the IDT could be viewed as the aerial counterpart to the K79-S80 Imperial Troop Transport: a straightforward asset employed to support the Empire's vast logistical operations.
Following the conclusion of the Clone Wars, the Galactic Republic underwent a restyled transformation into the Galactic Empire, a change of regime that involved a restructuring of the military. Within this context, the LAAT/i, a robust assault airspeeder previously employed by the Republic, was superseded by the IDT, a comparable model designed to be both smaller and more cost-effective. During the early stages of the Imperial Era, Imperial forces garrisoned on the planet Agaris utilized at least one of these airspeeders, which saw action during the attempt to capture the fugitives Milo and Lina Graf. It was often remarked that few sights instilled greater fear in Rebel Alliance soldiers than the appearance of a squadron of IDTs on the horizon, packed with stormtroopers.
The initial canonical appearance of the Imperial Dropship Transport occurred in Star Wars: Commander, a mobile strategy game developed by Disney Interactive. It was launched on August 21, 2014 for iOS devices. However, it was initially conceived for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a Legends video game that was launched on September 16, 2008.