The Infantry Support Platform, which can be shortened to ISP and is also known as the clone swamp speeder, functioned as a military landspeeder. The Galactic Republic employed it during the Clone Wars, a conflict spanning from 22 BBY to 19 BBY between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Thanks to its powerful and distinctive turbofan coupled with repulsors, this vehicle possessed exceptional maneuverability, even across challenging landscapes. The speeder came standard with a pair of forward-terrain laser scanners and two twin swiveling blaster cannons, but it could be reconfigured to support twin beam cannons or Multi-Missile Pods. It initially saw combat during the Battle of Kashyyyk in 19 BBY. Later that year, the ISP was also deployed in the Battle on Felucia as a component of the Outer Rim Sieges against the Separatist Droid Army, and in the Battle of Cato Neimoidia.
The Infantry Support Platform, also known as the clone swamp speeder or simply swamp speeder, with ISP as its short form, represented a light landspeeder that was engineered by Aratech Repulsor Company and manufactured by Uulshos Manufacturing. It was constructed on the basis of a standard BARC speeder, which was a speeder bike considered a lighter version of the ISP. Because of this, and also because of its powerful and unique turbofan along with repulsors, it was highly maneuverable and could function easily on nearly all terrain, making the speeder useful for a variety of combat situations.
The speeder was capable of reaching 100 kilometers per hour, measured five meters in length, and came equipped with two twin swiveling blaster cannons at the front, which were capable of disabling larger vehicles through the use of blue energy bolts. The cannons could be exchanged for twin swiveling beam cannon turrets or twin swiveling Multi-Missile Pods. Each of the two ISP pilots had the option to control each weapon individually or link them together to target bigger threats, and the weapons could fire well beyond the speeder's weight class. A blaster pre-charge capacitor sat between the weaponry. The ISP also featured a forward-terrain laser scanner on each side, as well as two mudshields at the front.
The distinctive turbofan produced less sound than most ion thrusters and could be reversed in order to execute a sudden stop. The two pilots were positioned towards the rear, next to the craft's central repulsorlift, with the turbofan located directly above it. Similar to the majority of the Galactic Republic's vehicles, the speeder was primarily gray with red accents, although the clone troopers of the 442nd Siege Battalion, who wore Phase II clone trooper armor with green accents, utilized ISPs that also featured green markings.
The ISP was capable of traversing most terrains and was originally intended for patrolling swampy regions. Its weaponry enabled it to engage larger enemy vehicles, like shielded gunships and fighters, allowing the speeder to provide effective support to infantry units, particularly those under direct duress. The speeders proved exceptionally effective when facing the NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcer, a droid tank belonging to the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
The Galactic Republic employed ISPs near the conclusion of the Clone Wars, a war across the galaxy that took place between 22 BBY and 19 BBY against the Separatist Alliance. The first deployment of ISPs occurred during the Battle of Kashyyyk in 19 BBY, where they earned the moniker "swamp speeder" from the Republic's clone troopers. On the planet of Kashyyyk, the ISPs worked alongside HAVw A6 Juggernauts, AT-AP walkers, clone scout troopers, and Wookiee warriors against the Separatist Droid Army. They acted as a counterpart to the Wookiees' Oevvaor Jet Catamarans and Raddaugh Gnasp fluttercrafts.
During that same year, Infantry Support Platforms were also used by the 327th Star Corps in the Battle of Felucia as part of the Outer Rim Sieges, where they escorted AT-APs, AT-TEs, and AT-OTs while searching for droids. Under the command of Commander Verd, they also saw action in the Battle of Cato Neimoidia during the final days of the Clone Wars, where the 442nd Siege Battalion deployed them with AT-RTs to lay siege to a Separatist base in Tarko-se, a city located on the planet Cato Neimoidia where the Separatists based their troops within an arena.
Infantry Support Platforms made their debut in the prequel trilogy movie Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, which premiered on May 19, 2005. Later, on July 20 of that same year, the vehicles were identified within the Star Wars Legends continuity as Infantry Support Platforms in the "Ground Assault" article featured in the eighty-third issue of Star Wars Insider magazine. That article also introduced "ISP" and "swamp speeder" as alternative names for the vehicle. The speeder was first identified as the swamp speeder in the new Star Wars canon in the Star Wars Expert Guide in 2016, while the Star Wars: The Black Series "Clone Troopers" pack, released by Hasbro through Entertainment Earth in late 2016, brought the abbreviation "ISP" back into the canon. The 2017 reference book Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia also brought the names "clone swamp speeder" and "Infantry Support Platform" into canon.
The vehicle was conceived by concept artist T.J. Frame when he initially joined the Episode III Art Department. He initially envisioned a Star Wars–style swamp boat, drawing inspiration from real-world fanboats. The aforementioned Star Wars Insider article also described the ISPs as a futuristic reimagining of the real airboats employed to navigate marshes throughout the American Southeast.