Jetpacks, which are also referred to as jump packs, rocket-packs, or thruster packs, were individual flight devices that gave the user the capability to soar and navigate through the air with exceptional agility. Mandalorian armor was often paired with jetpacks, and some clone troopers utilized them within the ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars.
Various military organizations made use of soldiers who were outfitted with jetpacks. These specialized trooper types included the clone jetpack trooper, the Galactic Empire's jumptrooper, the First Order jet trooper, and the Sith Eternal's Sith Jetpack Trooper.
Examples of jetpack models are the JT-12 jetpack, the Z-6 jetpack, as well as other types of rocket packs.
Typically, jetpacks were attached to the back and operated using a device worn on the wrist. Because of this design, a jetpack could, in theory, be used by someone even when they weren't wearing it. To become proficient in using a jetpack, training was a must, as inexperienced users often struggled to maintain control. Jetpacks had a "rocket mode" that allowed for very high speeds, making the user a more difficult target for anti-aircraft weaponry.
The Z-6 jetpack had a missile launcher on top. Different clone trooper units within the Galactic Republic's Grand Army used a modified version of this jetpack during the Clone Wars.
Individuals like Jango Fett, who worked as bounty hunters, and later his son Boba, utilized jetpacks to help them complete various assignments. Within Mandalorian culture, the jetpack was recognized as the art of the Rising Phoenix. Death Watch and other Mandalorian groups used jetpacks in combat. The Republic's clone troopers within the Grand Army also used jetpacks to help them on missions. During the Siege of Mandalore, clone troopers and Mandalorian warriors joined forces, with Ahsoka Tano, a former Jedi Padawan, returning to the Republic Military as an advisor for the operation. Clone Commander Rex forgot to bring her a jetpack, so Tano jumped from their Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry gunship and fought her way from ship to ship until she reached Sundari, the Mandalorian capital.
The Galactic Empire's jumptroopers used jetpacks to maintain Imperial control, leading to their deployment in conflicts like the Galactic Civil War and the Mandalorian Civil War, where stormtroopers with jetpacks battled Mandalorian rebels who also had jetpacks. Later, the First Order deployed similar jet troopers in their own quest to conquer the galaxy. The Alliance to Restore the Republic and the Resistance, who opposed the Empire and the First Order, also used jetpack troopers. The Alliance Army had Jetpack Troopers as well as rocket-jumper soldiers. The Sith Eternal army included Sith Jetpack Troopers in its ranks.