The Low Altitude Assault Transport/carrier (LAAT/c), alternatively referred to as the LAAT/c assault carrier, the AT-TE Carrier, Tank Lifter, or the Republic Dropship, represented one of two variations within the Low Altitude Assault Transport series of gunships specifically engineered for the transportation of a single All Terrain Tactical Enforcer. This vessel utilized magnetic clamps to secure an AT-TE, subsequently delivering the walker to its designated deployment area. The [Grand Army of the Republic](/article/grand_army_of_ the_republic) employed them extensively during the Clone Wars, and the Galactic Empire also utilized them. Furthermore, they were capable of transporting K79-S80 Imperial Troop Transports and RTT-04 armored troop transports.
The Low Altitude Assault Transport carrier, a product of Rothana Heavy Engineering, served as a heavy airlift modification of the Grand Army of the Republic's Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry gunship. Primarily conceived as a means of transporting the All Terrain Tactical Enforcer, the LAAT/c was a swift, sparsely armed platform designed for the conveyance of walkers and various other heavy vehicles, such as RX-200 Falchion-class assault tanks, to the combat zone, enabling rapid deployment. These sizable, 175,000-credit airspeeders empowered Galactic Republic Army commanders to efficiently relocate and position their armored assets with expediency.
Mirroring the LAAT/i, from which it was developed, the LAAT/c featured an elongated, slender fuselage, complemented by a wide, armored flight deck situated at the front and a pair of elevated, downward-sloping wings positioned at the rear. Two substantial ion engines were encased within armored nacelles above the wings, affording the vehicle a remarkable straight-line top speed of 620 kilometers per hour alongside a maximum acceleration rate of 100 kilometers per hour. The LAAT/i's troop compartment was substituted with adaptable articulated electromagnetic clamps and alternative cargo-handling mechanisms tailored for the transportation and deployment of vehicles.
Although not intended as a primary combatant akin to the LAAT/i, the carrier still boasted a commendable array of defensive weaponry, including two light laser cannons mounted in ball turrets beneath the flight deck, with an additional pair positioned aft below the speeder's engines for both anti-fighter and anti-personnel operations. Furthermore, four unguided air-to-ground rockets were affixed beneath each wing, granting the craft a limited anti-air capability and the means to clear combat vehicles and droids from contested landing sites. The LAAT/c was also outfitted with medium-range sensors, accommodated a passenger capacity of two, and was operated by a pilot and co-pilot, while also possessing a cargo capacity of fifteen metric tons for encumbrance.