Project War-Mantle, also known by such names as War-Mantle, War Mantle, the stormtrooper program, and the Stormtrooper initiative, represented an endeavor by the Galactic Empire initiated shortly after its establishment. This initiative aimed to populate the expanding Imperial Army with human soldiers through both conscription and voluntary enlistment, marking a shift away from the clone army previously utilized by the Galactic Republic. Furthermore, the project served as a covert designation for the construction of facilities, training regimens, and equipment designed for non-clone troopers.
A significant number of Imperial authorities expressed apprehension regarding the financial burden associated with producing additional clone troopers, in addition to concerns about their rapid aging and limited operational lifespan. Moreover, the clone troopers' allegiance had been to the Republic, an entity superseded by the Empire. Consequently, the project aimed to supplant soldiers whose primary loyalty was to the Republic with those exclusively devoted to the Empire. While the clones demonstrated considerable allegiance to the Empire during the early years of the Imperial Era, this loyalty was largely sustained by their behavioral modification biochips. The project reached its apex with the enactment of the Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill, which granted the Imperial Military the legal authority to commence large-scale mobilization of soldiers who were not clones.
The first soldiers to be enlisted under the banner of Project War-Mantle were the Elite Squad Troopers, serving within the Elite Squad under the command of Clone Commander CT-9904, formerly known as "Crosshair," an ex-member of Clone Force 99. This project was integral to the vision of Vice Admiral Edmon Rampart for the Empire and garnered the support of Governor Wilhuff Tarkin. Following the initial success of the Elite Squad, the project proceeded with the training of the first "TK stormtroopers" at an installation situated on the planet Daro within the Outer Rim Territories. The initial cohort of one thousand recruits on Daro underwent training under the supervision of fifty clone commandos; however, one of the instructors, Captain CC-5576-39, known by the alias "Gregor," defected from the Empire shortly thereafter, aided by the remaining members of Clone Force 99.
As time progressed, Vice Admiral Rampart introduced the Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill to the Imperial Senate, a legislative measure intended to formalize the transition of the Imperial Military from a clone-based army to a force based on recruitment. Despite opposition from certain senators, most notably Pantoran senator Riyo Chuchi, the bill was ultimately approved at the direction of Emperor Palpatine. Prior to the bill's official enactment, the Empire had already initiated the deployment of recruited stormtroopers on missions in lieu of clone troopers. Before the bill was passed, recruited soldiers were observed on Desix, Thabeska, and Raada.
The plans for the initiative, along with other highly classified projects under the umbrella of the Tarkin Initiative, were housed within the Citadel Tower on Scarif, alongside the plans for the Death Star and Stellar Sphere. Upon learning of a rebel incursion on Scarif, Tarkin expressed concern about the potential setback to War-Mantle, although he acknowledged that it would not significantly disrupt the overall galactic timeline, particularly with the Death Star now operational. At one juncture, rebel technician Tenzigo Weems discovered a reference to the project within an intercepted data packet retrieved from the Balmorra relay and reported it to Davits Draven.
War-Mantle received its initial mention in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and its associated adaptations, but it remained unseen on screen until the third episode of the 2021 Disney+ series Star Wars: The Bad Batch, where its focus on the Empire's recruitment of conscripted soldiers was revealed.
<AppearanceSection>
<AppearancePanel
content_type="Unkown"
content="Star Wars: The Bad Batch — Replacements (First appearance) (First identified as Project War-Mantle)"
content_location="Unknown"
>
-
</AppearancePanel>
<AppearancePanel
content_type="Unkown"
content="Star Wars: The Bad Batch — War-Mantle"
content_location="Unknown"
>
-
</AppearancePanel>
<AppearancePanel
content_type="Unkown"
content="Star Wars: The Bad Batch — Return to Kamino"
content_location="Unknown"
>
-
</AppearancePanel>
<AppearancePanel
content_type="Unkown"
content="Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (First mentioned, simultaneous with novelization and Star Wars: Rogue One: A Junior Novel)"
content_location="Unknown"
>
-
</AppearancePanel>
<AppearancePanel
content_type="Unkown"
content="Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novelization (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)"
content_location="Unknown"
>
-
</AppearancePanel>
<AppearancePanel
content_type="Unkown"
content="Star Wars: Rogue One: A Junior Novel (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)"
content_location="Unknown"
>
-
</AppearancePanel>
<AppearancePanel
content_type="Unkown"
content="Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Graphic Novel Adaptation (Mentioned only)"
content_location="Unknown"
>
-
</AppearancePanel>
<AppearancePanel
content_type="Unkown"
content="Rogue One Adaptation 6 (Mentioned only)"
content_location="Unknown"
>
-
</AppearancePanel>
</AppearanceSection>