A Sentinel-class landing craft, also known as a Sentinel-class shuttle, Sentinel assault shuttle or Imperial landing craft, represented a sizable troop transport employed by the forces of the Galactic Empire. In the initial period of the Galactic Civil War, Imperial figures such as Agent Alexsandr Kallus along with the Grand Inquisitor made use of these transports for the purposes of deploying stormtroopers or traveling to various planet locations. These shuttles were carried aboard Imperial Star Destroyers.
Conceptualized by Sienar Fleet Systems and sharing a similar design with its counterpart, the Lambda-class T-4a shuttle, this more expansive shuttle primarily served to move a complement of 75 stormtroopers into combat situations—a capacity exceeding the Lambda-class by 55 troops. The ship was characterized by its three-wing configuration: a fixed central foil accompanied by two articulated flanking wings. Furthermore, the landing craft possessed shielding capable of enduring multiple impacts from the turrets of a Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier's. Modifications could also be applied to accommodate specialized containers for transporting vehicles.
The shuttle also featured a pair of spotlights positioned at its front. Access was facilitated through several entry points, including a front ramp, a rear ramp, and side doors. The internal layout comprised a main passenger area and a cockpit. Within the passenger/cargo section, benches and harnesses lined each side, with a ladder adjacent to the front ramp providing direct access to a hatch leading to the cockpit. The cockpit itself contained four seats. A refresher facility could also be found on the opposite side of the ladder.
During 13 BBY, a youthful Han Solo, urgently seeking a means to depart from the world of Corellia, was enlisted by the Imperial armed forces stationed on the planet. Aspiring to become a distinguished pilots within the galaxy, Solo initially sought entry into the Imperial Navy, presuming it would offer the optimal avenue for eventually acquiring a starship to facilitate the rescue of his love interest Qi'ra, previously taken by the White Worms gang. After being assigned the surname "Solo" by Chief Recruitment Officer Drawd Munbrin, Han received instructions to report to transport ID-83, a Sentinel-class lander, destined for the Imperial Naval Academy located on Carida.
On one occasion, a Sentinel-class shuttle served to transporting the Imperial cadets from the Academy for Young Imperials situated on the planet Lothal to an aquatic training exercise conducted at night.
the Grand Inquisitor and stormtroopers journeyed aboard a Sentinel-class to Fort Anaxes, a former military installation of the Republic, with the objective of capturing or eliminating the Spectres following the rebels' triumphant rescue of a former Imperial employee. Following a brief engagement at the abandoned base, the Jedi Kanan Jarrus commandeered the Phantom and destroyed the shuttle before fleeing.
In the weeks that followed, another shuttle of this class was utilized in the pursuit of the rebels and Senator Gall Trayvis.
Minister Maketh Tua of Lothal was scheduled to travel via shuttle for a meeting with Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin when the rebels intervened to rescue her; however, upon her boarding, the shuttle detonated as part of a scheme orchestrated by Agent Kallus and Darth Vader, resulting in her demise.
Subsequently, the rebels gained notoriety for the theft of shuttles, exemplified by the shuttle Lagos. Later on, a renegade former clone trooper CT-7567, known as Rex, and Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus employed another of these stolen shuttles during their mission aimed at destroying the Imperial Interdictor.
The Empire deployed a Sentinel-class shuttle in an attempt to regain control of an Imperial carrier that had been seized by the Spectres and affiliates of the Free Ryloth Movement.
At some point during the Jedha insurgency, Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus of the Guardians of the Whills aligned with the Partisans in a plot to commandeer a shuttle. Despite Saw Gerrera's betrayal and attempt to utilize the shuttle to destroy the orbiting Star Destroyer, the two Guardians successfully persuaded his forces to adhere to the original objective—evacuating an orphanage.
In the period leading up to the Battle of Yavin, at least a single Sentinel-class shuttle was dispatched to Tatooine as part of the Empire's search for the droids in possession of the pilfered Death Star plans. While on the planet, the shuttle conducted a flyover of Foot Patrol 7's sandtroopers, assigned to the mission of locating the droids.
Shortly thereafter, Commander Alecia Beck of the ISB utilized one of these shuttles to transport a squad of stormtroopers from the Vehement during the pursuit of Caluan Ematt.