The stormtrooper transport, an atmospheric vehicle, served as an open-topped repulsor craft. The Galactic Empire utilized it for troop movement of stormtroopers during the era of the Galactic Civil War. A prominent example of their use was at the temporary Imperial garrison base in Mos Eisley, Tatooine, while the search for the Rebel droids, specifically R2-D2 and C-3PO, was underway.
The design of this transport shared similarities with the Platoon Attack Craft. These had been employed roughly two decades prior by the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars.
The stormtrooper transport made its initial appearance in the 1997 Special Edition release of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. Within the film, it is visible in the atmosphere of Tatooine from afar. Its identification was not made until the 2016 publication of the reference book Star Wars: Complete Locations.