Y-45 armored transport hauler

The Y-45 armored transport hauler, also known as the AT-hauler, was constructed by Kuat Drive Yards, a prominent military shipbuilding company in the galaxy, for the Galactic Empire's use.

The ship's propulsion in realspace was achieved using several ion engines, while banks of interconnected repulsorlift generators provided thrust and lift within an atmosphere. Its top atmospheric velocity reached 125 kilometers per hour. Although equipped with a hyperdrive, its navigation computer was limited to pre-programmed hyperspace jump coordinates leading only to specific Imperial outposts—a measure designed to deter theft.

The robust cargo lifter arms incorporated magnetic clamps on their undersides for securing cargo. Additional stabilization was provided by localized traction fields, along with durable Steelton cable ties and winches. The Y-45's ability to withstand significant weight without buckling was enhanced by energized tensile strength fields projected through the arms.

Much like Sienar Fleet Systems's Abecederian line of shuttles, the Y-45 could rotate its arms upwards for landing, optimizing space utilization in hangar bays and landing zones. Consequently, its dimensions varied: 20.10 meters in length and 6.50 meters in height with arms extended during flight, versus 11.20 meters in length and 18.90 meters in height with arms raised in landing configuration.

Other notable design aspects of the Y-45 included its armored cockpit canopy, featuring both forward and downward-facing viewports, a service gantry and clamp brace platform, and a shower stall within the main compartment.

Operational requirements for the Y-45 included a crew of just two individuals: a pilot responsible for flight control and a co-pilot managing cargo-lifting operations.

The Y-45 was specifically engineered for the rapid deployment of walkers onto any battlefield location, with the exception of areas protected by an energy shield. It had the capacity to transport either one All Terrain Defense Turret, one All Terrain Scout Transport, two 2-M Hover Tanks, or even a single All Terrain Armored Transport.

During 14 BBY, a Y-45 was utilized to deliver an All Terrain Scout Transport to Kashyyyk in response to an attack on the Imperial Refinery led by Saw Gerrera and his Partisans.

The Y-45 armored transport haulers were originally deployed to supersede older carriers from the Clone Wars era. However, by 10 BBY, these haulers were already being replaced by more adaptable transport options. Despite this, they were still actively used on Mimban during that year, during an Imperial campaign against the native Mimbanese. An AT-ST deployment was observed.

The criminal Tobias Beckett and his team commandeered a Y-45 from the Imperial forces stationed on Mimban in order to steal a shipment of coaxium from a conveyex railway passing through Vandor. The situation escalated when the Cloud-Riders launched their own attack on the train, seeking the coaxium for their own purposes. During the conflict, Imperials boarded the Y-45, resulting in the death of crew member Durant, who died alongside new recruit Han Solo. Simultaneously, an explosion triggered by Val on the tracks caused the train to crash. Solo attempted to escape with the Y-45, along with Beckett and the coaxium, but the shipment collided with a mountain, resulting in a major explosion. The AT-hauler was destroyed in the subsequent crash, although Solo and Beckett survived.

Following the Battle of Yavin, the Alliance to Restore the Republic, an organization opposing the Empire, recovered several Y-45s and integrated them into their military operations. They employed these haulers to deploy Armored Assault Tanks and juggernauts. In contrast to the standard Imperial light gray color scheme, these Alliance haulers were painted in dark gray and orange.

The Y-45 armored transport hauler was originally conceived for Solo: A Star Wars Story, a standalone Star Wars movie directed by Ron Howard. It was released on May 25, 2018. The design process involved multiple iterations, with the final version incorporating design elements reminiscent of the 1970s. James Clyne, the design supervisor for Solo at Lucasfilm, characterized it as a versatile, "Swiss army knife"-like ship. He was responsible for adding the caged gantry on the underside and developing the stiff arm movements, drawing inspiration from an image of Frankenstein's monster. Initial inspirations for the transport hauler included the Recognizer from the 1982 film TRON and the United States Army's Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe helicopter.