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Katarn-class commando armor worn by all republic commandos.

Katarn-class commando armor was used by Republic commandos during the Clone Wars. It had three models during it's production: the Mark I, Mark II, and Mark III. It was equipped with a highly sophisticated HUD, as well as a significantly better shield than standard clone trooper armor.

History[]

Katarn-class commando armor was initially created by Kaminoan Armorsmiths Ltd., a company based on Kamino, who was responsible for the creation of clone trooper armor. The armor was named after a predatory creature on Kashyyyk, weighing in at 20 kilograms. The armor was far more expensive than standard clone trooper armor, due to the the special composition and novel chemical properties of its armor plates, along with the inclusion of deflector shields. On the black market, the armor went for 100,000 credits. The equipment had easy access to bacta implants, that allowed for healing any minor injuries. The commandos were trained with this equipment very early on to train with. Many of the commandos customizing their equipment, such as Delta Squad.[1]

The Mark I variant of Katarn-class armor was deployed during the First Battle of Geonosis, with all commando units being deployed alongside infantry, which resulted in high casualties and many squads being destroyed or rearranged, with Omega Squad being one of these cases.[2] The commandos operated with their Mark I variants for the first four months of the Clone Wars, with the Mark II variant being issued, with reinforcements against Verpine shatter guns and EMP weaponry, following Omega Squad's deployment to Qiilura. Mark III Katarn armor, issued circa ten months after the Battle of Geonosis, featured further enhancements, being blaster resistant against ordnance up to laser cannon rounds and light grenades. Night Ops armor first became available at this time.[3]

Several variations of this armor existed for different mission profiles. The ADSD Katarn armor was designed for deep-space and aquatic infiltration, featuring a fully-pressurized suit with a greater oxygen supply. Night Ops Armor featured a special stealth alloy that shielded the armor against sensors and made the wearer almost invisible to the naked eye. Later, during the Galactic Civil War, another version of Katarn armor was produced, although this resembled Phase II clone trooper armor and the name "Katarn" was probably just invoked as a reference to the vastly superior Clone Wars variant.[4]

Specifications[]

Clone commando TCWCG

Katarn-class commando armor matte black

The Katarn-class MK I was first used at the Battle of Geonosis, but after the death of almost all commandos, Kaminoan armor designers realized it needed a change. So only a couple months later, the Katarn-class MK II was released. Used by all commando squads, this armor proved to be far superior than standard Phase I armor used by regular clones. But when Phase II came out, the Katarn-class armor also took an upgrade. The final model, the MK III, was also released in matte black, and primarily a stealth armor. 

The helmet of the Katarn-class armor had a HUD or heads up display that consistently displayed tactical data such as the location and distance to the target, the health of the wearer and the strength of the suit's shielding. The helmet could system link to others through the use of an internal communications antennae allowing each member of a squad to keep track of their comrade's health and location. Specialized internal sensors could detect the make, model, and relative accuracy of every weapon that a commando used, and could adjust the format of the targeting reticule for differing weapons. The Helmet had a built-in filtration system which could extract oxygen from toxic environments. The visor was designed to incorporate electrobinocular and night-vision modes. It also controlled the environmental features of the suit and had a tactical spot lamp.

The body of the armor boasted reinforced duraplast plating for defense against blaster fire and other anti-infantry weapons. Its design included resistance to extreme heat and cold. The suit could be fully sealed, allowing a commando to survive in vacuum for up to 20 minutes. The knuckle plate of the armor featured a retractable vibroblade used for close quarter combat and covert encounters. It also contained multiple sensors, including touch induced sensors and environmental sensors as well. Additionally, it had a chronometer featured on the forearm plate.

The backpack featured specialized ammunition cartridges that held various types of ammo, and was modified for many different missions, such as an extra oxygen tank for aquatic and space-borne environments, a large bacta dispenser for augmented healing, or even an external communications array for long distance communications (i.e. subspace transmissions). The backpack usually carried: Explosives, ammo, medical gear, stealth gear, and either rations or gadgets used to survive in different operations. The backpack had a display on it that showed the last two digits of the individual commando's ID number.

Equipment[]

The armor was designed for the user to survive for days, which is why it has a survival pack buit-in which includes rations as well as explosives. Coolant systems in the armor allow the user to keep cool in hot temparatures. An advanced HUD is also found in the helmet which analyzes the health of the wearer and the environmental conditions. Wearing the helmet, the user can see in pitch black and all infrared frequencies.

Appearances[]

  • Star Wars: Republic Commando
  • Republic Commando: Hard Contact
  • "Omega Squad: Targets" - Star Wars Insider 81
  • "Honor Bound" - Star Wars Tales 22
  • "The Package" - Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Volume 3
  • Republic Commando: Triple Zero
  • "Odds" - Star Wars Insider 87
  • CW Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Witches of the Mist"
  • CW Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Missing in Action"
  • CW Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Fugitive"
  • Republic Commando: True Colors
  • Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel
  • Imperial Commando: 501st
  • "The Drop" — Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Volume 6
  • "Orders" — Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Volume 4
  • Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
  • Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game (Helmet and bonus costume)
  • Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command

References[]

  1. Star Wars: Republic Commando
  2. Republic Commando: Hard Contact
  3. Republic Commando: Triple Zero
  4. Imperial Commando: 501st
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