- Intent: To create a true walker [not a large war droid or battle droid] for the Mandalorian Empire
- Image Source: "Star Wars Walker : AT-AE" by Romain Defélix, Image Edited by [member="Yasha Cadera"]
- Canon Link: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Designed by First Order, Manufactured by MandalMotors and MandalTech
- Affiliation: Various Major and Minor Mandalorian Factions
- Model: AT-AE
- Modularity: No
Production: Minor
- Material:
Mandalorian Steel - Doonium
- Transparisteel
- Walker Parts
- Servos
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Classification:: Assault Walker
- Role: Front-Line Assault Walker
- Size: Average
12 Meters Tall - 14 meters Long
[*]Weight: Heavy
[*]Minimum Crew: 1
[*]Optimal Crew: 6
[*]Propulsion: Quadrupedal
[*]Speed: Low: 75 km/h
[*]Maneuverability: Very Low
[*]Armaments: Very High
- Open Air Roof Mounted Laser Cannon Turret
- 2x Chin Heavy Laser Cannons
- 1x Nose Mounted Heavy Laser Cannon
- 1x Heavy Mass Driver Cannon [Energized Projectile]
- Anti-Infantry Ground Buzzer Blaster Cannon
[*]Defenses: Very High
[*]Squadron Count: Low: 8
[*]Passenger Capacity:
- 24 Troops
- 12 Beast Riders
[*]Cargo Capacity: Large
- 4x Deactivated Hokan'yc-Class Battle Droids
- 2x I'dadr-Class Bes'uliiks
- 20x Deactivated DX-Series Battle Droid
- 1x Medical Droid
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Command and Control Center
- Holographic Communication and Strategy Table
- Heavy Armor: Able to tank most damage from heavy weapons.
- Electroconductively Sealed: Able to pass through particle and ray shields at very low speeds.
- Troop Transport: Able to carry a substantial amount of troops and droid reinforcements to the battlefield.
- Unarmored Underbelly: Powerful, high yield mines and heavy infantry weapons utilized against the underbelly of the AT-AE could easily damage and destroy critical systems.
- Unarmored Hind Legs: Heavy laser cannons and heavy ordinance used against the AT-AE's hind legs could cripple the AT-AE.
- Exposed Gunner: The roof turret is open air and leads directly to the command deck.
While gathered intelligence on the ever growing First Order remained limited to the relatively uninterested Galactic North, Mandalorian intrigue had reached the point of violence. A Mandalorian raid on the First Order manufacturing city of Kilaado provided the Mandalorians several designs that had yet to reach production within the authoritarian nation.
The All Terrain Assault Enforcer, or AT-AE, was one such design. Dubbed the Ape Lizard by the Mandalorians, the AT-AE was a large quadrupedal assault walker designed to crush enemy lines through intense firepower and unwavering durability. The four feet of the AT-AE were equipped with powerful mechanical grips that could solidify its place in a variety of terrain when firing its main gun. Though its feet were also magnetized, this was actually a safety feature and not one for utility use as despite its nickname, the AT-AE's legs were not designed to scale fortifications and cliffs. Large sloped reinforced sheets of heavy Mandalorian Steel armor plating kept frontal assaults from assaulting the walker's weaker hind legs which were important for pin point accuracy of the main gun. It also helped the walker act as a bulwark and defender of the armies behind it.
The walker took a crew of six to realize its full potential. In addition to its control crew, the large rear compartment of the walker could hold 36 troops in total while the remaining space could be used to hold many deactivated battle droids and smaller bes'uliik. The AT-AE was armed with a high yield mass driver cannon fixed to an adjustable, telescopic turret. This weapon fired an energized projectile rather than a particle blast which allowed the weapon to be used against both Ray and Particle shields as well as pierce through thick armor or fortifications. The weapon was supported by three forward facing heavy laser cannons, an underbelly blaster cannon, and an open air roof mounted laser cannon turret. These weapons would allow the walker to hit targets too close to hit with the main gun while the open air laser cannon turret protected it from the skies, though at substantial risk to the gunner.
At a maximum moving speed of 75 Km/h, the AT-AE could just as easily trample its enemies as it could blast them, decimating infantry units without breaking pace. Mandalorian AT-AEs were also sometimes utilized as a forward operating gun platform for advanced scouts. Utilizing I'dadr-class bes'uliik to scout ahead. The rear troop compartment also had a long range holographic comunications system which allowed troops to send and receive orders from the front line and act as miniature command posts. The AT-AE was comprised of two decks. The command deck offered the greatest view of the battlefield and was where the main gunner station was. The second deck was where the driver and alternative weapons systems were located. This deck was also connected to the troop transport in the rear and held small amounts of supplies and the holographic strategy table.
Unlike many large walkers, the AT-AE was built with a low center of gravity, which prevented it from being toppled over or defeated by using cable traps. The AT-TE was built around a single point of articulation, which combined with its nearly fixed front legs gave the walker an incredibly wide turning radius and caused it to turn incredibly slowly, making it often a better course of action to trample through obstacles and hope for the best. The armor plating of the AT-TE was made to conduct the heat of energy blasts, evenly distributing it throughout. This left it unassailable by infantry weapons outside of heavy rockets. Even laser cannons had a difficult time punching through the armor. It was hardened against ion blasts and electroconductively sealed to allow the vehicle to pass through hostile shield bubbles if approached at low speeds. That being said, the underbelly of the walker was incredibly vulnerable and unarmored, as were the exposed servos and joints of its hind legs. Powerful mines and concentrated laser cannon fire on its hind leg's joints would cripple the walker, leaving it unable to move or turn.
The utilization of the walker within the Mandalorian military was seen as some to be a sign of weakness, taking designs from other nations and utilizing them as their own. However, mock battles and extensive testing saw to the silencing of such sentiments and the AT-AE would become an essential part of Mandalorian ground combat in future wars and skirmishes.
