The Mountain Terrain Armoured Transport (MT-AT) was designed at the Empire’s testing and manufacturing facilities on the planet Carida. It was a late-model walker with eight legs, made for steep inclines. The legs are independently articulated and have clawed feet to grip on to rock surfaces. The MT-AT’s first use was when Ambassador Furgan from Carida invaded the planet Anoth.
The MT-AT has a central drive pod that contains the engine and motors, which are used to drive the eight legs. The forward pilot sits in a compartment which is located on a platform at the bottom of the drive pod. Along with the pilot compartment, there is a rear cargo pod. The platform can 180 degrees in any direction, allowing the transport to turn instantly. All this gives the MT-ATs great stability, unlike some of the other Imperial walkers.
Cargo is unloaded by lowering the rear pod, which is elevated when the walker is moving. When unloading, the pods protective shell retracts. The forward pod is where the controls are situated. Here, there is room for a pilot and gunner. The rear pod is usually used for storing blasters and supplies for troops. On each of the eight legs is a rotating double laser cannon. These are independent of each other, and have advanced computer interfaces which allow the gunner greater ease of use. The pilot can use two laser cannons that are used to take down enemy starfighters.
Like most transports, MT-ATs are sent to a planet’s surface through normal transports, barges and drop ships. But when they were used on Anoth, an experimental cocoon was tested. One cocoon held one MT-AT, and held the walker in a fluid gel. This protected the walker from the intense heat that occurs when entering a planet’s atmosphere. The cocoon’s speed and direction are controlled by a droid brain, which turn’s on braking thrusters just before impact. When the pod lands, the gel hardens and consumes all the kinetic energy from the landing impact. Once all this is over, the cocoon cracks open and releases the walker. These pods proved very successful, as all eight of Furgan’s walkers survived the trip to Anoth’s surface, although I the ensuing battle, all the walkers were destroyed, along with Furgan himself.
Apart from the manufacturing plant on Carida, no other facilities are known to produce MT-ATs. When the Sun Crusher destroyed Carida and its system, it was thought that Imperial technicians escaped with the plans for the walkers.