Made by SedriMotors Ltd., amphibions played a major part during the Battle of Calamari, which took place six years after the Battle of Endor. They are water assault vehicles used on a number of aquatic worlds. They make up a major percentage of the Mon Calamari’s Defence Force, and are included in the New Republic Sea Commandos.
Amphibions are troop carriers, and are very efficient at placing troops over large areas as they normally work in groups of two to sixteen vehicles. This allows the New Republic great flexibility when planning assaults. They travel just a few centimetres above the surface of the water. This is achieved by the use of a series of quiet hover engines that produce an air cushion underneath the vehicle. This hover unit allows the amphibion to travel on both flat land and water.
Its drive system lets the vehicle achieve speeds of up to one hundred kilometres per hour. Due to its amazing systematic placement of engines, the amphibion has the ability to carry twenty troops and all their gear. This is possible because: its small hover engines are located between armour plates, on the bottom and sides of the water vehicle; it has a triple bank of hover drives in the rear, which gives the amphibion its propulsion. It also has a redundant hover-drive system, which means that even if some of the engines fail, the vehicle can still move, although much more slowly.
The amphibion is used for slipping troops past enemy lines, and it does this with great success. This is because the hover system is extremely quiet, much more so than normal repoulsorlift craft. When travelling across water, the amphibions are not likely to be picked up on enemy scanners, as the hover engines also have a reduced heat and energy profile. This makes the water vehicles perfect for transporting Republic Sea Commandos.
During an assault, amphibions are usually supported by heavy repulsortanks, airspeeders, and heavy water-combat vehicles. The armour on amphibions is fairly light, and cannot really repel heavy fire. The most heavily protected parts are the command cabin and gunnery tower, which can absorb quite a large amount of firepower before giving way. The amphibion requires three crewmen to operate it successfully: two in the command cabin and one gunner. The command cabin is completely sealed and, if necessary, the co-pilot can man the gun from the cabin, but the accuracy is far reduced.
On the vehicle itself, there is only antipersonnel gun, which the gunner operates from a rotating turret at the rear. In times of crisis, the troops on board can use their weapons to defend the amphibion. For quick loading and unloading, the top of the vehicles is open, but this makes the troops vulnerable to attacks from above.