Stormtrooper Armour

Overview

The Imperial Stormtrooper Armour is comprised of two crucial units: the (body) armour itself and the helmet. Additionally, the Stormtrooper Belt, while used with different armours and clothing due to its versatility, was also first comprised for the set.

Stormtrooper Armour

Stormtrooper armour is the standard military protective gear worn by Imperial stormtroopers, the iconic soldiers of the Galactic Empire. Engineered to mitigate damage from most weapons and safeguard the wearer against environmental concerns, the armour is made of eighteen individual pieces of white plastoid alloy attached to a fitted, black body glove, which makes it surprisingly flexible. Innovative technology is used in many aspects of the armour to aid the soldier in various combat situations, protecting them from battlefield hazards. While the white exoskeleton easily deflects low-powered blaster bolts, it can only offer limited protection against a direct hit from a powerful blaster. Additionally, the armour is a bulwark against kinetic damage, such as non-powered weaponry. The body glove, on board air filters, oxygen tank and manual environmental controls can seal the trooper away from extreme climate conditions, chemical and biological agents, radiation, and even the vacuum of space for a very limited period. In addition to the many protective systems designed for the trooper wearing this armour, an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transceiver is installed in the back of the suit so that units can transmit and receive encrypted identification signals to prevent enemy infiltration and signals-interception. All together, stormtrooper armour provides strong protection from a wide array of threats, while allowing those wearing it to maintain all their natural range of motion, making it one of the best armours in the galaxy today.

Originally a Kaminoan design worn by the clone troopers in the Grand Army of the Republic, the protective gear has been updated and enhanced since but retains the Kaminoan influence in its instantly recognizable white pigment. Coloured shoulder pauldrons worn by stormtrooper officers are the only outward shows of individuality among any particular kind of stormtrooper however, there are many types of non-standard armour made for different roles or environments. Some of these modifications include the scout trooper armour, which has major sensor upgrades, snow trooper armour, which enhances protection against cold and camouflages against snowdrifts, and dark trooper armor, which is retrofitted with a jet pack used to cover territory more quickly. While the Galactic Empire considers unauthorized possession of stormtrooper armour highly illegal, units have long been available in the galaxy's black markets.

Stormtrooper Helmet

Stormtrooper helmets are made of a composite armour that is constructed using a four layer design. Its outermost layer is formed of the same white, plastoid alloy used in the Stormtrooper body armor, which is a hallmark of the soldiers in the Galactic Empire. Its iconic shape is primarily designed to disperse kinetic blows across the entire structure of the helmet, reducing the force at any individual point. The helmet does not sacrifice functionality for aesthetics, as even the coloration plays an important role in protection; the white pigment is specially designed to reflect many laser frequencies, reducing damage to the wearer.

The helmet's second layer is made of a durasteel alloy mesh that provides further protection against laser energy. The third layer offers magnetic shielding to protect against the radiation and various other detrimental effects caused by electromagnetic fields. The final and innermost layer is a cellular padding to cushion the wearer against head injuries from vibration and high impact.

Built-in comlinks are tongue activated and can be programed to a specific frequency with transmission encoding for security. As a fail safe, these frequencies are automatically deleted if the helmet is removed without the device first manually deactivated. A speaker is also linked to the comlink for external audio projection and some are set up to distribute and receive both visual and audio data.

The helmet has a holographic heads up display (HUD) to allow for easy viewing of sensors and scanning results. The dual display screens focus the visual information directly on the wearer's retina. Text overlays can provide additional information, such as environmental conditions and the status of the helmet's breathing filters.

To optimize combat vision, the visor lens uses a Multi-Frequency Targeting and Acquisition System (MFTAS) to improve visual acuity during adverse conditions, such as low light and smoke. The lens is minimally polarized, contributing to the black coloration and yet still allowing the wearer to see normally under most circumstances. Additionally, the polarization automatically reacts to protect the wearer against intense glare or flash blinding.

Stormtrooper Belt

The Stormtrooper Belt was designed by the Galactic Empire after the First Galactic Civil War to make better use of space around the waist. While lighter than their predecessors, these belts can hold a variety of larger items in better-designed compartments which allows for greater versatility and less movement inhibition.

When carried by Imperial troops, these belts usually contain grappling hooks and high-tension cabling, extra power cells for the E-11 Blaster Rifle model, rations and spare comlinks. Among the other gear, including but not limited to medikits, bacta patches, and a small toolkit to fix damaged portions of their armor. While these items filled the frontal compartments, each belt contains energy sinks located near the hips to protect the wearer from the energy of blaster fire. These sinks would also draw the energy away from the sensitive electronic equipment inside the other pockets, including the usual thermal detonator attached to the rear of the belt.

Storm Trooper Belts are part of the standard fitout of Imperial troops and as such are most commonly see worn by the white-armored Imperial stormtroopers. The equipment carried by each stormtrooper is strictly standardized, with certain missions requiring modifications of the original design for improved performance. Although the belts are produced under Imperial contract, strictly for Imperial use, many sets of armour have found their way into the greater galaxy either through theft or sale by previous Imperials or deserters.