scout troopers

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Size:
  1.83 meters

• Weapon:
  Blaster rifle, hold-out blaster

• Vehicle:
  Imperial speeder bike

• Affiliation:
  Empire, stormtrooper

• 

From the Movies

The stormtroopers designated as scouts wear lightweight armor that is considerably more flexible than the standard uniform. Much like their infantry counterparts, scout troopers wear a black body glove covered with white armor. Scouts often work in conjunction with light reconnaissance vehicles, such as Imperial speeder bikes. For this reason, they are often referred to as biker scouts.

From the Expanded Universe

Unlike other elite Imperial units that often travel with the Imperial fleet, scout troopers are typically assigned to ground-based garrisons and installations. They operate in units called lances, which consist of four troopers and their sergeants, as well as their assigned speeder bikes or other patrol craft.

Scout trooper armor incorporates a macrobinocular viewplate and sensor array that gives the scout a 180-degree arc of vision. This is extremely useful when operating such high-velocity vehicles as the Aratech 74-Z speeder bike. The helmets include built-in comlinks, breathing units and computers that map the area a scout traverses.

Scouts are usually lightly armed, with simple blaster rifles or boot-holstered hold-out blasters. They carry standard flares and concussion grenades, but rarely engage in heavy combat. Their mission profile is to detect the enemy, not to engage it. Scout troopers use their swift vehicles to rocket back to their bases to call on heavier forces.

Behind the Scenes

Designer Nilo Rodis-Jamero likened the scout troopers to kamikaze pilots who need only to see what's directly in front of them. This was part of the inspiration for the viewplate shroud on their helmets, which resemble the blinders worn by racehorses.