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Have you ever had one of those evenings, where you’ve gone out out for a walk, admiring,
whatever it is people admire when they go out on walks, when you begin to slowly realize
that something’s a little different, something you can’t quite put your finger on.
It’s only when you look over that you realize, yup, your world is being invaded by the Galactic
Empire.
If you lived on a planet that had aligned itself with the Confederacy of Independent
Systems during the Clone Wars or one with a local government not friendly towards Palpatine’s
New Order, chances are you might that scenario somewhat familiar.
Following the establishment of the First Galactic Empire, it was not unusual for the new regime
to deploy forces to put down Seperatist Holdouts, Rebel Cells or local crime lords with varying
levels of success.
So one has to wonder, how would our world, 21st Century Earth, fare if one day the Galactic
Empire decided to invade and occupy it?
Now obviously if it really wanted to, the Galactic Empire could blow up the Earth with
the Death Star or just bombard it into the stone age with the Imperial Starfleet.
So we’ll assume in this hypothetical scenario that the Empire, for whatever reason, is instead
looking to occupy the planet and establish a new regime, akin to how it treated Lothal
or Mimban rather than Alderaan.
Alright, so where to begin?
It seems to me that the best way to answer this question would be to take a look at the
tactics and equipment of each major element within the Imperial Military, from Stromtroopers
to Star Destroyers, and try to determine how modern military forces on Earth would fare
against them.
And before we get too far I want to make one point especially clear, various technical
specifications have been declassified or leaked by Rebel spies that purport to measure the
power of weaponry and armor used by the Galactic Empire.
I’ll be ignoring those because I suspect they have been embellished or falsified as
part of a misinformation campaign.
Instead, whenever weapons and armor are discussed, I’ll be using footage of those weapons in
action, how they perform against common objects like, trees, snow or rocks as the basis of
my comparison.
Ok, so starting with infantry.
The Stormtrooper Corps represent an elite formation within the Imperial Military and
would certainly be at the vanguard of any invasion.
All sorts of variations of Stormtrooper exist, but generally they are equipped with white
plastoid composite armor, and E-11 blaster rifles.
Special weapons such as sniper rifles or heavy blaster cannons are distributed within squads,
but more commonly deployed within independent fireteams.
Now the major disadvantage Stormtroopers face in combat is immediately obvious; their bright
white armor.
Several explanations for this color choice exist, from it representing the purity of
the Empire to it being the color most able to reflect blaster fire.
Whatever the reason, the end result is that, unless they’ve been deployed to the arctic
or to the middle of a blizzard, Stormtroopers are immediately recognizable.
Compare that with infantry units on Earth, which since the first few years of the 20th
century have been almost wholly equipped with uniforms designed to blend into an environment.
Over the decades these have become far more sophisticated, incorporating various camouflage
patterns, and even technology meant to reduce a soldier's infrared silhouette.
There have been plenty of conflicts on Earth in which soldiers have needed to wear their
watch faces on the inside of their wrists or stop lighting cigarettes because even the
slightest reflection or light source could give away their position.
Put a guy in a white suit of armor that's going to make distinctive clunking noises
with every move in any of those battlefields, and he isn’t going to last long.
The weaponry used by Stromtroopers is a bit harder to assess.
Individual blaster bolts seem to impact with roughly the same force as a bullet, while
heavier blaster rifles used by designated heavy weapon troopers or aboard vehicles seem
comparable to small grenades.
Generally, the intense plasma energy fired by blasters certainly seems to have the potential
to inflict greater damage compared to most small arms used on Earth.
Additionally, with power cells capable of holding hundreds of shots, individual Stromtrooper
can carry much more ammo at a fraction of the weight.
The major trade off seems to be in the rate of fire.
While the E-11 blaster rifle is capable of automatic fire, in practice, it seems to be
limited to no more than a single shot every few seconds, whether this is a limitation
of the design or due to how Stormtroopers are trained to use the weapon remains unknown.
There is also the issue of the blaster bolts themselves.
Highly visible bolts of plasma make every shot, in effect, a tracer round, enabling
Stromtroopers to see exactly where they are hitting.
This works both ways however and once they start firing, it will be immediately obvious
where Stormtroopers are positioned.
This is again something that militaries on Earth have dealt with and developed tactics
around.
During the Vietnam war, the NVA used green tracer rounds against American helicopters.
These remained visible against blue skies, but were camouflaged against the jungle when
seen from the air.
Stormtroopers by contrast use red bolts, which are visible basically everywhere.
Lastly, Earth forces have the option of only using tracer rounds when necessary, something
not available to the Empire.
Between these competing factors, my guess is that with much higher rates of fire and
a greater variety in small arms, infantry squads from Earth militaries would be more
than capable of defeating their Imperial counterparts.
And before you tell me that stormtrooper armor can deflect artillery shells or Imperial blasters
could tear apart armoured tanks, I would remind you of the Empire’s defeat on Endor, in
which blaster fire was stopped by trees, and Stormtroopers were killed by falling rocks.
It is also necessary to take a quick look at the tactics used by the Stormtrooper Corps.
While organized into formations roughly analogous to those found on Earth; fireteams, squads,
platoons etc, the level of coordination between these elements seems to vary wildly.
In combat, Stormtrooper units tend to scatter without any regard to unit cohesion, establishing
overlapping fields of fire, or maintaining a solid line of advance.
Formations seem easily isolated, only sporadically calling in supporting fire from air, artillery,
or any type of reserve unit.
The idea that “no plan survives contact with the enemy” has long been a piece of
military wisdom, but the Stormtroopers Corps seem to put in extra work to make sure of
it, only to deprive their officers and soldiers with the flexibility needed to overcome the
practicalities of any battlefield.
The Empire’s infantry would have a difficult time fighting against modern earth militaries,
but their walkers and other vehicles are completely outclassed.
Armoured divisions are typically used to breach defensive lines, working with other divisions
to exploit this breakthrough and through a combination of maneuver and firepower, achieve
a decisive outcome in battle.
To do this, the vehicles involved need to balance, speed, firepower and survivability.
By relying on walkers, namely the All Terrain Tactical Transport and All Terrain Scout Transport,
the Galactic Empire makes major sacrifices in both speed and survivability.
Compared to tracked or wheeled vehicles, Imperial walkers are plodding.
During the Battle of Hoth, rebel soldiers were able to catch up to Imperial AT ATs on
foot, which moved at a rate of barely 6 miles per hour.
While certainly capable of creating a hole in an enemy’s defensive lines, neither AT
ATs or AT STs seem capable of the mobility necessary to properly exploit this breakthrough.
Most main battle tanks on Earth by comparison can achieve speeds of roughly 30 miles per
hour in rough terrain and nearly double that on paved roads or more suitable ground.
They are also designed to fire on the move when necessary, incorporating increasingly
sophisticated stabilization technologies that ensure a tank’s cannon is not affected by
the vehicle's movement.
This is something completely lacking in Imperial Walkers which often need to stop to ensure
greater accuracy.
Tanks on Earth have employed various methods of protection over their history, from ever
evolving types of armor, to electronic counter measures, to active protection systems, but
one of the most important methods of improving vehicle survivability is to reduce its profile
on the battlefield.
The smaller the target, the harder it is to hit.
Modern tanks are designed in accordance to the theory: “don’t be detected - if detected,
don’t be acquired - if acquired, don’t be hit - if hit, don’t be penetrated - if
penetrated, don’t be killed.”
The basic idea here is, while there are many different ways to survive getting shot at,
it all starts with not getting shot at in the first place.
Strangely, the Galactic Empire seems to have followed the exact opposite approach, creating
ever larger vehicles that would dwarf those used in the Clone Wars only a few decades
earlier.
Imperial Walkers are designed to tower over the battlefield, which while potentially allowing
the vehicle to fire over cover at short ranges, makes them conspicuous from miles away.
Their design philosophy might be summarized as “hey everyone look at me, - I dare you
to shoot at me”
Proponents of such designs usually argue that walkers like the AT-AT can intimidate the
enemy into abandoning the fight.
I think this drastically overestimates the value of enemy morale in vehicle design.
Sure, the first British tanks used in WWI may have caused the enemy to flee, but it
was sporadic, and lost effectiveness over the course of the conflict.
Maybe the mere sight of ATATs will cause modern infantry to panic and retreat, maybe, but
once the initial shock has worn off, the Empire is still left with a giant, obvious target.
My guess is that a few Apache or Ka-50 attack helicopters firing anti-tank missiles from
a mile away are going to reduce the intimidation factor of an AT-At to zero.
So what about the war for the air?
The Empire is infamous for its vast fleets of Tie Fighters, but against modern fighter-aircraft
used on Earth, I don’t think they have much of a chance.
The Tie-Stryker Air Superiority Fighter is generally regarded as the finest atmospheric
starfighter in service within the Galactic Empire.
Interestingly enough though, it’s maximum airspeed of 1,500kph is roughly equivalent
to that of an F-100 Super Sabre, which had its maiden flight in the early 1950s, served
as fighter bombers in the Vietnam War, and has long since been replaced by much faster
aircraft.
American F-22 Raptors, Russian Su-57s, European Typhoons, and most advanced air superiority
aircraft used today can reach speeds of 2500 kphs, nearly double that of a Tie-Stryker.
If we assume that standard Tie Fighters, Interceptors, Defenders, etc are even less capable in atmospheric
combat, then the Galactic Empire, in terms of maximum airspeed at least, would be going
into an air war at a major disadvantage.
Of course, speed is only part of the picture, but when it comes to armament and engagement
distance, two major deciding factors in any dogfight, Tie Fighters come out even worse.
Generally, Tie pilots seem to need to rely on visual data to engage their targets.
They do so only at very close range, and usually at distances comparable to the air warfare
of World War Two.
On Earth, modernair engagements are typically fought over exponentially longer ranges, with
anything less than 30km known as “short range”.
Beyond visual range missiles can be effective at even longer ranges and are increasingly
equipped on modern aircraft.
It seems to me that most Imperial starfighters are likely to be shot out of the sky before
they even realize enemy aircraft are targeting them.
Maybe once Earth’s fighters run out of missiles the engagement might be more even, but when
you consider the presence of surface to air missile platforms and even shoulder mounted
anti-aircraft weaponry, the cost to the Imperial Navy of achieving aerial supremacy would be
very steep, if not outright impossible.
But Tie Fighters won’t be the only things flying around in Earth’s atmosphere during
an Imperial Invasion.
While Imperial soldiers, walkers and starfighters are undoubtedly inferior to their counterparts
on Earth, the same cannot be said for a Star Destroyer.
Far larger than even the most advanced warships fielded by any terrestrial navy, Star Destroyers
represent the Galactic Empire’s ace in the hole, but would they be enough to solely turn
the tide of a planetary invasion?
I think the answer is a solid maybe.
In orbit, Imperial Star Destroyers would be almost untouchable with only ICBMs capable
of hitting them, and in space these missiles would be much easier to intercept.
We know that the engines and shield generators on a Star Destroyer can be destroyed even
while it’s shields are up, and that the Empire is not used to dealing with missiles
with a range of thousands of kilometers, so maybe an ICBM strike would be effective.
Regardless, the mere threat of orbital bombardment might be enough to force some sort of conditional
surrender, and if used properly, would certainly be the deciding factor in any land engagement.
However, if the goal as stated is for the Galactic Empire to occupy the Earth, not just
destroy everything on it, Star Destroyers would eventually need to enter the atmosphere,
and the opportunities for engaging them increase dramatically.
I believe the biggest threat to Imperial Starships is not anti-ship missiles or ICBMs or massed
artillery though, but rather the complete lack of cyber-security within the Imperial
Military.
Over the course of the Galactic Civil War, the Imperial Military repeatedly displayed
systemic incompetence with regard to the protection of their own computer networks and critical
infrastructure.
Imperial officers and troopers appear highly vulnerable to spoofing attacks, wherein fraudulent
or malicious communications are disguised as having originated from official sources.
Imperial networks are not segmented, a single, second hand astromech droid in a Hanger’s
control center can gain access to the entire Imperial Network.
Perhaps most critically, even obvious breaches of Imperial security, whether within highly
sensitive manufacturing facilities critical to the Imperial Navy, or aboard the infamous
DS-1 Orbital Battlestation, are not responded to in an efficient manner.
In the time it takes the Empire to respond, security breaches give any invading force
ample opportunity to inflict immense amounts of damage.
With such lapses in Imperial network security, who is to say that through cyberwarfare and
other such methods, an entire fleet of Star Destroyers could be disabled remotely?
I mean, in at least one other invasion of Earth, this tactic proved to be pretty effective.
Of course, until a fleet of Star Destroyers appears over major cities on Earth, my arguments
remain mere conjecture.
And who knows, maybe Imperial Stormtrooper armor would prove invulnerable to atom bombs
while a single blaster rifle could blow up an aircraft carrier.
But I believe there is one last major vulnerability in the Imperial Military that would doom any
attempted invasion of our world.
More than anything, the Galactic Empire is built on fear and it’s internal military
discipline is no different.
Fear can make sure that Stormtoopers walk a straight line in formation, but it tends
to lose its effectiveness in battle, especially if that battle doesn't immediately go their
way.
Modern military training on Earth, instead emphasises pride; pride in a soldiers, unit,
branch, and nation.
This ensures discipline can arise from within, even when it lacks from without.
Put another way, the Galactic Empire lacks spine.
While I am uncertain whether they could successfully invade the Earth, I’m positive they could
never hold it.
Eventually those Star Destroyers will be needed elsewhere, the local garrison will get lazy,
and the occupation will collapse.
And once that happens, a countdown begins for the Galactic Empire.
Because as soon as military forces on Earth begin to grasp the concept of hyperspace and
interstellar travel, it is only a matter of time until our planet begins building its
own fleet of Star Destroyers and the Empire’s main advantage is lost forever.
And maybe in 50, 100, or a thousand years, they’ll be a fleet of Earth’s warships
in orbit of Coruscant, dictating to the rest of the galaxy, the terms of their surrender.
That of course, is just my opinion and even though I and I alone command a zeppelin of
unassailable truth, I’d like to know your thoughts.
Could the United States Marine Corps beat Imperial Stormtroopers on the battlefield?
Could Su-57s shoot down Tie Defenders?
Have I cherry picked my data only using stuff that supports my argument while ignoring everything
that dosn’t?
Let me know in the comments.
And until next time, this has been incoming.
Or was it?
Because there’s one other thing I’d like to mention.
If you’re interested in how we created the custom images used in this episode, we’ve
posted a special behind the scenes look to our second channel, the Templin Archives.
It’s a pretty cool timelapse video of one the images from start to finish, so do check
it out.
And again, if you want to download those custom wallpapers, they’re available exclusively
to our Patrons, again you’ll find the link below.
The Templin Institute.
Investigating Alternate Worlds on Youtube, Twitch, and various planes of reality.