A Surface to Air Missile (SAM) or ground-to-air missile (GTAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy enemy aircraft. It is a type of anti-aircraft system. Land-based SAMs can be deployed from fixed installations such as anti air turrets, or from mobile launchers such as AT-AA, or a Hailfire droid. The tracked vehicles are usually armored vehicles specifically designed to carry SAMs. The smallest of SAMs are capable of being carried and launched by a single person, basically any AA troopers from our troop center, such as a clone trooper, stormtrooper, or droid. These types of SAM are also referred to as Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS). Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). They are typically guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially non-shielded ones. MANPADS were originally developed for the early game phase to provide our military ground forces protection from enemy aircrafts. They have received a great deal of attention as potential targets, since they are the only threats for an enemy airplane. These missiles were available in the Clone Wars too, and have been used successfully over the past military conflicts, both in the Army of the Republic, as well as by the CIS. (We could see an AA droid running upstairs on the roof, and hitting a Republic Gunship with a SAM, in which Captain Fordo and his elite ARC trooper squad wanted to infiltrate a banking clan building in the Clone Wars cartoon series). Later AA trooper versions in the game GBG have twin rocket launchers in a single bagpack, which were stronger, but much heavier. These missiles are about 180 cm in length and weigh about 18 kg, depending on the model. Shoulder-fired SAMs generally have a target detection range of 7 clicks in the game, which later can be upgraded 7+4 in the game, which is about 10 km in the reality. An anti air missile can deal a damage of 24 HP per shots, which is quite good, however comparing this data with a heavy mobile AA clone vehicle's damage which is 51HP, we could say that is not enough for future military missions. And we haven't mentioned an Anti Air turret yet, which deals a damage of 90HP, and has a range of 11+2, so that rules! But keep in mind, you cannot bring your turrets with you on mission, since they are ground based installations, but your mobile units, such as your AA clones can escort you into enemy territory, and they can keep your army relatively safe.

These line-of-sight (LOS) missiles do not home in on a particular aspect (heat source or radio or radar transmissions) of the targeted aircraft. Instead, the missile gunner Anti-air clone visually acquires the target using a magnified optical sight and then controls the missile into the aircraft. One of the benefits of such a missile is that it is virtually immune to flares and other basic countermeasure systems which are designed primarily to defeat infrared missiles. The major drawback of LOS missiles is that they require highly trained and skilled operators, that is why the Republic trained these awesome AA clone troopers. These shoulder rockets were difficult to learn how to use, and they were still highly inaccurate, particularly when employed against fast moving aircrafts, that is why Galactic Battlegrounds models these AA clones quite inaccurate in the first phase of the game. Given these considerations, many gamers believe that LOS missiles are not as ideally suited for troop center units, which sometimes are referred to as "fire and forget" missiles. Later phase on the game we'll be awarded laser guided shoulder-fired SAMs as an upgrade of the previous version, which use laser to guide the missiles to the target. The missile flies along the laser beam and strikes the aircraft where the anti air clone aims the laser. This is a kind of "missile guidance", that refers to a variety of methods of guiding a missile or a guided bomb to its intended target. The missile's target accuracy is a critical factor for its effectiveness. Guidance systems improve missile accuracy by improving its "Single Shot Kill Probability". The LOS rocket uses only the angular coordinates between the missile and the target to ensure the collision. The missile will have to be in the line of sight between the launcher and the target (LOS), correcting any deviation of the missile in relation to this line.

The anti-air clone can be trained in the troop center, and mostly you can upgrade him there as well, but some features must be upgraded in the war center. You can upgrade their movement faster, their line of sight (attack range) longer, their damage larger, and their armor thicker and more heavy, especially for their upper body, on their chest and shoulders, since most of the incoming shots come from above. Also, by changing into a higher civilization age, you can develop your single rocket into a twin rocket system, which fires out two SAMs at a time, causing double damage after a successful hit. This twin-rocket anti air clone was so great in the game, that I decided to handmake a custom anti air clone trooper with two rockets on his back.

WHEN CLICKING and/or ATTACKING an Anti air clone trooper, we'll hear these reporting-ins and sentences! Listen to the Galactic Battlegrounds "missile trooper" MP3 sounds!

Anti air trooper ready.
Heads up!
Give me a target general!
Missile trooper here.
Missiles active commander
Missiles armed!
Receiving coordinates general!
Tunnels set!
Watching the skies!
This is my favorite, he says while I playing the game, he will watch the sky for me, we can trust in his eagle eyes! :-)

Please take a look at my custom anti air clone trooper figure!

Custom anti air clone trooper figure front