Technical readout 2866 Rise of the Scavengers

With the loss of Diplan ‘Mechyard’s JR7-D Jenner
assembly lines, the Draconis Combine Mustered
Soldiery was left without a fast, jump-capable ‘Mech. In
fact, unlike the other four Great Houses, the Draconis
Combine lacks production facilities for even the
commonplace 20-ton Stinger or Wasp BattleMechs. As
the number of Jenners continued to dwindle, the
Procurement Department of the DCMS turned to Alshain
Weaponry, the sole remaining producer of light ‘Mechs in
the Combine, for a solution.
Built by Diplan ‘Mechyards, the JR7-D Jenner was produced
until the factory on Ozawa was destruction in 2837.
Lacking the advanced equipment and technical expertise
to build an entirely new assembly line, the engineers at
Alshain Weaponry chose to modify one of their existing
Panther lines instead. Replacing the Panther’s original
Hermes 140 fusion engine with a GM 210, the PNT-9Y
has a top speed of well over 90 kph, giving it the speed a
scout ‘Mech requires. Jump capacity has also been
increased to a full 180 meters. To accommodate these
changes, the Lord’s Light PPC is replaced by a lighter
and less heat intensive Harmon heavy laser while the
Telos Four-Shot is downgraded to a Bical Twin-Rack.
The end result is a fast, heavily armored and well-armed
scout BattleMech also capable of serving as a striker or
in a pursuit lance, all roles the standard PNT-9R is
unable to fulfill.
The original TBT-5N produced by Corean Enterprises.
Corean Enterprises has done something similar with
their TBT-6P Trebuchet refit. Increasing both speed and
jump capacity has transformed the Trebuchet into a
highly mobile fire support platform capable of
accompanying fast moving reconnaissance elements, or
even serving as the command unit for such formations.
Carrying armor equivalent to that of the vaunted Phoenix
Hawk, but weighing 50 tons, the TBT-6P is the heaviest
BattleMech available capable of such high speeds while
its bulk allows it to absorb a tremendous amount of
punishment as compared to other scout ‘Mechs.
On the other end of spectrum is the WHM-6W
Warhammer refit issued by StarCorps Industries.
Instead of offering greater mobility, this refit focuses
instead on increased firepower and superior heat
dissipation. Replacing the Vox 280 with a smaller,
lighter GM 210, the same engine used by the upgraded
35-ton Panther, the -6W adds an additional shoulder
mount SRM-6, allowing it to fire a devastating salvo of
twelve short range missiles. Two Donal PPCs, matched
Magna Mk. II medium lasers, and paired Firestorm
19
flamers round out the potent weapon loadout. Two heat
sinks have also been added along with a 20% increase
in overall protection, making the -6W an even more
deadly, albeit slower, design than the original.
These extensive modifications to existing designs
represents a fundamental shift in BattleMech production.
Whereas the Star League traditionally commissioned
entirely new designs to fulfill specific needs within the
SLDF, the Great Houses have been forced instead to
modify their limited number of BattleMechs to fulfill a
much broader range of use. This not only allows them to
maximize their limited production capacity but also
ameliorates the extensive logistical requirements of
using a large variety of different designs.
Whereas a typical SLDF Battlemech battalion could easy
contain over two dozen different models, the armies the
Successor States now field feature significantly fewer
designs. The DCMS Battlemech units, for example, are
dominated by only a dozen different types of
BattleMechs. This reduction allows a given unit to stock
considerably fewer components than a much more
diverse force making maintenance, supply and repair
much easier and resulting in a unit that can stay in the
field for extended amounts of time.
This is especially critical given the precipitous decline in
available Faster-Than-Light transport. The ability to
keep an army in the field sufficiently supplied when
engaged on a hostile world depends almost exclusively
on JumpShip and DropShip transportation and it is one
of the reasons the BattleMech remains essential to any
major combat operation. Ton-for-ton the BattleMech is
by far the most effective unit any military force can
utilize. Conventional armor and infantry units while
significantly less expensive and still well within the ability
of the Successor States to manufacture and outfit,
require roughly three times the logistical support of
BattleMechs. With their reliance on internal combustion
engines, the fuel requirements alone of armor and
motorized infantry units presents a daunting logistical
challenge for any commander. Coupled with their heavy
dependence on munition based weaponry, keeping a
conventional unit in the field for any amount of time
requires an extensive and reliable supply chain, often
one that must extend across multiple star systems.
Consequently, conventional forces are primarily used as
garrison forces and relegated at best to support roles for
operations such as planetary assaults and raids.
In the absence of another widespread conflict, such as
the First and recently ended Second Succession War, it
is highly unlikely there will be a substantial further
reduction in BattleMech output or that the overall level of