Technical readout 2866 Rise of the Scavengers

CLASSIFIED: Nu-Tau-Kappa-omicron
Janice Laidlaw
Precentor ROM, ComStar
Sydney, Australia
Terra
January 13, 2866
Raymond Karpov
Primus, ComStar
Hilton Head, North America
Terra
Primus Karpov:
I have completed the assessment of the BattleMech production capacity of the Great Houses as well as their current level of related military technology.
There is little doubt that Organizational Edict 3056 and the subsequent Operation Holy Shroud have severely crippled the Great Houses’ ability to
prosecute war on a large scale and has not only prevented them from regaining access to Star League secrets but has actually accelerated the loss of
what advanced technology they still possess. Simply stated, the Great Houses have been reduced to the level of technology prevalent in the Terran
Hegemony circa 2500.
To fully appreciate just how far the Great Houses have fallen, I have included a brief historical overview of BattleMech development from its inception to
its pinnacle just prior to General Kerensky’s Exodus. From there, I present the current situation followed by an atlas detailing the location and
capabilities of all remaining BattleMech and related production facilities.
I believe the data will speak for itself. A scant 47 BattleMech models remain in production when once there was easily twice that number. More
importantly, only about two dozen major defense contractors have survived the series of ongoing wars that has engulfed the Inner Sphere since the fall
of the Star League. Areas of particular vulnerability include the production of fusion engines and targeting and tracking systems, without which it would be all but impossible to continue to the
manufacture of BattleMechs.
However, while the number of BattleMech models in production has been in steady decline for almost a century now, there has been a recent proliferation in alternate variants. A number of
these new variants are presented in the fourth section of the report and they demonstrate a remarkable level of adaptation on behalf of the remaining engineers of the Inner Sphere. For
example, the TBT-6P variant of the Trebuchet takes a traditional missile platform and transforms it into a potent scout with long range fire support. Another radical departure from the original
is the MAD-4U Marauder. Taking its cues from the all but extinct 100-ton Star League King Crab, the MAD-4U carries a pair of arm mounted Pontiac-100 Class 20 autocannons. The
development of these additional variants is a clear response to the loss of a number of designs, altering existing models to serve in roles vacated by their lost brethren.
Looking forward, the continuing and increasing scarcity of BattleMechs, and the parts required to keep them operational, can be seen in the diminishing number of BattleMech regiments the
Great Houses are able to field. Increasingly the House militaries are being forced to replace their advanced war machines with conventional internal combustion powered vehicles and even
traditional infantry formations. The largest hurdle facing the Successor Lords, however, is their limited DropShip and JumpShip transport capacity. New JumpShip production, and to a lesser
extent DropShips as well, are but a minute fraction of what they once were. This lack of transport seriously hampers efforts by any of the Houses to launch major offensives along a broad
front. Likewise, it also hinders the ability of the Houses to react to any incursions by sending significant reinforcements or logistical support. At the current rate of attrition, the Great Houses
will soon find themselves permanently mired in a defensive posture.
There are a few disturbing trends which threaten the fulfillment of the prophecy of our Blessed Founder. The Successor Lords are becoming increasingly wary of the toll war has taken on
their industrial base. With the loss of the last WarShip, the LCS Invincible, almost 40 years ago, orbital bombardment and planetary siege tactics have already effectively disappeared. Most
disturbingly, however, is the emergence of a new kind of low intensity warfare based loosely upon the ideals put forth in the Ares Conventions. Signed in 2412, the Conventions prohibit the
use of the weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, but what is of particular concern are the rights of surrender, safe passage, and the prohibition of
combat in or around civilian and industrial centers.
It now appears the Successor Lords have informally agreed to suspend attacks on what remains of the infrastructure used to build the most technologically advanced equipment. Equipment
upon which the very ability to conduct war and even the survival of entire planets depends upon. This includes items such as Faster-Than-Light ships, fusion engines, air and water
purification systems, and even BattleMechs themselves.
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