342646092-Battletech-10992-Technical-Readout-3026-Revised-OEF-pdf

F-77 DEATHSTALKER

Type: F-77 Deathstalker Weapons and Ammo Location Tonnage Heat SRV MRV LRV ERV
Technology Base: Inner Sphere
Tonnage: 80 Autocannon/10 Nose 12 3 10 10 — —
Battle value: 1,603
Ammo (AC) 10 —1

2 ER Large Lasers LW 10 24 8 8 8—

2 ER Large Lasers RW 10 24 8 8 8—

Equipment Mass Medium Laser LW 1 65 ———
Engine: 11.5
240 Medium Laser RW 1 65 ———
Safe Thrust: 5 15
Max Thrust: 8 5
Structural Integrity: 8 3
Heat Sinks: 10.5
Fuel: 25 [50]
Cockpit: 400
Armor Factor:
168
Nose Armor
Wings Value
Aft
55
41/41

31

101

TFN-3A TYPHOON-A

Mass: 90 tons Armament: Communications System: CBM COMSET 3
Frame: CBM T03-A 1 Screamer Long Range Missile-15 Pack Targeting and Tracking System: CBM TRAK-2
2 Defiance Blaster Type F AutoCannon/10s
Power Plant: PlasmaStar 270 2 Defiance 600 Particle Projection
Armor: Lexington Lite Standard Cannons

Manufacturer: CBM Aerospace
Primary Factory: Donegal

Overview autocannon variant is the one most Typhoon featured a nose mounted LRM-15
As a pre-Star League remembered—it was the chosen fighter of rack and wing-mounted particle cannons,
Robert Steiner. rounding out its firepower with weapons as
design, the autocannon variant of equally fearsome.
the heavy Typhoon-class fighter was The Typhoon and the Typhoon-A both
already in decline well before the featured a simple flying wing design, Deployment
founding of the Star League and the start intended to provide ample room for bomb Both the Typhoon-A and the original
of humanity's Golden Age. Eclipsed by newer ports, while also giving the craft excellent
craft and technology, it was formally glider capabilities that could enhance its Typhoon served almost exclusively in the
abandoned in favor of new fighter lines in fuel efficiency and improving its ability to Lyran Commonwealth’s aerospace branch,
2485, soon after CBM Aerospace entered sneak up on unwary surface targets. Slow but attrition during the border raids, fighting
into a business alliance with the Lockheed by modern standards, both craft could keep in the Periphery and the early years of the
Corporation of Tharkad to produce the TRB- pace with contemporary medium fighters Succession Wars whittled the ranks of these
D36 Thunderbird heavy fighter. This joint and were more than swift enough to deliver fighters to nearly nothing. The merger of
effort would mark the beginnings of the a devastating attack on ground targets. Only CBM and Lockheed included the closing of
corporations' eventual merge into the the difference in firepower—deliberately the Typhoon production line, a move that
powerful Lockheed/CBM Corporation. fashioned to be visually indistinguishable, finished the job. Today, any of these craft
especially during a dogfight—separated their still in existence (we estimate no more than
Capabilities battlefield capabilities. three throughout the Inner Sphere) have
In its heyday, the Typhoon was a vital become museum pieces, gathering dust as
In the case of the Typhoon-A and its the remnants of a long bygone era.
part of Lyran military strength. It was often surface-attack role, wing-mounted heavy
flown as the core unit in air assault autocannons provided a solid punch that Variants
missions, with its powerful arsenal, heavy could flatten even an unsuspecting Aside from the basic Typhoon and the
armor and large bomb payload. It was BattleMech with one shot. These powerful
produced in a laser-heavy baseline guns replaced the two pairs of wing-mounted Typhoon-A, the only other variant of this craft,
configuration, but also featured an large lasers used on the base model. They the Typhoon-M, swapped additional LRM
autocannon variant (the Typhoon-A) that allowed the craft to strafe more efficiently, racks for the heavy autocannons and large
proved wildly successful. While the laser though its heat sinks were only partially lasers. To the best of our knowledge, none of
weapons were far more prevalent at the successful in keeping the craft cool enough these variants survived to the present.
time, it is somehow ironic that the for continuous fire. In both versions, the

102

TFN-3A TYPHOON-A

Type: Typhoon-A Weapons and Ammo Location Tonnage Heat SRV MRV LRV ERV
Technology Base: Inner Sphere
Tonnage: 90 LRM 15 Nose 7 5 9 9 9 —
Battle value: 1,211
Ammo (LRM) 16 — 2

Autocannon/10 LW 12 3 10 10 — —

Autocannon/10 RW 12 3 10 10 — —

Equipment Mass Ammo (AC) 20 —2
Engine: 14.5
PPC LW 7 10 10 10 — —
Safe Thrust: 10
Max Thrust: 270 5 PPC RW 7 10 10 10 — —
Structural Integrity: 5 3
Heat Sinks: 8 8.5
Fuel: 9
Cockpit: 20
Armor Factor:
400
Nose
Wings 136
Aft Armor
Value

45
34/34

23

103

AQUARIUS AND LYONESSE

Developed originally by Andurien AeroTech, the Andurien-based aerospace Weapons and Ammo Location Tonnage Heat SRV MRV LRV ERV
manufacturer whose ambitious designs included the Stingray and the Riever
aerospace fighters, the Aquarius and Lyonesse surface-to-orbit escort craft once 2 Large Lasers Nose 10 16 8 8 ——
explored a niche today filled by heavy fighters and small DropShips. The Aquarius
and Lyonesse-classes shown here were among the most common escort craft LRM 15 LW 7 5 9 9 9 —
used in the Star League era. They were among Andurien’s most profitable product
lines before its merger with Gibson Federated BattleMechs in 2562, creating the LRM 15 RW 7 5 9 9 9 —
formidable Free Worlds Defense Industries. Sharing features common to such
craft, namely heavy armor, super-heavy chassis and impressive weaponry, these Ammo (LRM) 16 — 2
craft are typical of the suborbital escort class that often accompanied important
DropShips to waiting WarShips or stations close to a planet surface. SRM 6 LW 3 4 8 — — —

The Aquarius, a typical “heavy escort”, massed a full 200 tons—the largest of SRM 6 RW 3 4 8 — — —
any “small craft” in existence—and was protected by more armor than some
military DropShips. With an average speed perfect for ascent and descent and Ammo (SRM) 30 — 2
enough fuel for short combat missions, this escort packed a particularly lethal
array of large lasers and missiles designed to discourage attacking fighters and Medium Laser LW (Aft) 1 3 5 ———
DropShips at long and intermediate ranges. A quartet of medium lasers further
discouraged pursuit, as few fighters could afford such a blistering while tailing a Medium Laser RW (Aft) 1 3 5 ———
heavily armored Aquarius.
2 Medium Lasers Aft 2 6 5 ———
The lighter Lyonesse-class featured a smaller chassis, and slightly reduced
airspeed, but packed a no less devastating array of weapons and armor that was LYONESSE (ESCORT)
only slightly thinner than the heavy Aquarius. Primarily intended for closer escort
operations, the Lyonesse relied more on a medium-range weapons assortment Type: Military Aerodyne Use: Surface-to-Orbit Escort
including fourteen medium lasers, which blanketed every potential arc of fire in an Tech: Inner Sphere Introduced: 2513
effort to discourage—or outright destroy—any attacking craft. Mass: 175 tons Fuel: 5 tons (400)
Battle Value: 1,764 Safe Thrust: 4
Maximum Thrust: 6
Dimensions Heat Sinks: 40
Length: 28 meters Structural Integrity: 7
Width: 22 meters Crew: 6

AQUARIUS (ESCORT) Armor
Nose: 165
Sides: 133
Aft: 101

Type: Military Aerodyne Use: Surface-to-Orbit Escort Weapons and Ammo Location Tonnage Heat SRV MRV LRV ERV
Tech: Inner Sphere Introduced: 2515 —
Mass: 200 tons Fuel: 5 tons (400) LRM 20 Nose 10 6 12 12 12
Battle Value: 1,912 Safe Thrust: 5 —
Maximum Thrust: 8 Ammo (LRM) 24 — 4
Dimensions Heat Sinks: 35 —
Length: 29 meters Structural Integrity: 8 SRM 6 Nose 3 4 8 — — —
Width: 25 meters Crew: 6 —
Ammo (SRM) 30 — 2 —
—
4 Medium Lasers LW 4 12 20 — — —

4 Medium Lasers RW 4 12 20 — —

Medium Laser LW (Aft) 1 3 5 ——

Armor Medium Laser RW (Aft) 1 3 5 ——
Nose: 183
Sides: 162 3 Medium Lasers Aft 3 9 15 — —
Aft: 101
Small Laser Aft .5 1 3 — —

104

AQUARIUS AND LYONESSE

105

VAMPIRE

The uninitiated could easily mistake the Vampire for a heavy aerospace Fuel: 38 tons (2,660)
fighter, and performance and weaponry would appear to back up this Tons/Burn-day: 1.84
assumption. In reality, however, the Vampire was the smallest DropShip ever to Safe Thrust: 6
see combat. Developed by Markesan Aeronautics, the Vampire was conceived to Maximum Thrust: 9
minimize the time jump troopers were exposed to enemy aerospace action. Heat Sinks: 34
Through the simple expedient of making the DropShip equal in performance to Structural Integrity: 11
any fighter it could encounter, it was envisaged that the Vampire could keep one
step ahead of all but the fastest interceptors. When over the target, the jump Armor
infantry could drop from the ship using four special drop hatches in the ventral Nose: 134
surface and the DropShip could continue on to safety. Sides: 107
Aft: 92
To the relief of the three squads of jump infantry squeezed into the cramped
infantry bay, the Vampire was never intended for long-range transport. Rather, the Cargo:
troops traveled to the target system (sometimes even into orbit around the target
world), then transferred to the Vampire for the ground assault. Bay 1: Infantry (3 jump platoons) 4 Door

The Avalon Hussars used a number of Vampire’s during the brief “Border Bay 2: Cargo (10 tons) 1 Door
War” between the Federated Suns and Capellan Confederation. In 2762, the
Hussars dropped infantry onto key Capellan command posts on Redfield. Unable Escape Pods: 0
to tell the difference between the DropShips and their fighter escort, Liao troops Life Boats: 0
were thrown into total confusion when elite jump infantry began to rain down on Crew: 1 officer, 5 enlisted/non-rated
them instead of bombs. With the Capellan command structure shattered,
Redfield finally fell to the Federated Suns. Ammunition: 30 rounds SRM 6 ammunition (2 tons), 36 rounds LRM 20
ammunition (6 tons).
The Vampire’s high performance came at a high price, though. The powerful
Donovan XVIII engines had a relatively short lifespan and required much more Notes: Mounts 25 tons of standard armor.
maintenance than conventional propulsion units. The destruction of the Markesan
Astronautics manufacturing facilities during the Combine thrust towards New Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Avalon effectively doomed the few Vampire DropShips that survived the fighting. Arc (Heat) Type Short Medium Long Extreme Class
Nose (10 Heat)
VAMPIRE CLASS DROPSHIP 1 (10) — — — Laser
2 Medium Laser 1 (8) — — — SRM
Type: Military Aerodyne 1 SRM 6 (30)
Use: Troop carrier L/R Wing (14 Heat) 1 (12) 1 (12) 1 (12) — LRM
Tech: Inner Sphere 1 LRM 20 (18) 1 (8) 1 (8) — — Laser
Introduced: 2715 1 Large Laser
Mass: 400 tons Aft (6 Heat) 1 (10) — — — Laser
Battle Value: 1,827 2 Medium Lasers

Dimensions
Length: 42 meters
Width: 28 meters
Height: 9.5 meters

106

VAMPIRE

107

MANATEE

With the invention of the BattleMech, the face of warfare changed forever. As Fuel: 135 tons (5,400)
effective as this new weapon system was, however, it was only good if you could Tons/Burn-day: 1.84
get it to the intended battlefield. The limiting factor for the military planners of Safe Thrust: 4
the time was not how many BattleMechs they could build, but how to transport Maximum Thrust: 6
them from the jump point to the planet’s soil. Since they did not have any Heat Sinks: 129
specialized ships, they really had no transportation. This was the first item to be Structural Integrity: 10
remedied.
Armor
The Terran Hegemony Naval Department came up with an idea to take a Nose: 80
cargo ship and convert it to a ’Mech hauler. They selected the Manatee for its Sides: 70
compact size and robust systems. This ship was originally designed to drop on Aft: 60
planets whose atmospheres were less then hospitable. Needless to say, the
ships would suit the needs of the ground forces in delivering the ’Mech troops to Cargo 1 Door
the target. Bay 1: Cargo (332 tons) 1 Door
Bay 2: 'Mech (1) 1 Door
Originally, the Manatee was capable of carrying up to 1,000 tons of cargo. Bay 3: 'Mech (1) 1 Door
The ship’s cargo bays were all open and located on the same deck. This made it Bay 4: 'Mech (1) 1 Door
easier for the ’Mechs to be serviced and allowed for the massive ’Mech gantries Bay 5: 'Mech (1)
that would hold the BattleMechs in transit. The bays were redesigned so that
each ’Mech bay had its own bay door. The ship was then armed with energy- Life Boats: 0
based weapons as a way to save on space for ’Mech spare parts and supplies. Escape Pods: 2
Crew: 2 officers, 2 enlisted / non-rated, 6 gunners, and 6 bay personnel
The Manatee’s first deployment was against Davion forces on Kentares in
2449. Hegemony ’Mech forces faced the Fourth Avalon Hussars contesting Ammunition: None.
Davion ownership. Initially the battle went well against the Hussars, with the
’Mech technology proving its worth. As time went on, however, the delivery Notes: Mounts 15 tons of standard armor.
vessels were found to be too lightly armed and armored, thus vulnerable to
attack. The Hussars exploited this by shooting down some of the DropShips. Due Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)
to this flaw, the Manatee was discontinued, though it would be the inspiration for Arc (Heat) Type Short Medium Long Extreme Class
the Confederate later used by the Star League. Nose (22 Heat)
3 (26) 1 (8) — — Laser
MANATEE CLASS DROPSHIP 1 Large Laser,
2 Medium Lasers 4 (41) 1 (8) — — Laser
Type: Military Spheroid
Use: 'Mech carrier FL/FR (62 Heat) 4 (41) 1 (8) — — Laser
Tech: Inner Sphere 1 Large Laser,
Introduced: 2449 2 Medium Lasers 3 (26) 1 (8) — — Laser
Mass: 1,900 tons
Battle Value: 2,508 AL/AR (62 Heat)
1 Large Laser,
Dimensions 2 Medium Lasers
Length: 37 meters
Width: 35 meters Aft (22 Heat)
Height: 31 meters 1 Large Laser,
2 Medium Lasers

108

MANATEE

109

VULTURE

The Vulture-class troops transport was developed by the Alliance of Galedon Fuel: 300 tons (9,000)
(the embryonic Draconis Combine) to support Coordinator Shiro Kurita’s Tons/Burn-day: 1.84
aggressive expansionist policies. Possession of a dedicated troop transport Safe Thrust: 4
proved decisive in those early campaigns against the Ozawa Mercantile Maximum Thrust: 6
Association, the Principality of Rasalhague and numerous independent worlds. Heat Sinks: 78
Time and again, the troops of Warlord Urizen Kurita would descend on a target Structural Integrity: 9
world with lightning speed. Other Inner Sphere powers watched with no little
trepidation as Shiro’s brother expanded his domain. Armor
Nose: 145
With little space for anything more than the cramped quarters for six Sides: 115
platoons of infantry (quickly dubbed “cattle-class” by the troopers crammed into Aft: 98
them), and a compact bay just capable of transporting a company of light
vehicles, the Vulture lacks amenities. The four V450 engines, power plant and Cargo
spaceframe, however, have proven their low maintenance requirements, reliability
and durability time and again. As a prime example, a Vulture DropShip discovered Bay 1: Infantry (6 foot platoons) 1 Door
on Algedi in 2612—the crew dead since 2497, from a virus that decimated
DCMS forces when they landed—was easily restored to flying condition. Bay 2: Vehicles (12 light) 2 Door

Over time, the Vulture fell into disfavor with the DCMS, who preferred higher Bay 3: Cargo (855.5 tons) 1 Door
capacity transports for the escalating conflicts that marked the beginning of the
brutal “Age of War.” When deploying under fire, Combine officers had experienced Escape Pods: 20
difficulties recombining companies split between two ships. After several Life Boats: 7
ignominious defeats where defending forces encircled the Combine landing zones Crew: 3 officers, 11 enlisted/non-rated
and destroyed infantry battalions piecemeal, Kurita commanders began to only
carry complete companies of four platoons aboard Vultures when making combat Ammunition: 280 rounds AC/5 ammunition (14 tons), 192 rounds LRM 15
landings. Another limitation is an inability to carry the heavy combat vehicles that ammunition (24 tons).
became more common as conflict between the new “Houses” escalated.
Notes: Mounts 27.5 tons of standard armor.
Despite these limitations, the design was copied extensively, especially in
the Capellan Confederation. The introduction of the more flexible Seeker saw the Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)
end of the Vulture’s time in military service. Arc (Heat) Type Short Medium Long Extreme Class
Nose (13 Heat)
VULTURE CLASS DROPSHIP 2 (15) 2 (15) — — Autocannon
3 Autocannon/5 (120)
Type: Military Spheroid 2 LRM 15 (64) 2 (18) 2 (18) 2 (18) — LRM
Use: Troop carrier FL/FR (4 Heat)
Tech: Inner Sphere Autocannon/5 (40) 1 (5) 1 (5) 1 (5) — Autocannon
Introduced: 2312 Medium Laser — Laser
Mass: 3,500 tons AL/AR (11 Heat) 1 (5) — —
Battle Value: 3,031 Autocannon/5 (40)
2 LRM 15 (64) 1 (5) 1 (5) — — Autocannon
Dimensions Aft (6 Heat) 2 (18) 2 (18) — — LRM
Length: 75.5 meters 2 Medium Laser
Width: 71 meters 1 (10) — — — Laser
Height: 75.5 meters

110

VULTURE

111

PENTAGON

The Pentagon was the first DropShip of its kind, designed for deployment Maximum Thrust: 11
with a specific WarShip. When the Terran Hegemony Navy began deploying their Heat Sinks: 170 (240)
new Congress-class WarShip, it was realized that this new ship lacked small-craft Structural Integrity: 21
defenses. In order to defend against other assault DropShips, the Pentagon was
designed as a large gun platform that detached from the frigate in a fight. Armor
Nose: 368
The strength of this assault ship was its massive GM 5600 Sublite Maneuver Sides: 323
Drives, which gave the Pentagon a maximum 5.573 Gs of thrust. This ship was as Aft: 278
fast as most aerospace fighters, and certainly faster then any DropShip built at
the time. 600 tons of fuel was allotted, giving the ship a high endurance. The Cargo
armament was the best the Hegemony had to offer at the time: Gauss rifles and Bay 1: Cargo (407 tons) 0 Doors
extended-range energy weapons were backed by large missile racks to give the
Pentagon the ability to reduce its targets to scrap. The ship carries 75.5 tons of Life Boats: 1
standard armor, as much found on the largest DropShips, such as the Colossus. Escape Pods: 8

Through the formation of the Star League, the Periphery wars and the Amaris Crew: 4 officers, 10 enlisted / non-rated, 8 gunners, and 25 marines
Coup, the Pentagon served with distinction.
Ammunition: 80 rounds Gauss ammunition (10 tons), 174 rounds LRM 20
During the Second Periphery uprising, the SLS Star Devil was in an ammunition (29 tons).
uninhabited system, where it ran across and surprised four older Taurian Lola IIs.
The Lola IIs were guarding an assault force scheduled to attack the SLDF on Notes: Mounts 75.5 tons of standard armor.
Brisbane. Knowing they could not leave, the Congress launched her Pentagons
with the mission of destroying the Taurian troopships. The two Pentagons fought Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)
off fighters from four JumpShips, destroying them before being destroyed Arc (Heat) Type Short Medium Long Extreme Class
themselves. The Star Devil was lost, but not before destroying three of the Lola Nose (68 Heat)
IIs with it. 3 (30) 3 (30) 3 (30) — Autocannon
2 Gauss Rifles (48) 3 (32) 3 (32) 3 (32) — LRM
There are no records of any surviving Pentagons following the campaign to 2 LRM 20+Artemis (24) 2 (20) 2 (20) 2 (20) — PPC
retake Terra from the Usurper. 2 ER PPC 2 (16) 2 (16) 2 (16) — Laser
2 ER Large Laser
PENTAGON CLASS DROPSHIP FL/FR (134 Heat) 2 (20) 2 (20) 2 (20) — PPC
2 ER PPC 2 (15) 2 (15) 2 (15) — Autocannon
Type: Military Spheroid Gauss Rifles (16) 2 (16) 2 (16) 2 (16) — Laser
Use: Assault 2 ER Large Lasers 3 (32) 3 (32) 3 (32) — LRM
Tech: Star League 2 LRM 20+Artemis (48)
Introduced: 2540 AL/AR (114 Heat) 3 (28) 1 (8) 1 (8) — Laser
Mass: 4,000 tons 1 ER Large Laser,
Battle Value: 12,186 1 (10) 1 (10) 1 (10) — PPC
4 Medium Lasers 2 (16) 2 (16) 2 (16) — LRM
Dimensions ER PPC
Length: 89 meters LRM 20+Artemis (30) 3 (28) 1 (8) 1(8) — Laser
Width: 75 meters Aft (24 Heat)
Height: 75 meters 1 ER Large Laser, 1 (10) 1 (10) 1 (10) — PPC

Fuel: 600 tons (18,000) 4 Medium Lasers
Tons/Burn-day: 1.84 ER PPC
Safe Thrust: 7

112

PENTAGON

113

DICTATOR

The Reunification War outlined the shortcomings of SLDF ’Mech transports. Safe Thrust: 3
With few exceptions (such as the Leopard), most were converted vehicle and Maximum Thrust: 5
infantry transports, or worse, modified cargo hulls. Time and again, the inability Heat Sinks: 109
to rapidly deploy large ’Mech forces hindered operations. The need for an Structural Integrity: 12
effective, high-capacity ’Mech carrier prompted Di Tron Heavy Industries to
embark on a research and development project in 2582. They were stymied, Armor
however, when the Dictator, their leading design capable of carrying three full Nose: 205
BattleMech companies, was dogged with bureaucratic and technical delays. The Sides: 182
war was long over by the time the design became operational in 2600. Aft: 151

The spheroid hull is built around three separate company-sized ’Mech bays, Cargo 1 Door
stacked one atop the other. Each bay is isolated from the other and has a Bay 1: 'Mechs (12) 1 Door
dedicated drop mechanism, access ramp, and door. While this arrangement helps Bay 2: 'Mechs (12) 1 Door
protect individual companies should one bay receive damage, moving ’Mechs and Bay 3: 'Mechs (12) 1 Door
heavy equipment between bays is virtually impossible unless the ship is Bay 4: Cargo (580 tons)
grounded. Envisaged as operating as part of a taskforce, the DropShip has no
provision for fighter bays. Independent actions were to remain the domain of the Escape Pods: 9
smaller Leopard and Confederate. The Dictator proved itself reliable and Life Boats: 4
effective, serving with distinction long after production ceased in 2725. Operation Crew: 6 officers, 33 enlisted/non-rated
Smother, the SLDF campaign to end hostilities between the Federated Suns and
the Draconis Combine in 2729, depended heavily on the design. Ammunition: 120 rounds SRM 6 ammunition (5 tons), 220 rounds AC/10
ammunition (22 tons), 180 rounds LRM 20 ammunition (20 tons).
The Amaris Civil War proved to be the Dictator’s last campaign. As one of the
primary ’Mech transports in the drive to liberate the Terran Hegemony, many were Notes: Mounts 42 tons of standard armor.
destroyed by automated SDS Casper Drones. When the SLDF departed the Inner
Sphere, they preferred the new Overlord design and abandoned most of the aging Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Dictators. Three Succession Wars have taken their toll on the Dictator, and the Arc (Heat) Type Short Medium Long Extreme Class
handful that survive are in a very poor state of repair. Nose (27 Heat)
1 (10) — — — Laser
DICTATOR CLASS DROPSHIP 2 Medium Laser — LRM
2 LRM 20 (48) 2 (24) 2 (24) 2 (24) — Autocannon
Type: Military Spheroid 3 Autocannon/10 (60)
Use: ’Mech carrier FR/FL (32 Heat) 3 (30) 3 (30) —
Tech: Inner Sphere 2 LRM 20 (48)
Introduced: 2600 1 Large Laser, 2 (24) 2 (24) 2 (24) — LRM
Mass: 9,000 tons Laser
Battle Value: 4,459 2 Medium Lasers 2 (18) 1 (8) — —
2 Autocannon/10 (40)
Dimensions AR/AL (17 Heat) 2 (20) 2 (20) — — Autocannon
Length: 85 meters 2 Medium Laser
Width: 85 meters 2 SRM 6 (120) 1 (10) — — — Laser
Height: 121.5 meters 1 Autocannon/10 (20) 2 (16) — — — SRM
Aft (18 Heat) 1 (10) 1 (10) — — Autocannon
Fuel: 150 tons (4,500) 2 Medium Laser
Tons/Burn-day: 1.84 2 Autocannon/10 (40) 1 (10) — — — Laser
2 (20) 2 (20) — — Autocannon

114

DICTATOR

115

CARGOMASTER

Perhaps one of the best cargo transports designed for military space lift, yet Safe Thrust: 3
never built, was the Cargomaster. Federated-Boeing Interstellar—a former Terran Maximum Thrust: 5
Hegemony / Star League company now of the Federated Suns—designed a new Heat Sinks: 128 (256)
class of DropShip to replace the aged yet still venerable Mule-class DropShip. Structural Integrity: 12
Larger and fitted with more powerful engines, the Cargomaster could carry more
cargo in one of its four unique cargo bays than the Mule could in a single ship. Armor
These specially designed cargo bays were all interconnected, with the ability to Nose: 82
be isolated in the event of an emergency such as a fire, or catastrophic failure of Sides: 72
any one of the bays caused by hull breech or explosions. Aft: 62

What really made the Cargomaster’s bays so unique, however, is that they Cargo 2 Doors
were fully automated and self loading. Fully computerized, this self-loading system Bay 1: Cargo (2,200 tons) 2 Doors
was a cargo team’s dream. It reduced the manpower normally assigned to the Bay 2: Cargo (2,200 tons) 2 Doors
bays to none. The crew could handle the loading without taking on extra members Bay 3: Cargo (2,200 tons) 2 Doors
just for working the cargo bays. Star League accepted the design and asked them Bay 4: Cargo (2,200 tons)
to produce a civilian model called the Cargoking.
Life Boats: 2
Pre-production began on the Cargomaster in 2781, when Federated-Boeing Escape Pods: 2
started to build their newest facilities around Galax. The Galax Megaplex was Crew: 3 officers, 10 enlisted / non-rated, 5 Gunners
completed in December of 2786 after the fall of the Star League and the exodus
of the Star League Defense Force. The Port Naval Yards were authorized to begin Ammunition: 132 rounds LRM 10 ammunition (22 tons).
production on the Cargomaster line, and the first Cargomaster rolled off the
assembly line in 2790, after major delays in construction the results of the First Notes: Mounts 17.5 tons of standard armor.
Succession War. The ship completed its test trials in good order and passed final
inspection. Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat) Type Short Medium Long Extreme Class
Unfortunately, the fate of the Cargomaster was to be short-lived indeed. At Nose (63 Heat)
the time of the design’s original commission, the presence of the Star League 1 (8) 1 (18) 1 (8) — Laser
ensured that the Inner Sphere would remain stable. Resources were high. The ER Large Laser 3 (30) 3 (30) 3 (30) — PPC
cost of such a ship, while expensive, was nothing to be concerned with. By the 3 ER PPC 2 (16) 2 (16) 2 (16) — LRM
time the first Cargomaster rolled off the production lines, however, the universe LRM 20+Artemis (12)
was a very different place than the one in which it had been conceived. An FL/FR (102 Heat) 3 (28) 1 (8) 1 (8) — Laser
expensive and prolonged war was costing tremendous amounts of both money ER Large Laser,
and material, including DropShips. Deemed a waste of resources, the
technologies to manufacture the Cargomaster were suddenly too prohibitive to 2 Medium Lasers
continue. The prototype was dismantled, and its parts used elsewhere. ER PPC
LRM 20+Artemis (30)
CARGOMASTER CLASS DROPSHIP AL/AR (102 Heat) 1 (10) 1 (10) 1 (10) — PPC
ER Large Laser, 2 (16) 2 (16) 2 (16) — LRM

Type: Military Spheroid Dimensions 2 Medium Lasers 3 (28) 1 (8) 1 (8) — Laser
Use: Cargo Transport Length: 175 meters ER PPC
Tech: Star League Width: 160 meters LRM 20+Artemis (30) 1 (10) 1 (10) 1 (10) — PPC
Introduced: 2790 Height: 120 meters Aft (15 Heat) 2 (16) 2 (16) 2 (16) — LRM
Mass: 12,500 tons ER Large Laser,
Battle Value: 4,555 Fuel: 364 tons (10,680) 3 (28) 1 (8) 1 (8) — Laser
Tons/Burn-day: 1.84 2 Medium Lasers

116

CARGOMASTER

117

CARGO KING

Like the Cargomaster, the Cargoking project was cancelled for the same Maximum Thrust: 5
reasons. When Federated-Boeing began preparations for pre-production of the Heat Sinks: 128
Cargomaster, they had already completed preparations to lay the keel and begin Structural Integrity: 12
the production phase. The two DropShips were nearly identical, save that one
was a military craft and the other was civilian. The Cargoking’s design Armor
specifications were the same as its military cousin, with the lone exception giving Nose: 82
the edge in fuel reserves to the Cargoking. Both shared the same armor and Sides: 72
structural integrity designs. The engineering on the two ships was identical, Aft: 62
including sharing the same drives—Merlin 2400 Interplanetary Drives specifically
designed for the two DropShips. Cargo
Bay 1: Cargo (2,200 tons) 2 Doors
The Cargoking used the automated cargo bay system found in the military Bay 2: Cargo (2,200 tons) 2 Doors
counterpart. This standardization across the board made logistics more Bay 3: Cargo (2,200 tons) 2 Doors
manageable. Since the ship was automated in the cargo bay, the rest of the ship Bay 4: Cargo (2,200 tons) 2 Doors
was not far behind. The crew size was small for such a large vessel. This allowed
for the crew to have far more comfortable quarters then what was normally found Life Boats: 2
on a DropShip. Federated-Boeing was pulling out all the stops on this new Escape Pods: 2
DropShip. They were all ready to sign contracts with a few shipping Crew: 3 officers, 10 enlisted / non-rated, 3 gunners
conglomerates when the First Succession War broke out.
Ammunition: 132 rounds LRM 10 ammunition (22 tons)
Officially the Cargoking was produced in 2790, but in reality the first one was
off the lines in 2789. The ship—FSDS Richard III—finished testing and was Notes: Mounts 17.5 tons of standard armor
authorized for operations. The ship later disappeared in the Kesai IV system in
2825. One other ship was produced before the project was cancelled. It was lost Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)
during testing at the Port Simon Test Facilities. In a freak accident, the ship lost Arc (Heat) Type Short Medium Long Extreme Class
control crashing into Galax’s moon, Malabar, and exploding in a spectacular Nose (18 Heat)
fireball that decimated the landing facility, killing most of the ground crew. 1 (8) 1 (18) 1 (8) — Laser
ER Large Laser 2 (16) 2 (16) 2 (16) — LRM
CARGOKING CLASS DROPSHIP LRM 20+Artemis (12)
FL/ FR (42 Heat) 3 (28) 1 (8) 1 (8) — Laser
Type: Civilian Spheroid ER Large Laser,
Use: Cargo transport 2 (16) 2 (16) 2 (16) — LRM
Tech: Star League 2 Medium Lasers
Introduced: 2790 LRM 20+Artemis (30) 3 (28) 1 (8) 1 (8) — Laser
Mass: 12,500 tons AL/AR (42 Heat)
Battle Value: 2,980 ER Large Laser, 2 (16) 2 (16) 2 (16) — LRM

Dimensions 2 Medium Lasers 3 (28) 1 (8) 1 (8) — Laser
Length: 175 meters LRM 20+Artemis (30)
Width: 160 meters Aft (15 Heat)
Height: 120 meters ER Large Laser,

Fuel: 389 tons (11,430) 2 Medium Lasers
Tons/Burn-day: 4.22
Safe Thrust: 3

118

CARGO KING

119

MODEL 96 “ELEPHANT”

During the build up of the Star League Navy, a heavy tug class DropShip was Cargo: 2 Doors
needed to help with their growing fleet of WarShips. The SLDF Navy Department Bay 1: Cargo (2,178.5 tons) 1 Door
of Procurement issued a request for bids to design a new DropShip. The Bay 2: Cargo (Small Craft 4+1) 4 Doors
requirements included that not only would it help dock WarShips, but the Bay 3: 'Mechs (12) 2 Doors
DropShip would also be used in a support role as an assault DropShip. Only the Bay 4: Vehicles (8 Heavy) 2 Doors
design by Nimakachi Fusion Products Ltd. fulfilled the requirements requested. Bay 5: Infantry (4 jump platoons)

At the time, the Elephant was the largest Tug-class DropShip ever built. The Life Boats: 2
ship was built around massive PlasmaStar Interplanetary Drives capable of an Escape Pods: 10
astounding 4Gs of thrust. This would enable the new DropShip to maneuver the Crew: 7 officers, 28 enlisted / non-rated, 9 gunners, 25 marines and 192 bay
largest of WarShips in the SLDF Navy. The ship was designed with a reinforced personnel
bow—a rounded triangle shape that would allow it to mate up most WarShip
hulls. At each point there is a retractable arm with a powerful magnetic locking Ammunition: 240 rounds Gauss ammunition (60 tons), 72 rounds LRM 10
device attached for securing to the ship. From the front, the design gave the ammunition (6 tons).
appearance of an elephant’s head, earning the ship its nickname. The ship was
covered with nearly 77 tons of ferro-fibrous armor and armed with enough Notes: Mounts 76.5 tons of ferro-aluminum armor.
firepower—including bays for a short combined arms battalion—to classify it as
an assault ship. Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat) Type Short Medium Long Extreme Class
The DropShip entered service in May 2600. Just over a hundred of the Nose (84 Heat)
Model 96’s were constructed. The “Elephant” saw service throughout the Inner 2 (18) 1 (8) 1 (8) — Laser
Sphere and was attached to several naval fleets, including major yards like ER Large Laser,
Terra’s Titan Yards. During the Amaris Coup of 2766, fifty Elephants helped 2 Medium Lasers 1 (8) 1 (8) 1 (8) — LRM
defend Terran shipyards orbiting Titan, Mars and Venus. All were destroyed due to 4 (40) 4 (40) 4 (40) — PPC
overwhelming odds, but not before two squadrons of the Twenty-Third Wing (Little LRM 10+Artemis (24) 3 (30) 3 (30) 3 (30 — Autocannon
Beavers) destroyed the RWRS Conquistador Dart-class cruiser over Mars in the 4 ER PPC
opening days of the Coup. 2 Gauss Rifles (48)
FL/FR (108 Heat)
MODEL 96 “ELEPHANT” CLASS DROPSHIP LRM 10+Artemis (24) 1 (8) 1 (8) 1 (8) — LRM
2 ER PPC 2 (20) 2 (20) 2 (20) — PPC
1 ER Large Laser, 2 (18) 1 (8) 1 (8) — Laser

Type: Military Spheroid Fuel: 700 tons (21,000) 2 Medium Lasers 3 (30) 3 (30) 3 (30) — Autocannon
Use: Tug/Assault Tons/Burn-day: 1.84 2 Gauss Rifles (48)
Tech: Star League Safe Thrust: 5 AL/AR (124 Heat) 3 (26) 2 (16) 2 (16) — Laser
Introduced: 2600 Maximum Thrust: 8 2 ER Large Lasers,
Mass: 15,000 tons Heat Sinks: 200 (400) 3 (30) 3 (30) 3 (30 — Autocannon
Battle Value: 13,097 Structural Integrity: 25 2 Medium Lasers
2 Gauss Rifles (48)
Dimensions Armor Aft (58 Heat) 4 (42) 3 (32) 3 (32) — Laser
Length: 150 meters Nose: 371 4 ER Large Lasers,
Width: 68 meters Sides: 325 1 (8) 1 (8) 1 (8) — LRM
Height: 68 meters Aft: 279 2 Medium Lasers
LRM 10+Artemis (24)

120

MODEL 96 “ELEPHANT”

121

COLOSSUS

In 2651, the SLDF was embarrassed during “war games” held in the Periphery Cargo: 2 Doors
after sending 5 regiments to participate. Because of the deplorable results caused Bay 1: Vehicles (72 Heavy) 4 Doors
by lack of coordination and cooperation, the SLDF High Command created their Bay 2: 'Mechs (36) 4 Doors
famous Regimental Combat Teams (RCT). This specialized combat team would need Bay 3: Infantry (12 foot platoons) 0 Doors
transportation that would enhance the units’ qualities. Bay 4: Cargo (726 tons)

Enter Mitchell Vehicles Interstellar. They delivered a design to SLDF that would Life Boats: 4
fulfill the needs of the RCT, supporting it during its operation. It was a bold design Escape Pods: 25
massing 20,000 tons; the largest Assault DropShip ever built. The Colossus was Crew: 9 officers, 37 enlisted / non-rated, 9 gunners, and 984 bay personnel
designed to be easily repaired and its components were remarkably robust, adding
to its reliability. The ship was equipped with the Star League’s most advanced Ammunition: 30 rounds Arrow IV ammunition (6 tons), 96 rounds Gauss
armor and weapons technologies, driving the vessel costs to over 700 million a ammunition (12 tons), 96 rounds LRM 20 ammunition (16 tons).
ship. While they performed their intended function admirably, the cost of replacing
them was too prohibitive. After the ships were destroyed during the Amaris War— Notes: Mounts 59.5 tons of Ferro-Aluminum Armor with case.
including the company that made them, Mitchell Vehicles Interstellar—the Colossus
was replaced by the smaller yet just as capable Excalibur, at half the cost. After the Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)
war, only five Colossus ships were known to have survived; those disappeared with Arc (Heat) Type Short Medium Long Extreme Class
Kerensky’s army. Nose (76 Heat)
3 (30) 3 (30) 3 (30 — Autocannon
In 3014, however, Snord’s Irregulars stumbled across a buried Colossus on 2 Gauss Rifles (96) 3 (28) 1 (8) 1 (8) — Laser
the Lyran world of Phecda. The ship’s structural integrity was still sound, a ER Large Laser,
testament to its design. In its holds, Snord found a large stockpile of ’Mechs. The 4 (40) 4 (40) 4 (40) 4 (40) Artillery‡
ship was later cannibalized by Lyran forces. Then, in the summer of 3067, another 4 Medium Lasers
Colossus was discovered on the planet Epsilon Eridani. While Renfield’s Renegades 2 Arrow IV Systems (30) 2 (20) 2 (20) 2 (20) — PPC
and the Lone Star Regiment were battling, they unearthed a Star League Depot 2 ER PPC
hidden in the Shamus Mountains. Both laid claims to the pristine DropShip, FL/FR (108 Heat) 1 (10) 1 (10) 1 (10) — PPC
exacerbating the situation at hand. Both suffered greatly in the conflict, driven by ER PPC 3 (32) 3 (32) 3 (32) — LRM
greed as much as their assignments. The Lone Star Regiment emerged the victor 2 LRM 20+Artemis (24) 3 (28) 1 (8) 1(8) — Laser
and laid claim to the ship, making up for much of its losses. 1 ER Large Laser,

COLOSSUS CLASS DROPSHIP 4 Medium Lasers
AL/AR (124 Heat)
Type: Military Spheroid Fuel: 375 tons (7,500) 3 (28) 1 (8) 1(8) — Laser
Use: Assault Ship Tons/Burn-day: 1.84 1 ER Large Laser,
Tech: Star League Safe Thrust: 3 4 Medium Lasers 1 (10) 1 (10) 1 (10) — PPC
Introduced: 2660 Maximum Thrust: 5 3 (32) 3 (32) 3 (32) — LRM
Mass: 20,000 tons Heat Sinks: 255 Singles ER PPC
Battle Value: 6,720 Structural Integrity: 20 2 LRM 20+Artemis (24) 4 (36) 2 (16) 2(16) — Laser
Aft (58 Heat)
2 ER Large Lasers,

4 Medium Lasers

Dimensions Armor ‡Can only be used when the DroShip is grounded.
Length: 125 meters Fore: 252
Width: 135 meters Sides: 221
Height: 165 meters Aft: 190

122

COLOSSUS

123

EXPLORER

Though many have regarded the Scout-class JumpShip as the smallest in EXPLORER CLASS JUMPSHIP
use today, such claims have long overlooked the tiny Explorer-class, a civilian
JumpShip that enjoyed a long—if uncelebrated—history in almost every Tech: Inner Sphere
Successor State. Massing a mere 50,000 tons and reliant on small craft for in- Introduced: 2703
system flight, the Explorer was introduced at the peak of the Star League era, Mass: 50,000 tons
primarily as a touring craft to ferry VIPs or the wealthy elite when DropShips Length: 205 meters
weren’t required. In its heyday, there wasn’t a major corporation or important Sail Diameter: 740 meters
dignitary in any realm who didn’t have access to one of these reliable vessels. Fuel: 75 tons (750)
The passage of time and the ravages of the Succession Wars, however, winnowed Tons/Burn Day: 9.77
these vessels to a mere few handfuls. Today, Irian Technologies maintains the Station-Keeping Thrust: 0.10
largest concentration of the remaining Explorers, a minor surprise, considering Sail Integrity: 3
that their Clipperton factory once produced this humble spacecraft. KF Drive Integrity: 2
Heat Sinks: 79
The Explorer was actually designed along utilitarian lines rather than luxury Structural Integrity: 1
travel, catering to the practical as well as the affluent. Built as small as possible Battle Value: 424
to minimize cost and unarmed so as not to appear a threat to hostile traffic, this
JumpShip relies on a quartet of shuttlecraft for in-system transit, saving the Armor
tonnage normally allocated to a DropShip’s docking collar for cargo space and Nose: 7
passenger quarters. An 80-meter grav deck allows shipboard personnel and Fore Sides: 3
passengers alike the comforts of home, and can adjust its rotation to that of the Aft Sides: 3
local planet, which greatly aids acclamation to alien worlds. The vessel also Aft: 3
features a number of fully automated systems that can—in a pinch—allow a
skeleton crew to operate it during long voyages. Indeed, Irian Technologies has Weapons: None
often done just over the years, sometimes dispatching Explorers with a mere 4
crewmen on board during leaner years. Cargo
Bay 1: Cargo (247 tons) 1 Door
A single variant emerged during the closing years of the Star League Bay 2: Small Craft (4) 2 Doors
mounting an HPG. This exuberant cost was incurred only by large corporation, the
ultra rich and in many cases, governmental diplomats. DropShip Capacity: 0
Grav Deck: 1 (80-meter diameter)
Escape Pods: 3
Life Boats: 0
Crew: 1 officers, 8 enlisted/non-rated

Notes: 5 first-class and 5 second-class passenger quarters. 27 tons of
standard armor.

124

EXPLORER

125

QUETZALCOATL-SCOUT

The Quetzalcoatl JumpShip is not, in fact, a true class unto itself, but a QUETZALCOATL-SCOUT CLASS JUMPSHIP
variant on the popular Scout-class, born of necessity in the fires of the Third
Succession War. The original Quetzalcoatl, a Capellan military Scout, suffered Tech: Inner Sphere
severe damage to its docking collar during an enemy boarding attempt. Rather Introduced: 2876
than replace the collar or decommission the vessel outright, however, the Mass: 90,000 tons
vessel’s owners instead took the extraordinary step of converting it to a carrier Length: 273 meters
configuration. Aerospace fighter cubicles were added, enough to accommodate Sail Diameter: 890 meters
two full squadrons at once. This innovation transformed the Scout from a mere Fuel: 52 tons (520)
transport to an effective jump point “picket.” The redesign was so successful, in Tons/Burn Day: 9.77
fact, that other such carrier configurations began to emerge as other Station-Keeping Thrust: 0.1G
owner/operators opted for such a refit. Sail Integrity: 3
KF Drive Integrity: 3
The Quetzalcoatl-Scout-class, as this variant came to be called, boasts not Heat Sinks: 91
only large aerospace fighter bays, but also ample supplies of fuel for multiple Structural Integrity: 1
sorties, thanks to its fuel bay conversion of the original Scout’s cargo area. With Battle Value: 549
over three hundred tons of space, this reserve supply can be used either to
replenish the vessel’s station-keeping drive, or keep its fighter complement fully Armor
prepared for action. This feature has even allowed the Quetzalcoatl to maintain Nose: 6
aerospace forces as large as 20 craft, despite the on-board capacity of 12. To Fore Sides: 3
attain such a sizeable presence, however, aerospace fighters must work in shifts, Aft Sides: 3
with some on active patrol nearby, while others in the same formation remain on Aft: 3
board for repairs and maintenance.
Cargo
The original Quetzalcoatl was destroyed during the intense fighting of the
Fourth Succession War, but today, one can still come across other Scouts with Bay 1: Fighters (12) 2 Doors
the same capabilities and profile. The rise in more capable DropShips, however,
which often boast extra armor and firepower in addition to dedicated fighter bays, Bay 2: Cargo (327 tons) 1 Door
has outstripped the demand for Quetzalcoatl-Scout conversions.

Escape Pods: 0
Life Boats: 3
Crew: 4 officers, 13 enlisted/non-rated

Notes: 28 passengers (pilots and technicians) rated at 5 tons (steerage).
38.5 tons of standard armor.

126

QUETZALCOATL

127

The year is 3026 and war has ravaged the thousands of worlds of the
Inner Sphere for centuries. Successor Lords send clashing armies to conquer
their neighbors and re-establish the long-lost Star League. Though the
BattleMech is the king of the battlefield, it is supported by a much vaster array
of conventional vehicles that fight every where from premier border worlds to
the back waters of beyond. When in the hands of an experienced field
commander, even a BattleMech must be leery when facing a company of tanks.

This revised edition of the original Technical Readout: 3026 features the
most common military vehicles of the Succession Wars. Additionally, this
volume contains nineteen vehicles, aerospace fighters, DropShips and
JumpShips mentioned in the fictional context of the BattleTech universe but
never before presented in a technical readout.