Broadsword

This article is about the DropShip class. For other uses, see Broadsword (disambiguation).
Broadsword TRO3057r.png
Broadsword
Production information
Manufacturer Marshall Orbital Yards
Production Year 2979[1]
Use 'Mech Carrier
Type Military Aerodyne
Tech Base Clan
Technical specifications
Mass 1,850 tons
Structural Integrity 9
Length 80 meters
Width 43 meters
Height 23 meters
Drive System Peterson 211
Safe Thrust 2.5 g
Max Thrust 4 g
Fuel (tons) 130 tons
Fuel (days) 70.7 days
Armament
Armor 30 tons Standard
Fore: 19
Sides: 16
Aft: 12
Crew 8[2]
  • 2 Officers
  • 2 Enlisted
  • 4 Gunners

(Crew Types)[3]

  • 2 Pilots
  • 4 Engineers
  • 2 Secondary Engineers

Bay Personnel: 10

Escape Pods/Life Boats 2/2
Heat Sinks 79 (158)
BV (1.0) 5,602[4]
BV (2.0) 6,264


Description[edit]

Developed by Clan Sea Fox shortly before they became Clan Diamond Shark to replace the venerable Leopard-class, the Broadsword-class is superficially similar to the older design but has been redesigned to carry five OmniMechs as per Clan military structure.

The Broadsword features a balanced blend of speed, firepower, and armor superior to its parent design, making it well-suited to raiding or reconnaissance missions. The craft's only lack is integral aerospace fighter support like that carried by the Leopard, a choice forced by the need to carry an additional 'Mech. The versatile and reliable craft is in use in the toumans of most Clans, though Clan Steel Viper fields the lion's share after successfully staging a Trial of Possession for the Diamond Sharks' Marshall Orbital Yards.

Armament[edit]

The Broadsword features an effective armament for its size, with twin ER large lasers and ER PPCs, an Artemis IV FCS–equipped LRM-20 and single medium pulse laser mounted in its nose bays, supported by twin LRM-20 launchers, a trio of medium pulse lasers and a single small pulse laser in each wing. Aft firepower is all short-range with another medium pulse laser carried between two Streak SRM-6 launchers. Ten tons of LRM and four tons of streak missiles gave the Broadsword's missile launchers reasonable endurance, though a single ton of reloads for its nose-mounted anti-missile system could quickly leave it open to attacks from enemy launchers.

Cargo[edit]

The Broadsword is built around its ability to transport a complete OmniMech Star, but is somewhat restricted by its legacy of being based on the Leopard. The four side bays are relatively identical to those of its aging predecessor, with the fifth bay sitting within the craft's nose in the approximate position of the Leopard's two fighter bays. This problematic arrangement causes headaches for the technicians assigned to look after the 'Mechs in the nose bay, as only the smallest 'Mech parts can fit through the internal passageway linking to the other bays. Worse, the Broadsword's main 77.5-ton cargo bay is located on the vessel's upper deck, which can only be reached via a pair of stairways, thus most of the vessel's cargo must be manually transported between decks.

See Also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  • In German products, the unit's proper name was translated to Breitschwert.

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. MUL online date for the Broadsword
  2. Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, p. 70
  3. BattleSpace rulebook, p. 63
  4. AeroTech 2 Record Sheets, p. 206

Bibliography[edit]