Battle Hawk
Sarna News
| Battle Hawk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Production Information | |
| Manufacturer(s) | Defiance Industries[1] |
| Production Year | 3053[2] |
| Model | BH-K305[1] |
| Class | Light |
| Cost | 3,689,140 C-bills |
| Technical specifications | |
| 'Mech type | Inner Sphere BattleMech |
| Mass | 30 tons |
| Chassis | Maltex 40 |
| Armor | Paulina Heavy Ferro-Fibrous |
| Engine | GM 150 XL |
| Comms | TharHes Thalia HM-22 |
| TTS | TharHes Ares-5B |
| Heat Sinks | 11 double |
| Speed | 86 km/h |
| Jump Jets | Luxor 2/Q |
| Armament | |
| B.V. (1.0) | 710[3] |
| B.V. (2.0) | 771[1][4] |
Description[edit]
The Battle Hawk was originally designed and built at a time when Defiance Industries felt threatened by the large amount of equipment being produced by, and imported from, the Free Worlds League; it was built to prove that Defiance Industries was still an industry leader in BattleMechs. This came from a 'Mech that, while slow for its weight class, is a force to be reckoned with on the modern battlefield. The Battle Hawk has a top speed of 86.4 km/h, which puts it on par with 'Mechs 15 to 20 tons heavier than itself, but it also carries a powerful arsenal for its size. Its five and a half tons of armor give it good protection for a light 'Mech. Additionally, to make the Battle Hawk more maneuverable on the battlefield, it can jump up to 150 meters.
Field Testing at Hot Springs[edit]
Defiance Industries was looking to field test their newest BattleMech, and the AFFC assigned two lances of Battle Hawks to the First Robinson Rangers stationed on Kooken's Pleasure Pit for their raid on Hot Springs in early 3055. On 23 February, a force consisting of at least the Second Battalion of the Robinson Rangers under a Kommandant Strom struck Hot Springs with the intent to destroy a supply depot. The mission was plagued with poor planning and even worse leadership, with a near suicidal order to charge a portion of Trinary Alpha of the Fifth Battle Cluster. The AFFC force took nearly eighty percent casualties, mostly among the non-Battle Hawk forces.[5][6][7][8][9]
Faced with this debacle, Strom and Hauptmann General Mai Fortuna tried to deflect the blame from Strom, an officer seen as up-and-coming, which typically meant politically connected. They placed the blame squarely on the Battle Hawk, something one of the surviving MechWarriors, Leftenant Danielle Winters, initially tried to push back against but was pressured to go along with. Winters later left the Rangers, though it is unknown if she resigned or was forced out. The Battle Hawk was plagued with a bad reputation for years because of this botched raid, and was relegated to garrison duty, where it would later redeem its reputation.[5][6][7][8][9]
Weapons and Equipment[edit]
The Battle Hawk is armed with a powerful short-ranged arsenal consisting of a trio of Defiance P5M medium pulse lasers, that provide the Battle Hawk with an accurate and renewable primary weapon, while its secondary weapon is that of a Hovertec Streak SRM-2 which will seek out cracks in an enemy's armor. Finally, the 'Mech mounts a McArthur anti-missile system that grants the Battle Hawk a degree of protection from missile attacks.[1]
Variants[edit]
- BH-K306
- The K306 variant is a modification of the Battle Hawk that looks to make the 'Mech more durable. This is accomplished by removing the XL engine and replacing it with a light fusion engine, allowing the 'Mech to withstand the destruction of a side torso. Additionally, the medium pulse lasers have been upgraded to ER medium lasers and the Streak SRM-2 launcher has been replaced with a Streak SRM-4 launcher.[1] BV (1.0) = 876; BV (2.0) = 926[10]
Design Quirks[edit]
The Battle Hawk has the following Design Quirk:[11][12]
Notable Pilots[edit]
Notes[edit]
- In German products, the unit's proper name was translated to Kampffalke. The model code was accordingly changed to KM-K305.
Gallery[edit]
Original BHK-K305 Battle Hawk from TRO:3055
Battle Hawk from TRO:3055 Upgrade
Battle Hawk in action from TRO:3055
References[edit]
- ↑ a b c d e Technical Readout: Clan Invasion, pp. 96–97: "BH-K305 Battle Hawk"
- ↑ MUL online date for the Battle Hawk
- ↑ Combat Operations, p. 131
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged, p. 16
- ↑ a b Technical Readout: 3055, p. 16: "BH-305 Battle Hawk"
- ↑ a b Technical Readout: 3055 Revised, p. 16: "BH-305 Battle Hawk"
- ↑ a b Technical Readout: 3055 Upgrade, p. 14: "BH-305 Battle Hawk"
- ↑ a b Technical Readout: Clan Invasion, p. 96: "BH-305 Battle Hawk"
- ↑ a b Scapegoats
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged, p. 17
- ↑ BattleMech Manual, Fourth Printing, p. 90: "BattleMech Quirk Table"
- ↑ BattleMech Manual Errata (Version 6.01), p. 9: "BattleMech Quirk Table"