Claymore (DropShip class)
Sarna News
- This article is about the DropShip class. For other uses, see Claymore.
| |
| Claymore | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Shipil Company[1] |
| Production Year | 3054[2] |
| Use | Assault Ship |
| Type | Military Aerodyne |
| Tech Base | Star League |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 1,400 tons |
| Structural Integrity | 12 |
| Length | 87 meters |
| Width | 74 meters |
| Height | 25 meters |
| Drive System | Unknown |
| Safe Thrust | 3 g |
| Max Thrust | 4.5 g |
| Fuel (tons) | 80 tons |
| Fuel (days) | 43.5 days |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | 47 tons standard |
| Crew | 15[1]
|
| Escape Pods/Life Boats | 0/2 |
| Heat Sinks | 47 double (94) |
| BV (1.0) | 3,989[3][1] |
| BV (2.0) | 5,034[citation needed] |
Contents
Description[edit]
One of the first new AFFC DropShip designs to be produced after the recovery of the Helm Memory Core, the Claymore is a small but formidably armed and armored assault ship.[1]
The design phase began amid great secrecy in 3047, but the Clan Invasion refocused AFFC funds toward new BattleMech design and production. The Battle of Radstadt made the deficiencies of the Clan's aerospace assets more apparent, and Prince Hanse Davion reactivated the Claymore project. With the prototype only taking its maiden flight at the end of 3053, production was approved after successful operations on combat raids with the Sixth Lyran Guards in 3054. Shipil produced one Claymore every nine months, the majority posted along the edge of the Clan occupation zones. This ensured they became a primarily Lyran design after the formation of Lyran Alliance, with the majority of new production making their way to Skye loyalist units.[1]
Armament[edit]
While some observers have criticized the craft for lacking adequate firepower for an assault ship, the weapon array is enough to give pause to most other Dropships. The Claymore's six nose bays contain most of the vessel's weaponry, a mixture ER PPCs, ER and Medium and Large Pulse Lasers, Streak SRM-2 and LRM-20 launchers and an LB 10-X AC autocannon. The rear of the vessel repeats the same basic layout, save for omitting the ER large laser and Streak launcher for two Small Pulse Lasers. The Claymores wing-mounted mixture of a forward-facing Large Laser, LRM-10 and LB 10-X AC autocannon, paired with rear-facing Large laser and Streak 2 launchers on each side, also cover both fore and aft arcs.
Cargo[edit]
Designed as an assault craft, the Claymore features a single two door cargo bay, with a 329-ton capacity.
Variants[edit]
- Claymore Interceptor
- This version uses several experimental weapons systems to increase the range of the weaponry. Armor, fuel, and performance remain identical to the baseline Claymore. The standard weapons have been removed and replaced by Extended LRM-15s, Silver Bullet Gauss Rifles, Bombast Lasers, and Laser AMS. The rest of the weapons are built to Clan specifications. A quartet of ER Large Lasers are located in the wings, while twin Clan Large Pulse Lasers cover the rear. Seven Clan-spec ER medium lasers are carried by the Interceptor, three mounted in the nose and four covering the rear arc. Sixty-three extra heat sinks dissipate all the heat generated by the weapons. To make room for the new weapons and heat sinks, the cargo capacity is reduced to 263.5 tons. BV (2.0) = 6,975[4]
- Claymore V3
- This variant of the Claymore is based on the Claymore Interceptor. Unfortunately, all the Clan spec weaponry has been replaced by less-efficient Inner Sphere versions. This leads to a design that hasn't performed as well as the Interceptor, resulting in some embarrassing losses to the Capellan Confederation's Lung Wang Pocket WarShip. BV (2.0) = 5,889[5][6]
Design Quirks[edit]
The Claymore V3 variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:[5]
Known vessels[edit]
(See Category:Individual Claymore-class DropShips)
