J-27 Ordnance Transport

J-27 Ordnance Transport
Production information
Manufacturer	Acme Widgets, Various
Production Year	2650
Mission	Logistics
Type	Tracked
Introduced	2650
Technical specifications
Mass	10
Armor	StarSlab/1
Engine	50 ICE (various)
Speed	86 km/h
Crew	3
Communications System	Tandy A-100
Targeting Tracking System	None
Heat Sinks	0
Armament	1x machine gun
BV (2.0)	47

Description

The J-27 Ordnance Transport was the backbone of the Star League Defense Force and remains a common sight in Inner Sphere and Periphery armies. Consisting of a tracked cab and wheeled trailer unit driven by two crewmen, each J-27 can carry eleven tons of ammo in total, enough for a single BattleMech lance. The tractor can hold three tons of ammunition (typically missile reloads for LRM launchers) while the trailer carries the remainder. A half-ton of armor protects the vehicle, though the supplies are transported in the open, and the trailer can only be detached from the cab manually, usually the job of the third crewman.

Though critical to the resupply of military units in the field, the J-27 makes for a very explosive target. For some Great House armies, especially those of House Kurita, J-27s are operated by penal units, though House Steiner and House Davion do not follow this policy. Most military convicts, when given the choice between the firing squad or service with a J-27 unit, choose the former.

Weapons and Equipment

The J-27 is armed by a single Sperry Browning Machine Gun, manned by the third crewman, which is useful for self-defense purposes only. The gun is mounted such that it cannot be depressed low enough to fire into the ammunition on either the trailer or stored on the cab.

Variants

• Fusion

  Primarily used by the SLDF, this original version of the J-27 entered service in 2578 and is identical to the standard J-27 but uses a Fusion Engine. Performance, protection, and equipment remain the same as the standard J-27. BV (2.0) = 47

• Armor

  This 2833 variant of the J-27 reduces the Machine Gun ammunition to a half ton and uses the freed weight to add more armor. Though this modification offers twice the protection of the standard J-27, this variant can still be destroyed by a single medium laser shot. BV (2.0) = 70

• K-27 "Killjoy"

  Introduced in 2847, this is a combat variant designed to look like a regular J-27 while mounting an SRM-4 missile launcher and additional armor. BV (2.0) = 170

• RISC

  A Republic Institute of Strategic Combat project launched around 3142, this refit was primarily made to deploy its associated trailer. Heavy ferro-fibrous armor, a small pulse laser, and a pair of M-Pods protect the transport, accelerated with an 80-class fuel cell engine and an improved drive train compared to the original. BV (2.0) = 83

Trailers

The standard J-27 trailer weighs ten tons. It is an unpowered, wheeled, lightly armored space for eight tons of cargo. BV (2.0) = 44

• RISC

  Designed by the Republic Institute of Strategic Combat around 3142 as a cheap and innocuous platform for their experimental viral jammer, this fusion-powered ten-ton trailer is made to be placed in key strategic locations to disrupt enemy electronics using either jammer configuration. It carries two M-Pods for self-defense, one on each side, and is protected by heavy ferro-fibrous armor. BV (2.0) = 281

Notable Crewmembers

• Jake Jackson III

Gallery

• 

  Original J-27 Ordnance Transport from TRO:3025
• 

  J-27 RISC from XTRO:RISC

Bibliography

• Experimental Technical Readout: RISC
• Master Unit List
• Record Sheets: 3039 Unabridged
• Technical Readout: 3039