Drop Pod

The Drop Pod (alternatively known as a Drop Cocoon) is a piece of technology that enables a ground unit such as a BattleMech to be dropped from orbit to the surface of a planet.

Overview

The pod itself consists of an ablative and ceramic shell that is destroyed during entry but allows the BattleMech to enter the atmosphere intact. The entire system consists of the pod, jets, parachutes, and flight computers that enable the Battlemech to land relatively close to the dropzone. For intra-atmospheric drops, BattleMechs only require jump jets, a jump pack, and/or specialized parachutes.

Systems allowing the deployment of drop pods are assumed to be included in the standard DropShip 'Mechbay.

While the drop pod is referenced throughout canon material, no canon example of a drop pod exists in current technical readouts or other source materials. Players can imagine that a variety of pods representing various technology levels, capabilities, and costs are available throughout the BattleTech timeline.