J-27 Ordnance Transport

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 a SRM-4 missile launcher and additional armor. BV (2.0)= 170