Black Hawk-KU

The Black Hawk-KU is an Inner Sphere version of the Clan Black Hawk OmniMech. In order to make it possible to copy the Black Hawk, the Black Hawk-KU is built ten tons heavier than its Clan counterpart. The Black Hawk-KU is built on a sixty ton chassis and is powered by a Vlar 300 XL Engine which propels it to a top speed of 86.4 kph. The Black Hawk-KU is armored with twelve and a half tons of Mitchel Argon armor giving it almost the maximum amount of protection for its weight. Also, mounted on the base chassis are five jump jets giving the Black Hawk-KU a jumping distance of up to one hundred and fifty meters in all of its configurations. The Black Hawk-KU has fourteen double heat sinks allowing it to dissipate a great deal of waste heat that are common to the configurations that fill the seventeen tons of pod space.

Weapons and Equipment
The primary configuration of the Black Hawk-KU carries six Medium Lasers as its primary weapons. These are backed up by four highly accurate Medium Pulse Lasers and two Small Lasers. Additionally, two more double heat sinks have been added over what is carried on the base chassis.

Alternate Configurations

 * Alt Config A : The A configuration of the Black Hawk-KU is intended for long range combat. The primary weapons are two ER PPCs giving the 'Mech a powerful long range punch. For protection from missile attacks, the A configuration carries two Anti-Missile Systems. BV (1.0) = 1,508, BV (2.0) = 1,770


 * Alt Config B : The B configuration carries an Ultra Autocannon/5 for long range firepower and for accurate short range defense the B configuration carries a Large Pulse Laser. BV (1.0) = 1,165, BV (2.0) = 1,303


 * Alt Config C : Configured for long range sniping, the C configuration carries as its primary weapon a Gauss Rifle which can strip a ton of armor off an enemy 'Mech at extreme ranges. For close range defense, the C configuration has a Medium Laser. BV (1.0) = 1,485, BV (2.0) = 1.597


 * Alt Config D : A long range fire support variant, the D configuration carries an LRM-20 launcher, allowing it to provide indirect fire support. The 'Mech also carries an ER Large Laser to allow it to provide long range direct fire support. BV (1.0) = 1,430, BV (2.0) = 1,539


 * Alt Config E : A more direct translation of the Black Hawk, the E configuration carries twelve ER Medium Lasers giving it a powerful close range punch. The 'Mech has an additional five double heat sinks to dissipate the massive amounts of waste heat. BV (1.0) = 1,710, BV (2.0) = 1,982


 * Alt Config F : Developed during the Jihad this version carries a C3 Slave to share targeting data. Its firepower comes from a pair of Light PPCs and a single Heavy PPC. BV (2.0) = 1,759


 * Alt Config G : A Dark Age configuration, this variant carries a Snub Nose PPC and three Medium X-Pulse Lasers as its weaponry. It also carries TAG, a Bloodhound Active Probe and an Angel ECM Suite. BV (2.0) = 1,719


 * Alt Config R : Formerly known as the Bulldog variant, this configuration is a field upgrade developed in the midst of Operation Bulldog. It utilized captured Clan Smoke Jaguar weapons to help bolster the SLDF forces in later waves. A mix of arm-mounted short and long range weapons, this configuration mounts two Clan-tech ER Large Lasers mounted in the right, with two Clan Streak SRM-6 launchers in the left. Carrying a ton of reloads of each Streak Missile Launcher, a C3 Slave unit allows further enhances its abilities. BV (2.0) = 2,193


 * Alt Config U : This variant has replaced the left arm ER Medium Lasers with a Hatchet and a ton of Liquid Storage. The BHKU-OU is intended to support boarding operations against enemy WarShips and DropShips. The improved Liquid Storage capacity allows its jump jets to function much longer periods of time. BV (2.0) = 1,687


 * Alt Config X : This variant carries seven Medium Lasers in each arm and a C3 Slave next to the cockpit. To keep the BHKU-OX cool, it carries an experimental Coolant Pod in the left and right torsos. BV (2.0) = 2,022

Non-Standard Configurations

 * Albert : The custom configuration used by Tai-i Albert Benton of Sorenson’s Sabres during his famed unit's action on Luthien in the early Jihad, Black Hawk-KU Albert features a mixture of Clan and Combine technologies. A Clan-tech ER PPC in the left torso is supported by two Clan-tech ER Medium Lasers in each arm, offering suitable defensive ability to protect the C3 Master Computer in the right torso. Two additional heat sinks are carried to enhance Albert's heat dissipation. BV (2.0) = 2,377

Related OmniMechs

 * Nova (Black Hawk) - Designers at Luthien Armor Works based the design of the Black Hawk-KU on Nova OmniMech salvage. Because the Nova used few Clan structural components, designers found the Nova the easiest of the Clan OmniMechs to reverse-engineer.

Design Quirks
The Black Hawk-KU has the following Design Quirk:
 * Easy to Maintain
 * No Torso Twist