Drillson

Entering service with the Lyran Commonwealth's military in 3025, the Drillson is another example of the LCAF's preference for heavy vehicles. The excellent performance of this heavy hovertank during the Fourth Succession War established it as one of the best of its type. The government of the Federated Suns was sufficiently impressed to make the Drillson a mainstay of the then forming Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth.

The Drillson is very heavy for a hover vehicle. Much of this weight is invested in protection. The vehicle features six and half tons of ArcShield armor evenly spread across the tank, with somewhat stronger protection in the front and on the turret. This heavy protection, combined with the powerful armament, make the Drillson much more durable in combat than is usual with hover vehicles. This survivabilty allows it to take part in the direct support of BattleMechs in combat.

The targeting systems available to Drillson crews almost equal BattleMech-standards, featuring a full 360° view of the battlefield and a direct connection with the turret-mounted Laser.

Weapons and Equipment
The Drillson relies mostly on the Cyclops Eye Large Laser based in its turret. This weapon and its associated fire control system were developed specifically for this vehicle by the ordnance division of Cyclops, Inc. This unconventional design uses a combination of laser energy and particle-beam technology. The unique structure of this system enables it to dispense with the relatively vulnerable reflector systems. Mounted alongside the Cyclops Eye are two HoverTech SRM-2-racks supplied with one ton of ammunition. A single Light CrossBow LRM-10 and two Kicker Machine Guns complete the weapons array.

Variants

 * I.C.E. : Armed with the same weaponry as its fusion-powered counterpart, this original diesel-engine model of the Drillson was much slower due to the additional weight of the heat sinks and amplifiers. Its cruising speed is 64.8 kph.


 * SRM : This 3028 variant features a missile armament optimized for close combat. The long-range missile system is replaced by four additional SRM-2s and three tons of ammunition. The Cyclops Eye system and the machine guns are unaltered. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 945


 * ERLL : A variant rumored to be under development around the War of 3039, it was supposedly a test-bed for the then still experimental Cyclops XII ER Large Laser. No production models ever appeared. BV (2.0) = 960


 * Streak : This updated post-Clan Invasion model of the Drillson from 3053 features an updated weapons package. The HoverTech SRM racks have been removed and more efficient Streak SRM-2s fitted.  The venerable Cyclops Eye system has been retired in favor of a modern  Large Pulse Laser . BV (2.0) = 899


 * Sealed : This 3076 version replaces all the standard weaponry with a pair of Light PPCs which are mounted in the turret and an MML-3. It carries sufficient ammuniton for extended battles (33 shots SRM + 40 shots LRM). A Floatation Hull allows this model to support amphibious operations alongside the Plainsman. BV (2.0) = 870