Hawk Moth II

The Hawk Moth II Gunship is a light-class Combat Vehicle, originally produced in the early years of the thirty-second century. A design produced by a collaborative effort between Michaelson Heavy Industries of Terra and Victory Conditions Industries of Mizar, the Hawk Moth II was created as a high-speed VTOL. The craft was intended to be the spiritual successor to Michaelson's original Hawk Moth, produced in the thirty-first century. Unlike its predecessor however, the Hawk Moth II plays the role of a harasser and acts as a conventional interdiction aircraft used against ground forces.

The Hawk Moth II would be sold to the major powers and mercenary forces of the Inner Sphere, often placed in supporting roles within Combined Arms formations. Such craft have been deployed in planetary raids where at times, teamed up with other variants, a number of them undertook both scouting missions and the pursuit of fleeing combatants.

Weapons and Equipment
One of the few similarities the Hawk Moth II shares with its namesake is its speed. Powered by a 135-rated Michaelson Extra-Light Fusion Engine, the VTOL can move at excess of 183 kph. Combining this high speed with four tons of highly damage-resistant StarSlab/7 Heavy Ferro-Fibrous armor, the craft can be guaranteed a chance to perform its role.

The Hawk Moth II's weaponry is intended for intermediate and close range engagements. This light assortment consists of a pair of Chin Turret-mounted Diverse Optics Extended Range Medium Lasers and a pair of front-mounted Harpoon 6-tubed Short-Range Missile Launchers. Though the damage output from this arsenal is not incredible, it does give the Hawk Moth II respectable harassment capabilities, and is certainly adequate for a scouting role.

Variants

 * Hawk Moth II Gunship (MML): A simple upgrade from the standard model, this version, introduced in 3114, drops both Harpoon 6-tubed SRM Launchers. Instead, this variant features a pair of 5-tubed Multi-Missile Launchers with two tons of ammunition. BV(2.0)=851


 * Hawk Moth II Gunship (Sniper): Not a popular model among Hawk Moth II pilots, this version drops all of the original's weapons. In their place is a single Class 2 Hypervelocity Autocannon, provided with 30 rounds of ammunition. To assist the VTOL in attaining a position from which to snipe its targets, this variant of the Hawk Moth II is fitted with a VTOL Jet Booster, which can briefly push the craft to speeds of 220 kph. BV(2.0)=490

Design Quirks
The Hawk Moth II Gunship has the following Design Quirk:
 * Dual VTOL Rotor Arrangement