Stinger

The Stinger was a light BattleMech built in Introduction Year::2479 as a direct competitor to the Wasp. The second-ever mass-produced recon 'Mech, the Stinger was put into service alongside the Wasp due both to the Terran Hegemony's needs for scouts and to the similarities in their design. In fact the two were so similar that General Mechanics filed suit against Earthwerks for copyright infringement. After twenty years of back-and-forth legal actions, during which Stinger production continued unabated, GM eventually dropped the matter due to the rising costs of pursuing the lawsuit. The Stinger would go on to become the second-most produced 'Mech in the Inner Sphere after the Wasp. More than 200,000 were built between the time of its introduction and the end of the Amaris Civil War, serving with the Great Houses as a valuable scout and raider. Though lacking the armor and armaments to contend with larger 'Mechs, its speed and maneuverability made the Stinger a hard foe to hit.

The Stinger's sheer proliferation saved it from the ravages of the Succession Wars, though in testament to the destructiveness of that era only 5,000 Stingers were estimated to still be in service by 3025. The 'Mech also found itself pressed into the role of trainer to make up for the decreasing number of still-working Chameleons. Common everywhere except within the Draconis Combine and Free Rasalhague Republic, Earthwerks was still the largest producer of the 'Mech during this time, building them at factories on Keystone and Calloway VI. For many years the second-largest Stinger producer was Coventry Metal Works out of Coventry, but in the time leading up to the Clan Invasion they were overtaken by Taurian Concordat manufacturers, in particular Vandenburg Mechanized on New Vandenburg and Illiushin and Pinard Protectorates' on MacLeod's Land, as CMW shifted production focus to the Commando. Other major manufacturers in the Periphery included Majesty Metals on Canopus IV and Alliance Defenders on Alpheratz.

While a prolific 'Mech like the Wasp and Locust, there were never many variants of the Stinger produced. Only Earthwerks utilized the recovery of lostech to introduce an updated version of the 'Mech, the STG-5M, in 3050. A more revolutionary change took place some years later when the Taurians, inspired by their collaboration with the Capellan Confederation on a revitalized Wasp variant, decided to do the same to their stockpiles of Stingers. Lacking sufficient facilities to mass-produced the advanced material needed for this upgrade, the Taurians received assistance from the Word of Blake to kick-start their program in exchange for a large number of Stinger and Wasp 'Mechs. Plans for advanced Stingers would eventually be shared with Detroit Consolidated and Hellespont Industrials.

Weapons and Equipment
The Stinger carried a light weapons load, with an Omicron 3000 Medium Laser mounted in its right arm as its primary weapon. The laser was backed up by two LFN Linbald Machine Guns on the right and left forearm, with one ton of ammo stored in the center torso. While insufficient for fighting against most 'Mechs, this loadout made the Stinger a nightmare for troopers, and it remained one of the best anti-infantry 'Mechs until the introduction of the Firestarter. The iron sights of the machine guns also proved beneficial when the 'Mech became a trainer, as MechWarriors were often forced to rely on them during training. This served to improve many pilots' motor skills, which proved useful in other areas such as using their hand actuators to manipulate objects.

The low heat output of the weapons also posed no challenge for the ten heat sinks the 'Mech carried, such that overheating was almost never a problem. Its cruising speed of 63.4 km/h was supplemented by six Jump Jets split between the left and right leg, propelling the Stinger up to 180 meters in a single bound. Three tons of armoring on the Stinger was considered average for light 'Mechs, which is to say a few good shots could cause serious damage. One unpopular aspect of the Stinger however was its incredibly cramped cockpit for anyone of average size. A MechWarrior had to literally squeeze themselves into the control seat and would often need help just to get back out.

Variants

 * STG-3G : The 3G Stinger was the only mainstream variant of the Stinger to achieve any sort of popularity prior to the Clan Invasion. First debuting in 2581, it traded the two machine guns for a second medium laser mounted on the left arm. While this variant increased the Stinger's lethality against other 'Mechs, it also made heat management a little more complicated for less experienced MechWarriors.  BV (1.0) = 438, BV (2.0) = 497


 * STG-3Gb : The Royal Stinger introduced in 2720 used a XL Engine and Endo Steel chassis, to be able to mount a battery of three medium lasers and one Small Laser. The heat-sinks were upgraded to Double Heat Sinks and the speed and jumping distance of the 'Mech were also been improved slightly. BV (2.0) = 674


 * STG-3P : A Jihad-era repair yard refit of the venerable Stinger unveiled in 3071, the 3P was built on an Endo Steel chassis and carried, as its only weapon, either a Fusigon Mini or a Lord's Light 3 Light PPC capable of striking a target at up to five hundred and forty meters. Additionally, the 3P carried four tons of Ferro Fibrous armor to protect it from enemy fire. BV (2.0) = 489


 * STG-5G : Based on the 3P variant and introduced in 3076, this model also uses Endo Steel chassis and adds an XL Engine. The engine gives the STG-5G a top speed of 111km/h and provides enough weight savings to add more armor and an advanced PPC Capacitor. In addition to the extra armor, the pilot is protected by a Full-Head Ejection System. BV (2.0) = 614


 * STG-5M : This upgraded version of the Stinger produced by Earthwerks Incorporated on Keystone and Calloway VI took advantage of several technologies that were rediscovered, thanks in part to the Helm Memory Core. The chassis was upgraded to an Earthwerks STG II Endo Steel model, allowing it to carry an additional half-ton of armor. The 'Mech retained the Omicron medium laser but swapped the machine guns for a LFN Lindblad Shotgun Anti-Missile System on its right arm and a Flame Tech Flamer on its left. One ton of AMS ammo was carried in the right torso, while the Datacom 26 and Dynatec 990 electronic systems remain unchanged.  BV (1.0) = 352, BV (2.0) = 432


 * STG-5R : The 5R variant was created by the Taurian Concordat with assistance from Word of Blake. This upgrade of the Stinger used three tons of Durallex Light Ferro-Fibrous armor and carried a Diverse Optics ER Medium Laser in the right arm and two Death Blossom Rocket Launcher 15s split between the side torsos. Perhaps the most important change, as far as pilot comfort was concerned, was replacing the cramped cockpit with a new head assembly which included a full cockpit ejection system.  The chassis and electronics remained unchanged so that refits of existing Stingers could be carried out in a matter of months. The first Taurian units to receive the upgraded 'Mechs did so in early 3067, while the Word of Blake received theirs earlier. The 5R is produced by Vandenberg, Pinard, and Detroit.  BV (1.0) = 461, BV (2.0) = 492


 * STG-5T : Capable of engaging an enemy at any range, the Periphery-manufactured 5T variant of the Stinger introduced in 3068 was armed with two Doombud MML-3 launchers, which were capable of firing both LRM and SRM ammunition, making the 5T extremely flexible. Appearing in Taurian and Magistracy units, the 5T was powered by an XL engine and was clad in three tons of Durallex Light Ferro-Fibrous armor. BV (2.0) = 341


 * STG-6L : This House Liao-manufactured 6L variant of the Stinger utilized an Endo-Steel structure and Stealth Armor. Introduced in 3067 and produced on Detroit and Sian for both the Capellans and Magistracy, the 'Mech carried two medium lasers and a Guardian ECM Suite.  It also replaced the engine with a Pitban 240 model, increasing top speed to 130 km/h at the expense of dropping all jump jets. BV (1.0) = 603, BV (2.0) = 680


 * STG-6S : Intended to operate at a longer range than most other Stinger variants, House Steiner began manufacturing the 6S in 3067. It used a Light Fusion Engine to push the 'Mech up to speeds of 118.8 km/h and was capable of reaching speeds of 151.2 km/h through the use of a MASC system. The 'Mech could also jump up to two hundred and ten meters. An additional weight saving measure on this variant was the use of a Small Cockpit. The 'Mech was armed with two Light Machine Guns for anti-infantry and crowd control use. To defend itself against 'Mechs and vehicles, the 6S had a single ER Medium Laser.  BV (2.0) = 478


 * STG-7S : This Steiner version, introduced in 3077, maximizes jump range by mounting eight Improved Jump Jets, allowing it to cover 240 meters in a single leap. The Stinger 7S is built around an Endo-Steel chassis and carries an XL Engine, but carries only three tons of armor and a single ER Medium Laser. Pilots should therefore use the jumping ability to the fullest. A Full Head Ejection System is available in case the armor is breached. One unique feature of this model is that the left leg carries slightly less armor than the right leg. BV (2.0) = 382

Design Quirks
The Stinger has the following Design Quirks:
 * Rugged (1)
 * Ubiquitous
 * Cramped Cockpit

Related designs

 * Stinger LAM - A heavy modification of the Stinger, it was capable of transforming between a mech and an aerospace fighter. Never produced in large numbers, there were still many in service during the Succession Wars due in part because the LexaTech facility on the Draconis Combine world of Irece, the last intact LAM factory in the Inner Sphere. LexaTech Industries was able to construct new Stinger LAMs as well as new parts.  The loss of the factory to the forces of Clan Nova Cat in Production Ceased::3050 during the Clan Invasion sounded the death knell for the Land Air 'Mech as a viable combat unit: the Nova Cats viewed Land Air 'Mechs as an abomination and utterly razed the LexaTech factory to the ground.


 * Stinger IIC - Clan Snow Raven refitted this mech with Clan technology and shared it with the Outworlds Alliance to foster unity between the two entities.