Mobile HQ

Description
Mobile Headquarter vehicles were first developed by Star League Defense Industries of Mars for the Star League Defense Force. These vehicles were utilized for large scale planetary operations, compiling data reported in by various means to coordinate their assigned forces during operations.

Since the destruction of Mobile HQ's manufacturing plant in 2767 during the Amaris Coup, the vehicle's numbers have declined. With the lack of replacement parts and the Succession Wars' brutal fighting, the vehicle's equipment became irreplaceable. Mobile HQs were prime targets for capture or destruction, and those that survived often suffered damage to their equipment. By the time of the early thirty-first century, many of the few Mobile HQs still remaining in service to the Great Houses are only partially operational, with most of the equipment replaced by more conventional means of tracking and coordinating forces. Some vehicles were gutted of their remaining functional equipment, which was installed in smaller command vans. Despite the drop in capability, these remaining Mobile HQs are still prized by military organizations, with many commands attempting to capture them intact when the opportunity arises. When the Wolf's Dragoons first appeared in the Inner Sphere, they were notable for possessing five seemingly brand new and fully operational Mobile HQs.

As Star League technology became available again, efforts have been made to restore these vehicles, increasing the number of Mobile HQs in service.

Weapons and Equipment
The Mobile Headquarters is armed with a single turret-mounted medium laser for self-defense purposes. It also has a half-ton of cargo space.

When fully operational, a Mobile HQ is equipped with a large computer-generated holographic map table, tied into a sophisticated battle computer and advanced communications gear. Information from orbiting spacecraft and field reports is gathered and projected as a three-dimensional image on the map table with enough detail to show individual troop members. This data can also be fed into the computer, which predicts future movements and offers suggestions to the commander. The communications gear is staffed by three officers, able to receive and dispatch orders through heavy electronic jamming. Communication is achieved through a roof mounted collapsible antenna, capable of contacting even distant JumpShips, and a second directional antenna which doubles as side-look radar. The Mobile HQ's communications gear weighs in at 7 tons.

Variants

 * LRM : This Succession Wars era variant/refit is commonly found among forces of the Draconis Combine and Capellan Confederation. This variant removes the Medium Laser and replaces it with a LRM 10 launcher with a ton of ammunition. The vehicle's communication gear is reduced to 2 tons. BV (2.0) = 402


 * Large Laser : Another Succession Wars era variant where the Medium Laser is exchanged for a Large Laser. The vehicle's communication gear is reduced to 3 tons. BV (2.0) = 436


 * Internal Combustion Engine : The loss of technology during the Succession Wars led to many Mobile Headquarters giving up their Omni Fusion engines to light BattleMechs in exchange for Internal Combustion Engines. This variant also has to carry a power amplifier and generators to allow its Laser and communications equipment to function.

Related Vehicles

 * Daimyo HQ Vehicle - Draconis Combine Command Vehicle.