Talon (BattleMech)

The Talon was first deployed in Introduction Year::2670 to provide light BattleMech companies much needed long-range firepower and punch. The BattleMech was wildly successful, with sales to the Star League High Command quickly surpassing all other light BattleMechs. The success of the Talon outlived the first Star League, but the BattleMech was never able to flourish during the First Succession War, as the rate of attrition equalled the rate of production. When the Inarcs facility was nuked in Production Ceased::2815, the fate of the Talon was sealed. The last Talon was cannibalized for parts during the first year of the Second Succession War, Extinction Era::2830.

The technological renaissance of the Inner Sphere allowed production to begin on Inarcs once again in Reintroduction Year::3056.

Weapons and Equipment
The Talon is intended to act as a long-range sniper for light units. To carry out this mission, the Talon was upgraded with a Lord's Light 2 ER PPC that gives it a reach of just under seven hundred meters. For defense at close ranges, the Talon has two ChisComp 39 Medium Lasers that give it enough protection to defend itself from most other light 'Mechs.

Talon BattleMechs are also fleet of foot, with a top speed of 129.6 km/h, allowing it to keep up with almost any light 'Mech in existence. The Talon is able to reach this speed through the use of an Edasich Motors 280 XL engine. The 'Mech is armored with seven and a half tons of Kallon Light Shield A armor, which provides a respectable amount of protection against enemy fire. It also has eleven double heat sinks to handle the high heat load from its weapons payload.

Variants

 * TLN-5V : A simple modification from 2670, this variant replaces the ER PPC with a standard Particle Projection Cannon. This greatly reduces the burden on the cooling system. BV (2.0) = 1,075


 * TLN-5VND : This is downgraded variant once fielded at it's factory on New Oslo. It's best known used in the defense of the Factory. Only a few of these designs remaining in service by the time they fought against Clan Wolf's Invasion in July 3050. This downgraded variant used standard engine, with regular armor. It has single PPC in the right arm for range combat. Backing the PPC up is pair of pair of Medium Lasers in the left arm. This design has no lower arms allowing it to flip it's weapons. BV (2.0)=977


 * TLN-5W-EC :A Clan Ice Hellion refit trades the standard PPC for an Enhanced ER PPC. (Note: EC is an abbreviation used by historians to designate "Early Clan" designs.) BV (2.0) = 1,364


 * TLN-5Z : This variant replaces the engine with a Light Engine that can only propel the Talon up to 119 km/h, but is cheaper and more durable. The 5Z also makes use of an Endo Steel chassis and Ferro-Fibrous armor to make up the difference in mass. The armament is replaced with a pair of arm-mounted ER Large Lasers, though the loss of a heat sink forces the MechWarrior to carefully manage his or her heat. A C3 Slave Unit is included so that the Talon can be incorporated into a C3 lance. This variant proved unpopular in the Lyran Alliance, so Blackstone exports it to the Draconis Combine and Federated Suns. BV (1.0) = 939, BV (2.0) = 1,168


 * TLN-6W : The chassis is modified to carry a Heavy PPC. The armor was replaced by Heavy Ferro-Fibrous while the chassis was replaced by an Endo Steel model. BV (2.0) = 1,341