Jackrabbit

Description
Developed in response to a Star League Defense Force request for a long-range infantry support BattleMech, the first Jackrabbit prototype was completed by Introduction Year::2763, but was only approved for combat testing a mere two weeks before the Amaris Coup. Stefan Amaris took advantage of this windfall and ordered the Jackrabbit mass produced for his troops. Due to fundamental flaws in the design being revealed in the hard fighting of Amaris Civil War and the taint of being used against the SLDF, no Jackrabbits were taken on Operation Exodus. The surviving examples of the 500 Jackrabbits produced and the Skobel factory were carefully mothballed by ComStar.

Seeking new designs to recoup the massive matériel losses in the Battle of Tukayyid, and noting the Jackrabbit ' s dependable and sturdy base frame, Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht ordered the maligned design reworked, resulting in the well-received Nexus which entered production in 3055. After their capture of Terra, the Word of Blake revised the production line to produce the so-called Nexus II as well as issuing the surviving Jackrabbits to their Protectorate Militia.

Weapons and Equipment
Intended to provide long-range fire support to fellow light 'Mechs and infantry, the Jackrabbit is armed with an Armstrong JJ-Lite AC/2, backed up at short range by a single Holly Streak SRM-2 rack. The main weapon is also the Jackrabbit ' s main drawback; while class 2 autocannons have longer effective ranges than most other weapons, they inflict the same damage as a machine gun at the cost of considerable weight which could be devoted to a larger engine or more armor, a tradeoff that ultimately doomed the Jackrabbit.

Variants

 * JKR-9R : Nicknamed "the Joker" by SLDF troops, JKR-9R was developed by the Rim Worlds Republic in 2768 ; technicians attempted to boost the flawed Jackrabbits effectiveness by replacing the autocannon with a large laser, an extra single heat sink, and a ton of armor. Half the surviving examples are of this type. BV (2.0) = 614


 * JKR-9W : A modern upgrade developed by the Word of Blake in Reintroduction Year::3074, the autocannon is replaced with a light AC/5, and an ER medium laser is added to the right torso. BV (2.0) = 549

Related BattleMechs

 * Nexus - Developed to overcome the flaws of the design, the Nexus follows a more normal light 'Mech design style. A larger Nissan 175 engine boosts its top speed to 119 km/h and jump jets increase its maneuverability, with the weapon array entirely replace with a medium laser backed up by two medium pulse lasers cooled by 10 double heat sinks. As a weapon of last resort, the Nexus has two small lasers and, for protection against missile attacks, an anti-missile system. The only drawback when compared to the Jackrabbit is that the armor protection has been reduced by one and a half tons.


 * Star Python - Securing a number of Blakist Nexus IIs from Waypoint 531, desperation led Clan Goliath Scorpion to field them despite its origins from the Jackrabbit during its transition from Escorpión Imperio to Scorpion Empire. Showing a startling degree of pragmatism despite their Clan origins, the Scorpion Empire would continue to refine the 'Mech, starting production of a fully Clan-tech model now renamed the Star Python

Notable Pilots

 * See Category:Notable Jackrabbit Pilots