Harlocke

Description
In the aftermath of the Clan Invasion several companies rushed combat designs into production to fill the combat losses. Some were merely average others awful but quite a few were excellent weapons platforms. One of the latter group that caught the attention of the TDF was Michaelson Heavy Industries ‘s Cavalry and Yellow Jacket VTOLs. The TDF had few VTOL designs but after shifting to the Culverin and Dirk tanks now sought to provide a helo force to match. Michaelson was simply too far away to adequately supply or support any significant number of VTOL’s. So the Concordat sought to make some use of their new alliance with the Magistry to facilitate the production issues.

The Concordat provided the Ferro-Fibrous armor, weapon systems and some of the electronic systems to the Magistry‘s factories which manufactured the engines and airframes and then assembled all components. The Harlocke VTOL was conceived to be a multi-use platform with each variant dedicated to a specific  role. Thus two ‘combat’ variants and a ‘transport’ variant would be produced and shared. Production has been slowed by both the long supply chain and the limited Magistry factory space. Plans have been made and both ground and orbital space allotted, but without the technological means to bring those plans to realization the Harlocke in any of its forms will remain a rare sight. There is a growing Magistry interest in selling MU-4’s to parties outside the Periphery, but too many of Jeffrey Calderon’s ministers and political foes prevent him from agreeing to ‘arm’ any Inner Sphere power.

Armament
The first factory model Harlocke carried a Large Laser backed by two SRM 4‘s forward with one ton of ammo. Particularly effective against other vehicles the E-1 is favorably compared to the Cavalry and is an accomplished 'tankbuster'. The E-2 holds a more specialized combat role as a minelayer; armed with a single LRM 15 forward and carrying three tons of munitions it could lay down a blanket of mines swiftly and securely beyond any LOS. The E-2 could also be used to cover retreats with smoke LRMs. The MAF and TDF have begun to train their infanty forces alongside E-2's used as moblie fire support/extraction units. Both E variants carry 3.5 tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor similar to the Yellow Jacket.

The MU-4 variant is an air-mobile MASH unit carrying a full 6 surgical theaters and medical personnel for each one (3.5t +5T = 8.5T + 3T (4 medical staff per ton plus 1T of supplies) = 11.5T). The MU-4 carries 2 tons of Ferro-Fibrous spread evenly over the frame and no offensive weapons. This model has generated great interest among Mercenary units as well as planetary governments within the Inner Sphere.

Deployment
The first Harlocke’s were deployed to bolster the Magistry’s defenses along their border with the Marian Hegemony. Both E-1 and -2 variants patrol there alongside MAF regulars. The majority of the MU-4’s are found in the support trains of TDF forces near and around the New Colony Region. Currently the Harlocke is still a rare but welcome sight to the citizens of the Periphery.

Variants
There are vague rumors of a much more sophisticated model Harlocke used solely by TDF ground troops as an infantry transport for Special Forces. The craft supposedly uses Ceres Metals technology from the Capellan Confederation; paired ER Medium Lasers and a Guardian ECM Suite to bring a platoon of infantry onto a target, but the few visuals of these craft do not match that of the known Harlockes and may in fact be a different and unknown VTOL.