Hydaspes

Description
Developed as a long-range combatant, even relegated to second line status with the development of OmniFighters the Hydaspes Heavy Aerospace Fighter is one of the most deadly fighters in the Clan toumans.

Among the earliest fighters designed after Operation Klondike, Clan Cloud Cobra mated their newly developed advances in laser technologies with a thoroughly modern airframe to produce a design in advance of anything the SLDF had made. Derived from the famous Star League era Garret D2j targeting and tracking system, the newer CCC D5.2J is designed to target foes at extreme ranges, pouring on an increasingly devastating level of firepower as it closes with the target. While relatively slow, after two centuries of service the extremely potent Hydaspes' is seen across almost all Clan toumans, but its heavy use of advanced technology construction components (twenty-two and half tons of Forging II Ferro-Aluminum armor, twenty-three Double Heat Sinks and a 285 AeroFusion XL Engine) prevent some of the more resource poor Clans for fielding the design.

Weapons and Equipment
Focused primarily towards savaging its targets at range, the Hydaspes is built around a trio of Series XIV ER Large Lasers, one mounted in the nose and one beside an Artemis IV FCS enhanced Type XV "Long Bow" LRM 15 in each wing. Short ranges aren't neglected with three paired sets of Series PPS-XIX Medium Pulse Lasers fitted to the nose and wings, with two aft-mounted CCWP-37 Mk. 2 Streak SRM-6 launchers discouraging any attacks from the rear. While four tons of LRM reloads and a single ton for the ammo-efficient Streak Missile Launcher give the missile launchers reasonable endurance, the large volume of energy weapons overstress the fighter's heat dissipation abilities.

Variants

 * Hydaspes 2 : The sole significant variant of note mounts two ATM-9 launchers and a Heavy Large Laser in each wing, two Heavy Medium Lasers in the nose all mated to an advanced Targeting Computer. Even with two extra double heat sinks, this variant still suffers from the same overheating issues as the primary version. BV (1.0)= 2,778 BV(2.0)=3,385


 * Hydaspes 3 : Produced by DS Aero Assembly Site Rho on Twycross. This variant of the Hydaspes trades all the weapons of the standard model for an ER PPC, twin Improved Heavy Large Lasers, a quartet of Medium Pulse Lasers, and a pair of LRM-20s with integrated Artemis V Fire Control Systems. A nose-mounted Laser Anti-Missile System protects against incoming fire while seventeen tons of Ferro-Aluminum armor envelops the craft. To augment the thirty double heat sinks, the Hydaspes 3 carries two Coolant Pods. BV (2.0) = 2,611

Custom Variants

 * Hydaspes Algar : This version of the Hydaspes is used by Star Commander Algar of Clan Snow Raven. Based on the Hydaspes 2, this variant removes the Heavy Lasers and replaces them with ER Medium Lasers to cover the front and rear arcs. The ATM-9 launchers were removed and replaced with larger ATM-12 systems, providing 48 missiles in a single salvo. Six tons of fuel provides enough for combat, but not so much as to be wasteful. BV (1.0) = 3,374

Design Quirks
The Hydaspes 3 variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:
 * Difficult Ejection
 * Improved Life Support