Warrior (Combat Vehicle)

Description
First produced in 2950, the Warrior H-7 Attack Helicopter is a common sight across the Inner Sphere, serving as a highly mobile fire support unit.

Privately designed by Lockheed-CBM as a cheaper and more easily produced substitute for Light BattleMechs in the notoriously top-heavy and sluggish Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces' Third Succession War era BattleMech regiments, the Lyran High Command originally dismissed the Warrior as a worthless "flying toy" in 2957 until the Ninth Battle of Hesperus that same year damaged Defiance Industries' facilities to the point the LCAF were desperate for any military hardware, placing heavy orders and ensuring continued production since.

The aircraft itself is a standard rotary wing design. The two counter-rotating rotor systems negate the need for a tail rotor, as there is no drive torque to be canceled. Capable of speeds of 162kph, the Warrior can range across the battle field with ease, its ability to serve as a recon unit enhanced by its ability to drop 250 kilograms of remote sensors.

Many Warriors are assigned to garrison units and air-mobile infantry regiments to provide quick response fire support, where tactically the VTOL is best used to engage its target at long range without being tied to the defense of a specific location. The life of the Warrior's relatively fragile frame can be measured in seconds if drawn into close range combat with armor or 'Mechs.

Weapons and Equipment
The Warrior is designed around a center line-mounted SarLon Autocannon/2. While not as powerful as some autocannons, the extremely long range of the weapon allows the Warrior to engage targets from outside of the effective range of most opponents, slowly wearing down their armor. To provide close-in protection against targets that cannot be effectively engaged within the minimum range of the SarLon, the Warrior mounts a TharHes SRM-4 rack. Both are mated to a N&D Handsfree targeting and tracking system linked to the pilot's helmet, allowing the pilot to merely look at what he wants to target and pull the trigger. One ton of reloads each give the helicopter decent endurance in combat.

Variants

 * H-7A : The 7A variant drops the missile launcher for a Machine Gun with half a ton of ammunition, freeing up enough space to upgrade the autocannon to a SarLon MaxiCannon Autocannon/5. BV (1.0)= 399, BV (2.0)= 292


 * H-7C : The Warrior H-7C substitutes a Valiant Heavy CrossBow LRM-10 Rack with two tons of reloads in place of the Sarlon AutoCannon. BV (1.0)= 721, BV (2.0)= 446


 * H-8 : First proposed in July 3048, the H-8 upgrade uses recovered technology to enhance the Warrior's performance. The main change is replacing the old ICE with a lighter Lockheed 105 Micro Fusion Fusion Engine, with the autocannon replaced by a Longfire V LRM-5 and two Hovertech Streak SRM-2 launchers in place of the older SRM-4. The Xilex-2000 comsys is replaced by the Xilex-2010 model. Protection is improved with a switch to Ferro-Fibrous plating, originally Kallon Unity Weave sourced from the Kallon Industries facility in the Wernke system, but after the break-up of the Federated Commonwealth Lockheed was forced to substitute the original inferior armor until securing local supplies from Lexington Limited after the FedCom Civil War. BV (1.0) = 548, BV (2.0) = 419


 * H-9 : A post-FedCom Civil War variation of the H-8, the 9 replaces all the missile launchers with a Thor 40mm Rotary autocannon. BV (1.0) = 634 BV (2.0) = 484


 * H-10 : An even more radical variation of the H-8, the H-10 was redesigned as a battle armor transport, trading all weaponry for two Heavy Machine Guns while freeing up the space required for a five-ton Infantry Bay. BV (1.0) = 80, BV (2.0) = 180


 * S-9 : Based on the experimental HX-9, this Warrior variant is produced by Tengo Aerospace for the CCAF. Using an XL Fusion engine, Stealth Armor, and a VTOL Jet Booster, the VTOL is able to reach speeds of 216 km/h. The stealth armor makes it very difficult to target, and when not using for the armor the included Guardian ECM suite can interfere with enemy electronics. To increase the damage potential over the HX-9, the S-9 uses an Extended LRM-10 with a ton of ammunition. This weapon can reach out and hit enemy forces before they can answer, allowing the S-9 to harass enemy forces. BV (2.0) = 668

Custom Variants

 * HX-9 : An experimental variant developed by the Capellan Confederation around 3073, the HX-9 is powered by a Fusion Engine - XL and equipped with nearly all the new technologies available to the CCAF in this era. It is armed with a prototype Hypervelocity Autocannon/2 and protected with Vehicular Stealth Armor, Guardian ECM Suite and CASE. A VTOL Jet Booster allows this craft to reach incredible speeds in short bursts, long enough to escape anything that threatens it. BV (2.0) = 392

Apocryphal

 * H-7B : This field modification variant was first seen in Federated Suns territories around May 3015. It has has become very popular among Mercenary forces and planetary defenders alike, in all areas of the Inner Sphere. Designed for maximum firepower and ease of use by inexperienced pilots, this variant replaces the traditional low-caliber Autocannon/2 with a medium-class laser of various manufacture, along with the equipment required for operation. The single TharHes SRM-4 rack is replaced by two wing-pylon mounted SRM-2 launchers, allowing for lower operating costs when faced with repairs due to return fire. An added benefit is the ability to fire upon an additional target, useful for anti-personnel operations. Swapping these weapons allows for a constant range profile and changes the role of the Warrior from that of a long-range sniper to a close-in air support.  Note- standard VTOL in MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries.

Design Quirks
The Warrior S-9 variant is subject of the following Design Quirks:
 * Fast Reload
 * Hard to Pilot
 * VTOL Rotor Arrangement (Coaxial)