Grommet

Description
Created by the wealthy citizens of Doneval II of the Federated Suns, the Grommet was a Succession Wars Era heavy-class IndustrialMech refitted as a second-line combat unit.

History
Locally produced in an effort to bolster the planetary defense, wealthy local farmers funded the reworking of the design into what became known as a MilitiaMech. The Grommet was designed to contribute to the common defense of an otherwise defenseless world in the Federated Suns. Unusual in design when compared to other IndustrialMechs converted for military use, the Grommet was built with a fusion of high quality military and civilian equipment, giving it longer combat endurance than other MODs which would follow it.

Invasion of Doneval II during War of 3039
The design was put to the test in September of 3039, when Doneval II was invaded by the Draconis Combine during the War of 3039. The first battalion of the Ryuken-go landed on the planet and expected an easy victory over the reportedly under-defended planet. The Combine battalion was forced into a prolonged campaign, once it found the mechanized militia was decentralized yet not easily disturbed by raids to any particular location. To the Combine unit's surprise, the make-shift Doneval Militia bolstered vehicle companies and a total of two battalions-worth of D90 Grommet MilitiaMechs, with vehicle formations arriving at a Combine-held mining base after weeks of sparse fighting on planet. The Grommet numbers were decimated in the ensuing battle with the Kuritas; few would survive, with some independent hover vehicle companies left over. These few surviving Grommets and other Militia assets would conduct guerrilla raids until Davion reinforcements arrived in late October.

Weapons and Equipment
The Grommet was originally an IndustrialMech, later up-gunned for the Doneval Militia. Despite being armed, it still carried on with its original tasks as an AgroMech. The heart of the design (which was rare for IndustrialMechs during the Succession Wars period) is its Fusion Reactor, allowing the design a maximum speed of up to 54 kilometers per hour. The reactor also allows it to support the other capacities unique to this hybrid IndustrialMech-BattleMech. On its hull, the design carries a respectable amount of armor almost equaling protection found on lighter Heavy-class BattleMechs, such as the Ostroc and RFL-3C Rifleman.

The Grommet's main military-grade weaponry includes a Large Laser and a Vehicle Flamer, both found in its left arm. A Class-5 Autocannon is mounted in the right arm, with ammunition placed in the corresponding side torso.

While its AgroMech equipment is not intended for combat, it can still be used for such purposes. To help manage the heat of the weapons and other systems, the Grommet is fitted with 11 heat sinks, with two of them found below the engine. While the Vehicle Flamer and its 60 rounds of fuel can cause infantry and 'Mechs alike harm, so can the Grommet's grain harvesting Combine, which can be utilized in a rather grisly manner against infantry as well. The Grommet's close range military weaponry is limited, however its all-purpose right arm-mounted Chainsaw can be used to fend off attackers entering melee range. When used for its original role, the Grommet retains a 4-ton cargo bay in the left torso and a Dumper. The Dumper is mounted in the front of the 'Mech to help deal with debris that to move and deposit elsewhere.

Note

 * The Grommet was a pictured, but unnamed unit when mentioned in Historical: War of 3039. It would not be named until the revised version of Technical Readout: Vehicle Annex was released. Its stats would later be revealed in Record Sheets: Vehicle Annex, Industrial Mechs and Exoskeletons. Prior to this, it was unclear what this vehicle looked like or what its connection was with the War of 3039.


 * As of this writing, the Master Unit List lists the Grommet with no introduction date.