Detachable Weapon Mount

Description
The Detachable Weapon Mount, also known as the Detachable Weapon Pack, was developed by Clan Hell's Horses for use on their "Rock" variant of the Golem battle armor. Derived from the standard detachable missile launchers long used on Clan Elemental armor, the advanced Detachable Weapon Mount is designed to let battle armor carry one non-missile weapon system into a fight. By dedicating a certain set amount of weight to the Detachable Weapon Mount, the battle armor trooper gains additional flexibility in his weapon loadout. The DWP allows the trooper to carry more weapons than would otherwise be possible, or tailor the combat load for the mission. By 3073, the Inner Sphere would gain access to the DWP and use them with their Battle Armor as well.

When installed the Detachable Weapon Mount allows battle armor to carry a weapon in a semi-external mount. This effectively reduces the weight of any weapon and ammunition installed on the Detachable Weapon Mount by 25%.

Though the Detachable Weapon Mount offers significant flexibility, the system does have some drawbacks. Chief among these is the incredible penalty to movement due to the externally mounted systems. These external components impair the motion of a battle suit trooper. Another drawback is the fact that they can only be used on suits that are Medium-weight or heavier. An additional drawback is the cost of the unit, it adds 18,000 C-Bills to the cost of the weapon it carries. Finally, the DWP cannot be used to carry missiles of any sort, only battle armor scaled non-missile weapons.

Like the missile launcher used on the Elemental armor, the Detachable Weapon Mount can be ejected from the carrying unit. The Mount remains in place, but the weapon system carried by the mount is lost. This obviously reduces the firepower of the battle armor, but all the movement penalties the suit suffered are gone once every DWP is empty.

The Detachable Weapons Pack/Mount would be mass-produced by 3080 and become regular technology.