Galahad (BattleMech)

Description
Born from the Terran Hegemony's attempts to create a medium fire-support platform that would be more advanced than the RFL-1N Rifleman, Mitchell Vehicles unveiled the GLH-1D Galahad in Introduction Year::2570. Though it outgunned the earlier design and found significant acceptance within the Hegemony Armed Forces, the Galahad suffered from the same heat issues as the BattleMech it was meant to replace. With the development of the new Gauss rifle, Mitchell Vehicles decided in 2594 to redesign the Galahad around these new weapons, changing it into a heavy design in the process. Production of the 2D Galahad continued for almost two centuries, only stopping when the Graham IV manufacturing center was destroyed during the First Succession War.

While the older GLH-1D did spread to the Member State militaries, because the GLH-2D possessed so much advanced technology, the Galahad was mainly (but not exclusively) reserved for SLDF Royal Units. Most functioning GLH-2D Galahads departed the Inner Sphere during Kerensky's Exodus. Though sizable numbers of the less advanced GLH-1D remained behind, the technological decline of the Succession Wars era soon made it impossible for the Inner Sphere to maintain either variant. Outside the secret stockpiles of ComStar and patchwork examples in the Periphery or other backwaters, the Galahad was one of many designs that disappeared from the battlefield. During the Word of Blake Jihad, the Blakists put the Galahad back in production for the first time in centuries at the massive Defiance Industries plant on Hesperus II. After the factory was retaken by the Lyran Alliance and its allies, production of the 'Mech would continue for the Lyrans as of 3079.

Weapons and Equipment
The Galahad utilizes special building materials in the form of eleven tons of ferro-fibrous armor and Endo Steel internals. To fit the massive weapons on the Galahad, the engine was dropped to a GM 180, giving it a maximum speed of only 54 km/h, making it difficult for the 'Mech to keep up with its companions in most cases. The GLH-2D carries two massive M-7 Gauss rifles, with two tons of ammo for each rifle. It was a showing of the powerful new weapons at the time and earned it the nickname of "Gausszilla". One problem with the two massive rifles was the recoil, the Galahad's shoulder-rotation rings being originally designed for the GLH-1D's all energy loadout. During the Reunification War, multiple reports of catastrophic failure of the shoulder couplings came in from the front lines with Mitchell completely redesigned GLH-2D's shoulder couplings in response. Even with the additional bracing, the recoil of the Gauss Rifles contributed the fact the Galahad spent an average of fifteen percent more time in the repair bay undergoing preventative maintenance compared to other designs of similar weight.

Variants

 * GLH-1D : The original HAF Galahad weighed only 50 tons, was powered by a 150-rated GM fusion engine, used Star League V Endo Steel internals, and had ten tons of standard Armorscale armor to protect it. For weapons, it had two Nova Large Lasers and two Magna Hellstar Particle Projection Cannons, one in each arm. The GLH-1D only had a mere thirteen double heat sinks to attempt to cope with such high-heat weapons, which rewarded careful volley fire but punished alpha strikes. The GLH-1D's slow speed for its weight and insufficient cooling resulted in the upgraded GLH-2D variant, with Mitchell phasing out the original model. BV (2.0) = 1,307
 * GLH-3D : The Word of Blake's version of the Galahad, the GLH-3D variant, employs a 240-rated Light fusion engine and a small cockpit. For weapons, it uses two Light Gauss Rifles with four tons of ammo to split between them. It was also given more sophisticated electronics, in the way of an improved C3 computer and a Guardian ECM Suite. BV (2.0) = 1,268

Custom Variant

 * GLH-3D Galahad Laodices : This custom variant of the Galahad was used by Phantom Demi-Precentor Delta Laodices, a commander of the 40th Shadow Division. It uses a Small Cockpit, an Improved C3 Computer, one Light Gauss Rifle, and a Guardian ECM Suite - just like a standard 3D Galahad. It differs, however, in that it drops the other Light Gauss Rifle and one ton of ammunition, replacing them with an ER PPC enhanced by an experimental PPC Capacitor in the right arm. In addition, a light PPC is mounted in the center torso. These modifications allow the 'Mech to remain in combat for far longer.

Design Quirks
The Galahad has the following Design Quirk:
 * Difficult to Maintain

Related BattleMechs

 * Glass Spider - The Glass Spider is the Clans' version of the GLH-2D, using a 240-rated fusion engine due to the lighter versions of Gauss rifles it used, which also allowed for one extra ton of ammo to be put on. It also utilizes Clan ferro-fibrous armor and endo steel internal structure to free up space that the inferior GLH-2D used. After Clan Wolf absorbed Clan Widowmaker in 2834, many Glass Spiders were captured and subsequently spread throughout the Clans. BV (2.0) = 1,825