The D variant's got 5-tons of infantry compartment so it can do the job, unless you're rolling w/ that Tac Ops optional rule that varies BA weight by its... well, weight. In that case you can carry anything Elemental-sized and smaller, heavies would need a dedicated variant with 7.5 tons and almost nothing else, and assaults won't be able to be done at all. If it's replacing the Blackfoot instead of supplementing it, you could probably just rename the 27-tonner to the Blackfoot and pretend like that's the original all along.
Ok, so that's a bust on the Killer Quadcopter... For a less (ahem) explosive submission, with the neo-Blackfoot now quite a bit heavier that leaves some room for a smaller, lighter, cheaper, and more disposable VTOL. I present the following:
Light VTOL Submission Prime
Mass: 14 tons
Movement Type: VTOL
Power Plant: 105 Fusion
Cruising Speed: 151.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 226.8 kph
Armor: Standard
Armament:
3.0 tons of pod space
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3145
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-X-F
Cost: 630,667 C-bills
Type: Light VTOL Submission
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Tonnage: 14
Battle Value: 351
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure 1.5
Engine 105 Fusion 5.5
Cruising MP: 14
Flanking MP: 21
Heat Sinks: 10 0
Control Equipment: 1
Lift Equipment: 1.5
Power Amplifier: 0
Armor Factor: 8 0.5
Internal
Structure Armor
Value
Front 2 2
R/L Side 2/2 2/2
Rear 2 1
Rotor 2 1
Fixed Equipment
Location Fixed Tonnage
Body Smart Robotic Control System(Improved) 1
Weapons
and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage
Small X-Pulse Laser Front 1 1
Medium X-Pulse Laser Front 1 2
Variants:
A
1x LPPC (front)
B
LRM5 (front) (1t ammo)
C
SRM2 (front) (2t ammo)
D1
5x MG (2 front, 1 rear, 1 right, 1 left) (0.5t ammo)
D2
3x X-Pulse SPL (front, right, left)
E
4x Magshot (front) (1t ammo)
F
6x RL-10 (front)
G
1x TAG (front)
2x ERML (front)
H
1x Beagle Active Probe
1x Guardian ECM Suite
U1 (Cargo)
3t Cargo
U2 (Mine Layer)
6x Vehicular Mine Dispenser
U3 (Sensor Layer)
6x Remote Sensor Dispenser
U4 (Paramedic)
5x Paramedic Equipment
1x Laser AMS (Rear)
U5 (Field Kitchen)
Field Kitchen
Protection is even weaker than the 20-tonner but it's cheaper and lighter (and silly fast).
My rationale for having both is that the hi-low combination complement each other: The super fast but flimsy 14-tonners don't carry nearly as much firepower as the 27-tonners, but you can throw them to soften areas with low threats (PBIs and low-end light vehicles), or you can throw them into high-threat environments where even the 27-tonners are likely to disintegrate, if only to distract an enemy Battlemech for 10 seconds so your own Battlemechs can escape. Furthermore, if you're reasonably sure but not 100% certain an area is an ambush, sending a 14-ton H variant to scout is quite a bit cheaper (both C-Bills and in terms of expeditionary force tonnage) than sending a 27-ton E variant, and much more palatable than sacrificing a manned Recon Battlemech. Plus the utility variants are nifty: Fast medevac, minelaying, sensor laying, the cargo could bring replacement ammo to 'Mechs on the front, etc.
Meanwhile the 27 tonner is somewhat more survivable in moderate-intensity environments and can carry some of the more interesting equipment and weaponry due to payload. If/when it loses initiative it'll be more likely to still get guns on target thanks to its turret, so deploying them to directly support allied Battlemechs should be feasible in all but the worst AA environments.
I wanted to put something fun on here like a mast mount, but reality ensued.
