Longhorn (2810)
Mass: 75 tons
Chassis: Standard Biped
Power Plant: 300 Fusion
Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Standard
Armament:
3 Medium Laser
1 Sniper
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 2810
Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
Cost: 6,100,938 C-bills
Type: Longhorn
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Tonnage: 75
Battle Value: 1,228
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure 7.5
Engine 300 Fusion 19
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sink: 10 0
Gyro: 3
Dual Cockpit: 4
Armor Factor: 231 14.5
Internal
Structure Armor
Value
Head 3 9
Center Torso 23 35
Center Torso (rear) 11
R/L Torso 16 24
R/L Torso (rear) 8
R/L Arm 12 24
R/L Leg 16 32
Weapons
and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage
Sniper Ammo (20) CT 2 2
Sniper Ammo (20) RT 2 2
Sniper RT 20 20
3 Medium Laser LT 3 3
Longhorn (2966)
Mass: 75 tons
Chassis: Standard Biped
Power Plant: 300 Fusion
Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
3 ER Medium Laser
1 Vehicular Grenade Launcher
1 Sniper
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 2966
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-F-E
Cost: 6,940,938 C-bills
Type: Longhorn
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Unofficial)
Tonnage: 75
Battle Value: 1,388
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure 7.5
Engine 300 Fusion 19
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 0
Double Heat Sink: 10 [20] 0
Gyro: 3
Dual Cockpit: 4
Armor Factor (Ferro): 231 13
Internal
Structure Armor
Value
Head 3 9
Center Torso 23 35
Center Torso (rear) 11
R/L Torso 16 24
R/L Torso (rear) 8
R/L Arm 12 24
R/L Leg 16 32
Weapons
and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage
Sniper RT 20 20
CASE II LT 1 1
Vehicular Grenade Launcher LT 1 0.5
Sniper Ammo (40) LT 4 4
3 ER Medium Laser LT 3 3
Overview
The Longhorn is a Mechani Alliance Battlemech, part of the 2nd-generation "V-Series". One of the first 'Mechs in the Vela Corridor to feature an artillery piece, the Longhorn is a critical component of Mechani 'Mech formations.
Capabilities
The Longhorn is a straightforward artillery platform. Weighing in at 75 tons, the Longhorn's 300 Vlar SFE propels the Battlemech to a reasonable maximum speed of 18 m/s, and heavy armor provides good protection from counter-battery fire.
The Longhorn features a Sniper Artillery Piece stocked with four tons of ammunition, providing good endurance and the ability to stock some specialty ammunition. An artillery gunner, trained in a different group from regular Mechani Battlemech gunners, operates the weapon from the second cockpit to make the most of the artillery piece. The Longhorn pilot instead operates the three medium lasers mounted in the left torso as secondary weapons in emergency situations.
History
The Mechani Alliance's second generation of Battlemechs began when Mechani special forces stole a shipment of Gumerian salvage taken from the Skaret Empire, gaining samples of some then-advanced military technology, most notably dozens of Vlar 300 Fusion Engines. The engine proved to be superior to the models produced by the Mechani Alliance and they quickly reverse-engineered the design and began designing a new series of Battlemechs around the powerplant.
During the Tripartite War, one of the limitations of the Battlemech Corps first discovered was that the force lacked any integral artillery support. The Battlemechs were more mobile than their assigned tracked artillery support, and with the Talroakian Battlemechs regularly performing deep strikes against Blasphelian defensive lines through rough ground, the assigned artillery was rarely in range to provide the support they were assigned to do.
After the Tripartite War, the Mechani Alliance explored avenues to create an artillery Battlemech. Several prototypes were made before the advent of the Longhorn, but most of these were scrapped for various reasons, such as being too slow to be practical or lacking enough armor protection to withstand counterbattery fire. It was only after the Vlar 300 engines were captured that Mechani engineers were finally able to develop their first practical legged artillery platform, the Longhorn.
Deployment
The Longhorn's first deployment was with the state-sponsored "Valreht Jahn" mercenary group, fighting in the Crossroad-Skaret War on the side of the Crossroadians. Longhorns proved to be highly effective artillery platforms, more effective than the Helepolis Battlemechs fielded by the Crossroadians mainly due to their speed and ammunition capacity.
Other deployments of the Longhorn include the 1st Gumerian War, the 2nd Gumerian War, counterinsurgency efforts in the Post-Gumerian Worlds, the Clan Invasion (as part of Task Force Buckler, an inter-Velan volunteer group built to defend the Inner Sphere against the Clans), the Word of Blake Jihad (as part of the Vela Corps, an inter-Velan expeditionary force), and the Clan Homeworlds invasion of the Vela Corridor.
Variants
THMP: The Thumper variant trades the Sniper for a lighter Thumper Artillery Piece, an extra ton of ammunition, and four Jump Jets. Longhorn THMPs exist for both 2810 and 2966 variants of the Longhorn.
Longhorn II: The Longhorn II is a post-3000s upgrade to the venerable Longhorn. Combining features of the original and the THMP variants, the Longhorn retains its Sniper artillery piece while adding jump jets. The point-defense weaponry is upgraded to four clan-spec ERMLs. The weight for these is freed with clan-spec Endo-Steel structure and Ferro-Fibrous armor.
Longhorn II CR: A Crossroadian license-produced variant of the Longhorn II, this variant differs by replacing one ERML with an extra ton of ammunition.
