Date: September 5, 3025
Location: New Avalon
Title: New Avalon Institute of Science - MechWarrior Training Manual
Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe
Type: Sourcebook (Stardate Vol. 3 #5)
Synopsis: The overview of BattleMech systems continues.
Jump Jets are described as jet propulsion systems housed in their own armor with all fuel systems and feed lines contained within units connected to the 'Mech exterior, as jump jet systems integrated into the 'Mech structure pose the risk of spilling combustible liquid fuel into the interior, exploding and causing crippling damage.
'Mech hulls are dotted with access hatches that provide maintenance crews with systems access, and allow the loading of ammunition. The hatches are made of armor plate and are secured by computer codes to limit the potential for sabotage. Codes are entered by inserting a small disk into the lock mechanism. Hatches that pop open during combat represent priority targets for enemy attacks.
Ammunition loading systems in the BattleMech route reloads through the body, though the further it has to travel, the greater the chance of a jam. Star League-era systems used pneumatic gas to move the rounds through flexible tubes. Succession Wars era 'Mechs use gears and chains to physically pull mobile feed racks within the 'Mech along pulleys and guides. These are easier to build and repair, but increase the likelihood of a jam. Pneumatic systems are still possible to make, but are not considered cost-effective.
BattleMech cockpits are cramped and uncomfortable, but still serve as the working and living space of the MechWarrior. Life support equipment, mostly positioned in the rear of the cockpit, protects the MechWarrior from heat, gas, and radiation during combat. Cockpit systems pump fresh coolant through the MechWarrior's vest. Ejection systems vary - most eject the seat forwards and upwards, others drop the seat out the bottom, and others fire out the rear or one of the sides of the head. It is always a manual, pilot-initiated procedure.
The reason for the cramped conditions is that Succession Wars-era equipment tends to be far bulkier than the Star League equivalents. A diagram shows a Star League-era Archer cockpit reconstructed from original design blueprints unearthed on Galtor. Standard cockpit accessories in the diagram include: water rations (8 liters); several kilos of pre-packaged rations; fire extinguisher; emergency kit (medkit, radio beacon, clothing, fire kit, emergency rations, hunting knife, "survival staff," a "fibra/plastic" slug thrower + 5 clips of ammo, and room for local currency or gold); emergency coolant flooding system, in case of extreme overheating; IFF Transponder controls; cockpit ventilation controls (the AC system); scanner viewscreen; scanner controls; communications speaker; BattleComputer relays (Star League only); weapons status monitor; manual gyro adjustment controls; opponent status monitor (modern units are far bulkier); Targeting System; heat indicators; manual heat sink throttles; incoming fire indicators (there's a red thingy moving towards the green thingy...I think we're the green thingy); emergency ejection controls; BattleComputer readout; foot pedal controls (for walking and running); fire control stick; balance and limb movement stick; exterior light controls (spotlights, floodlights, whitelight, and IR illuminators); communications systems; coolant lines for the vest; cockpit life support controls; flares (for illumination, signalling, or distress); the control couch itself; and, mounted on the aft bulkhead, the life-support connection main panels and manual overrides, weapon subsystem readouts, and a locker for personal gear, tools and spare parts.
During the Star League era, 'Mechs weren't encoded for security, but once they became irreplaceable relics, elaborate security systems were installed. Codes are a series of movements of the machine entered through the neurohelmet, performed in a particular sequence. Failure shuts down the fusion reactor and sounds an alert. Procedures vary - some involving hand actuators, simple motions, head turns, etc. House Davion Regulars use just hand and arm motions.
MechWarriors can either begin a standard start-up, or a combat emergency start-up. The standard procedure gives the MechWarrior three minutes to close the cockpit, turn on the environmental systems, put on their neurohelmet, secure coolant lines, and deactivate the security system. Then it takes 20 seconds to turn on the fusion pre-heat routine, another five to activate the power plant, fifteen seconds to activate the heat sinks, 20 seconds to turn on the BattleComputer and run diagnostics, fifteen seconds to turn on communications and spin up the gyro, twenty seconds to bring weapons online, 25 seconds to test sensors and scanners, 30 seconds to do a final systems checklist and engage the gyro, with movement initiated at the five minute, thirty second mark.
The combat emergency startup process gives MechWarriors 12 seconds to put on their helmet and deactivate the security system, 10 seconds to pre-heat the fusion plant, spin up the gyro, and attach coolant lines, 8 seconds to turn on the powerplant, activate the BattleComputer, and fasten the seatbelt, 15 seconds to pre-heat the weapons, activate the heat sinks, and orient the gyroscope, 15 seconds to activate scanners and do a 360 degree sweep, 20 seconds to activate life support and communications, and 40 seconds to engage the gyroscope, with movement commencing at the two minute mark.
Maintenance is described as half of a MechWarrior's job, due to the loss of trained personnel in the Succession Wars. The NAIS manual emphasizes a rigid schedule of preventative maintenance. The recommended schedule is: BattleComputer diagnostic (every 10 days); Gyro stabilization tested (every 10 days); targeting system check (every 20 days); neurohelment and cockpit control test (every 20 days); coolant replacement and life-support inspection (every 20 days); actuator inspection (every 20 days - with a light coating of Dolanex applied before resealing); heat sink inspection (every 40 days); ammunition feed system inspection (every 40 days); jump jet inspection (every 40 days); myomer bundle retensioning (every 150 days); armor inspected for weakness, damage, or fatigue (every 150 days); actuator overhaul (every 150 days).
For battlefield maintenance, on the other hand, Dr. Henry Walten III of the Battlefield Technicians Department ranks systems according to their importance to the 'Mech's functionality: neurohelmet and cockpit controls, including the BattleComputer; then powerplant and gyros; then actuators and jump jets, then weapons and fire control, then heat sinks, then armor and myomer, then communications systems. The ranking is intended to inform Technician efforts to perform triage on repairs - whether to send a 'Mech to a rear-area repair depot, scavenge it for parts, or use parts scavenged from other 'Mechs to return it to battle.
Notes: The description of Jump Jets as having self-contained liquid fuel reservoirs is a radical departure from the mainline canon description of them being hooked to the fusion engine for power, with thrust being provided by venting superheated plasma.
The concept of access hatches offers a logic-based explanation for the game results when rolling a 2 for hit location and getting a critical hit result on a section that hasn't been breached. A lucky snake eyes shot sprung a hatch and allowed the damage to penetrate to the interior without having to chew through the rest of the armor plating.
The rear-oriented ejection seat appears, in canon, only on the Crab as far as I know. The downward facing ejection seat could only work on a quad, like the Scorpion, or something with a torso-mounted cockpit where it's mounted to the front of the fusion reactor), since otherwise it'd drop the MechWarrior right into the fusion engine chamber. Side-ejection seats would seem to pose a strong risk of a snapped neck.
It makes sense to have rations in the cockpit, for long-term deployments in the field. The emergency kit, however, seems poorly placed in the Archer diagram. Though it notes it has security straps in case of ejection, that would require the MechWarrior to have the clarity of thought during the catastrophic failure of their ride to grab the kit and strap it on, then eject. In the fiction, the kit is far more logically placed in a compartment that is part of the command couch, which leaves the cockpit with the pilot. Not sure what a "survival staff" is, nor what a "fibra/plastic" slug thrower might be, other than that it might be a pistol made of plastic, so it won't show up on a magscan.
The emergency coolant flooding system presages the introduction of the emergency coolant flush unit, for quick one-shot cooldowns. Heat sink throttles suggest that pilots can adjust venting - an important consideration when Triple Strength Myomers are involved (though I'm not sure of the practical utility in the Star League era, other than to prioritize heat routing to heat sinks immersed in water).
The foot pedal controls, which note that they strap onto the MechWarrior's feet for secure and smooth operation, imply that the leg controls are much like those in Pacific Rim, where the pilot's actual leg movements control the legs, rather than simply opening up the throttle and letting the computer handle the leg movements.
The exterior lighting controls suggest that most 'Mechs have spotlights, not just those like the Warhammer, Vulcan, and Guillotine, which sport spotlights as highly visible structural elements.
The communication systems entry again implies that 'Mechs have the capability to jam enemy voice and data transmission and reception, as well as quick identification of battle languages and codes. Battle languages were a core element of Frank Herbert's Dune, but have never (to my knowledge) been referenced in BattleTech fiction. Communications security is generally arranged by using laser links between units within sight of each other.
The standard start-up sequence works out to 33 turns of game time. If you try to do that under fire, you'll be long dead before you start moving. The emergency start up process takes only 12 turns. Not great if you're trying to power up a stolen 'Mech in an enemy hangar (as Grayson did in "Decision at Thunder Rift"), but doable if there's nobody hammering autocannon rounds into your torso while you're doing it. Best for when enemy troops are dropping from orbit right on top of you.
The security system description adheres to that described in "The Sword and the Dagger," where knowledge of the proper start-up procedure for the Prince's BattleMaster was the key evidence that exposed the impostor. However, Stackpole's novels relied instead on voiceprint recognition, with specific code phrases. Considering the two methods, the voiceprint seems substantially more secure, since the movements of the arms and hands would be visible to external observers - and depending on what type of cockpit you have, your head movements would also be visible. Turning your head an exact number of degrees would also seem to be difficult to replicate, especially under stressful conditions. The Stackpole systems seem to have become the default for the canon fiction.
Battlefield triage is also discussed in TRO:3025, though there it's noted that the guiding principle is "reverse triage," where quick repairs that get 'Mechs back into battle are prioritized, while those with heavier damage that will take longer to fix are put at the back of the priority list, due to limited repair resources. This section does note that Dr. Walten's prioritization tables haven't been implemented as standard operating procedure in the AFFS. Looking at the repair time estimates in the current ruleset, we see:
1: Targeting & Tracking Systems (150 minutes) + Life Support (120 minutes)
2: Fusion Engine (300 minutes) and Gyros (240 minutes)
3: Actuators (120 minutes) and Jump Jets (120 minutes)
4: Weapons (100 - 250 minutes) and Ammunition (15 minutes to reload, 100 minutes to fix critical hits)
5: Heat Sinks (120 minutes)
6: Armor (30 minutes) and Myomer (N/A)
7: Communications (N/A)
Under the principles of reverse triage, the order would be:
1: Ammo reload
2: Armor
3: Weapons (lightly damaged) and ammunition feeds
4: Actuators, Jump Jets, Life Support, Heat Sinks
5: Weapons (moderately damaged)
6: Targeting and Tracking Systems
7: Weapons (heavily damaged)
8: Gyros
9: Weapons (totaled)
10: Fusion Engines
So, the NAIS does things its own way, but there seems to be a strong possibility that AFFS repair bays would be jammed up with 'Mechs getting engine overhauls while 'Mechs that just need fresh armor plate sit around and wait. If the Dragoons hadn't taken on the DCMS all by themselves and if the CCAF hadn't been compromised by Davion moles, using the NAIS triage system could have ruined AFFS efficiency ratings during the 4th Succession War.