When Primus Hollings York ordered Titan Yards in the 30th century to re-start warship production for the Blessed Order, a number of designs were floated. Some more combat orientated, others more geared towards supporting the Order's limited ground forces. In the end, a design was chosen that incorporated significant firepower and powerful engines, but at the cost of cargo space and with only limited capacity to carry organic support craft.
More than a century later, ComStar had revealed its military might to the Inner Sphere through their defeat of the Clan's Invasion aimed at Terra. After Tukayyid, ComStar began to openly deploy their forces across the Inner Sphere and beyond. While the ComGuards could rely on the Order's significant Jumpship fleet for logistics and deployment, some within the admiralty were worried if the existing fleet would be adequate to deploy and support a division against strong naval opposition. A scenario, that was deemed likely in the future, given the restarted warship programs of the Great Houses and the existing fleets of the invading Clans.
As part of ComStar's planned expansion of their military forces, discarded proposals for alternatives to the Dante were review once again. One proposal - code named Mistral - was chosen and reworked to support a whole division in an offensive operation. Based on the Dante, the Mistral shared the earlier design's tonnage and much of its structural design. Meant as a combat transport first and foremost, less powerful engines were fitted. The crushing 4-g acceleration of the Dante was deemed far in excess of what ground troops should endure. Similarly, the armament was cut down - the Mistral's guns are meant for self defense only and the ship was never intended to be in the thick of naval combat.
Cargo capacity was expanded eight-fold and more and larger gravity decks installed. To provide the troops with greater comfort than could be offered by any dropship, over 4,400 cabins were fitted into the Mistral's hull. Enough room to transport even an infantry heavy Level IV-Omega.
Mistral Division Support Ship
Mass: 610,000 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Introduced: 3058
Mass: 610,000
Battle Value: 49,588
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-E-F
Cost: 12,725,594,000 C-bills
Fuel: 20,000 tons (50,000)
Safe Thrust: 2
Maximum Thrust: 3
Sail Integrity: 5
KF Drive Integrity: 14
Heat Sinks: 1500 (3000)
Structural Integrity: 50
Armor
Nose: 35
Fore Sides: 31/31
Aft Sides: 28/28
Aft: 21
Cargo
Bay 1: Small Craft (26) 4 Doors
Bay 2: Small Craft (26) 4 Doors
Bay 3: Small Craft (26) 4 Doors
Bay 4: Cargo (100587.0 tons) 1 Door
Ammunition:
43,200 rounds of Anti-Missile System [IS] ammunition (6 tons),
80 rounds of NAC/25 ammunition (1.2 tons),
7,200 rounds of Ultra AC/10 ammunition (6 tons),
160 rounds of Screen Launcher ammunition (470 tons),
5,400 rounds of Streak SRM 6 ammunition (6 tons)
Dropship Capacity: 8
Grav Decks: 4 (250 m, 250 m, 250 m, 250 m)
Escape Pods: 320
Life Boats: 320
Crew: 42 officers, 158 enlisted/non-rated, 61 gunners, 390 bay personnel, 216 marines
Passengers: 400 First-class / officers, 4000 Second-class
Notes: Mounts 360 tons of standard aerospace armor.
Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat) Heat SRV MRV LRV ERV Class
Nose (556 Heat)
6 Anti-Missile System 6 2(18) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (7200 shots)
6 Naval Laser 45 420 27(270) 27(270) 27(270) 27(270) Capital Laser
1 Screen Launcher 10 15(150) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) Screen Launcher
Screen Launcher Ammo (20 shots)
6 ER Large Laser 72 5(48) 5(48) 5(48) 0(0) Laser
6 Streak SRM 6 24 7(72) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) SRM
Streak SRM 6 Ammo (900 shots)
6 Ultra AC/10 24 9(90) 9(90) 0(0) 0(0) AC
Ultra AC/10 Ammo (1200 shots)
FRS/FLS (136 Heat)
6 Anti-Missile System 6 2(18) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (7200 shots)
1 Screen Launcher 10 15(150) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) Screen Launcher
Screen Launcher Ammo (20 shots)
6 ER Large Laser 72 5(48) 5(48) 5(48) 0(0) Laser
6 Streak SRM 6 24 7(72) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) SRM
Streak SRM 6 Ammo (900 shots)
6 Ultra AC/10 24 9(90) 9(90) 0(0) 0(0) AC
Ultra AC/10 Ammo (1200 shots)
RBS/LBS (672 Heat)
6 Naval Laser 45 420 27(270) 27(270) 27(270) 27(270) Capital Laser
2 Naval Autocannon (NAC/25) 170 50(500) 50(500) 50(500) 0(0) Capital AC
NAC/25 Ammo (40 shots)
1 Screen Launcher 10 15(150) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) Screen Launcher
Screen Launcher Ammo (20 shots)
6 ER Large Laser 72 5(48) 5(48) 5(48) 0(0) Laser
ARS/ALS (136 Heat)
6 Anti-Missile System 6 2(18) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (7200 shots)
1 Screen Launcher 10 15(150) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) Screen Launcher
Screen Launcher Ammo (20 shots)
6 ER Large Laser 72 5(48) 5(48) 5(48) 0(0) Laser
6 Streak SRM 6 24 7(72) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) SRM
Streak SRM 6 Ammo (900 shots)
6 Ultra AC/10 24 9(90) 9(90) 0(0) 0(0) AC
Ultra AC/10 Ammo (1200 shots)
Aft (556 Heat)
6 Anti-Missile System 6 2(18) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (7200 shots)
6 Naval Laser 45 420 27(270) 27(270) 27(270) 27(270) Capital Laser
1 Screen Launcher 10 15(150) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) Screen Launcher
Screen Launcher Ammo (20 shots)
6 ER Large Laser 72 5(48) 5(48) 5(48) 0(0) Laser
6 Streak SRM 6 24 7(72) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) SRM
Streak SRM 6 Ammo (900 shots)
6 Ultra AC/10 24 9(90) 9(90) 0(0) 0(0) AC
Ultra AC/10 Ammo (1200 shots)
Recently I've been somewhat obsessed with LHDs, LPHs and their ilk. So naturally I wanted to see if something similar could be designed for Battletech. So here we are. It should be enough to carry the 15 Battlemechs (plus 30 techs), 39 ASF (plus 78 techs), up to 6 crew for all 54 tanks and 3888 infantry. Realistically, you'd probably need a couple hundred support personnel. But if you're moving any other kind of division, you'll have plenty of room for additional personnel. UAC-10s and ER LL are fitted for maximum ComGuard-ness.