[out of story]
Three 'mech lines:
Inner Sphere copy of the Battle Cobra, but unlike the main-timeline Comstar copy, they didn't make it slower. Instead, they made it slightly larger to accomodate enough tonnage for a decent weapons load while retaining the same speed and profile using endosteel and ferro fibrous armor. Like the original, the bulk of the weapons podding is in the arms, is primarily PPC based, and uses some of the Wolverine-derived tech given by New Circe to the new Star League.
There are a total of 12 lines going simultaneously for this type, with additional lines for podded armaments and munitions.
Blackhawk-KU: as a subcontractor to the official licensee, Ngo did a lot of the tooling for this copy of a Clanner medium as an Inner Sphere fast-heavy. While CMW and Defiance both have two lines producing the type, Nashan/Groves of Winter has purchased 12 lines of tooling and those lines were set up quickly. With the "Executive Order" the lines which were producing spares of every component for the prime contractors, have been turned over to full unit assembly production.
Enfield Medium 'mech: The LBX-version of this design, under contract with Blackstone and Blue Shot on Inarcs, has a total of 24 production lines between four worlds, those being held by a variety of subcontractors begun as part of Elizabeth Ngo's "Economic revitalization and reformation" campaign since 3055.
In rough scaling, the "Biggah Kobra" serves as a fast strike/scout design, intended to range ahead of formations in a variety of roles that Jade Falcon warriors would call 'Sweep" operations. The Enfields form the bulk of forces, while the Blackhawk-KU fills the heavy and heavy cavalry roles.
There is a distinct lack of true 'heavy' or trooper designs, but that's the limits of what you can get legal permission to do when you're Elizabeth Ngo.
Tank Designs:
an LBX-armed version of the Patton, which replaces the flamer and small laser with a medium pulse laser, and incorporates a cylon-tech derived missile launcher in place of the Coventry patented LRM, in this case, equivalent to an MML-5, this updated tank carries Ferro Fibrous armor of the same type as the locally produced 'mechs, and the LBX autocannon is the same type as used by the Enfield, or in podded applications by the omnimech designs.
In keeping with "Make more of the same thing to save money", the Patton is joined by a Field Artillery variant using the classic 'Thumper' in a turret mount, with slightly reduced armor and the same engine and automotive components as the tank. (Really, it's just a Rommel with a Thumper in place of the AC/20), an MLRS system or "rocket battery" fitting as many MML-3's as can be physically crammed onto the turret ring (while keeping 4 tons of ammo), an "APC" version armed with a lighter, lower damage PPC configured for supporting either light infantry, or Battle Armor, and a "Cargo Schlepper" version to serve the same role as the J-27, except with armor and CASE, and a series of combat engineering/construction vehicles based on the same automotive components.
There are factories for these scattered throughout the theater as part of Elizabeth's "Economic Revitalization project" (How do we keep people from rioting? JOBS JOBS JOBS.)
Fighter Production:
Variations of the SB-27 might seem odd, given this is the Lyran Commonwealth,but the type's been in operation for over five centuries, there is a huge aftermarket, and they're a good export item. The 'wartime' variant uses a "Light" PPC and ferro-aluminium armor with XL fusion engine and double heat sinks, along with advanced targeting systems based on reverse-engineered clantech.
the SL-15 Slayer isn't a Lyran design, and some folks were quite put out that Ia Drang Industries got the license from the original manufacturer (thus, making Kowloon the place for LCAF militias still operating the type to get new-stock spare parts). However, it is an effective design with a long fuel duration and decent weapons load. This weapons load is increased significantly with the SL-15KR, which replaces the engines with XL powerplants, the heat sinks with double models, the Medium Lasers with extended range medium lasers, and the autocannon 10 installation with an LBX model. tonnage savings on the design update went into improved avionics and targeting systems, along with ECM arrays.
Ia Drang "Raptor" fully deployable smallcraft: a line for line copy of the Colonial Raptor, this smallcraft employs a Kobolian/Cylon Tyllium jump drive, fusion engine for main power, and an array of configurable roles ranging from simple transport to ECM/Electronic Warfare support and reconaissance.
Battle/Power armor:
With the assistance of the Cylons, and with contracts tooling everyone from GDL enterprises to Coventry Metal Works to NAIS, Kowloonese forces have access to two modern battle-armor types;
1. Kowloon Light Suit: The Kowloon light suit is an up-armored copy of the Gray Death Scout armor
2. Kowloon Medium Suit: this armor is functionally identical to the medium suits being deployed elsewhere in the Inner Sphere in 3057, except that it does not need special fitting, sharing some of the same modularity as the DCMS Kage light armor.
in addition, Kowloon has access to up-armored Centurion type Cylons. These are enlistees and not equipment. Their BODIES are equipment, and standard Centurion frames are available to those who wish to leave service. Up-Armored Centurions are slightly faster than Elementals in terms of ground speed, with similar durability and vibroclaw/hands as standard. They carry a variety of BA scale weapons depending on role, said weapons being roughly configured in 'rifle' style. the antipersonnel weapons remain as they are in Standard 2nd Cylon War era configurations.
VRT displays: VRT displays based on Graystone industries designs from the pre-first-cylon-war era are incorporated into the visors and helmets of all Kowloonese infantry units except Centurions, who don't need the extra gear to have the function. these interface with both suit-mounted (and vehicle mounted) sensor arrays, static sensor pods, etch to provide real-time battlefield awareness, night/obscured vision and updated targeting information, status monitoring, and 'silent' coordination, and can, with deployable drones, (remote controlled devices roughly the size of a basketball) provide 'look through' and cover/concealment defeating enhancements in cluttered terrain, to give an enhanced situational awareness to troops on the ground, in the air, or in space.
One out of every 12 mechs off the line has a dual cockpit with a command console, usually at the cost of one ton of something else. one of every 12 'APC' Patton/Rommel tanks is equipped with the full 7 tons of mobile headquarters gear, and is a dedicated command post vehicle for companies and battalions.
'
the 171st Kowloon Volunteers RCT:
Battlemech Battalion:
Coy. A: 13 'Biggah Kobra' 'mechs (12 line mechs of lighter type, 1 command 'mech)
Coy. B: 13 Enfield 'mechs, (12 standard 'mechs, 1 command 'mech)
Coy. C: 13 Blackhawk-KU (12 standard 'mechs, 1 Command variant)
HHC: 2 firing batteries Artillery, 1 Battalion Command vehicle, 6 APC's with 1 16 man platoon of Battle Armor.
Cavalry Squadron:
Troop A: Patton (Kowloon), 12 Tanks, 1 Command/coordination vehicle.
Troop B: Patton (12/1)
Troop C: Patton (12/1)
HHC troop: 2 Rommel based armor recovery vehicles, 4 MML Tracks,6 Combat engineering vehicles, 1 platoon engineers
2nd Battalion, Infantry
Coy. D: 1 tank platoon, 3 IFV-mounted infantry platoons, 1 Fire support platoon (16 up-armored Cylons with organic tracked support), 1 command post track.
Coy. E: same as Coy. D
Coy. F: same as Coy. D
Battery G: 4 Thumpers, 4 Ammunition carriers, 2 Warrior H-7 scout VTOLs
HHC: Battalion Command company, 1 tracked MHQ, 1 platoon armored infantry, 1 lance of 'mechs
3rd Battalion, Infantry
Coy. H
Coy. I
Coy. J
Battery K
HHC
Regimental Artillery Battalion/ADA
1 battalion of tracked, mobile, field artillery. (Batteries L-O), 5 Command post Vehicles, 50 ammunition transport vehicles, 12 Scout vehicles.
Regimental Engineering Battalion
3171st Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (Battalion).
For perspective, this is not a small force, and it's not cheap to move it. it is, however, relatively cheap to keep going, as there is a large commonality of spares between unit types, an optimized per-ton ammunition budget due to the use of single. standardized types of munition, armor, and other spares. Actuator servos were standardized between the Ominechs, leading to the smaller 'mechs having heavier-than-necessary servos and joint mechanisms to maximize every ton of shipping weight for supplies and support components.
Where the typical Inner Sphere or Great House regiment must account, for example, for between 5 and 25 different calibers of rounds for the standard Class-10 autocannon, the 171st only has to accomodate a total of 3 calibers of cannon ammunition at all, those being Class 2, Class 10 (Slug) and Class 10 (cluster), and only one bore-size for field artillery (the 155 mm standard Thumper, with standard variations including FLAK.)
The widest spread being missile ammunition, with the need to accomodate the following:
LRM: Smoke, Thunder/FASCAM, Standard
SRM: Inferno, Standard, Fragmentation.
The 171st, like all Kowloon Theater units, relies on Coast Guard for their fixed wing aviation units, and has 24 SB-27(K) fighters on-call at all times when on deployment, along with an airmobile/spacemobile Marine Company mounted aboard Raptors.
the 171st went fully operational in May of 3057 under Executive order 213 after spending the preceding 5 years in 'workup and testing' developing and integrating their specifc unit technologies and doctrine. 'mechwarrior personnel were certified under the instruction of the 7th Crucis Lancers and final collective training was ostensibly conducted by AFFC reviewers.
Commander of Record: Colonel Charles Vanh.
Special note: By established Tradition, the 171st Volunteers is a formation commanded by a Colonel. By special authorization of the Archon Prince, promotion beyond Colonel results in immediate transfer to RCT command elsewhere in the AFFC. The commander of the 171 is always a Colonel. Battalion command therefore falls to hauptmann (Promotable) which in surface actions, is called 'major'. Companies are commanded by Leutnants or "captains" and platoons by Ensigns or 'Lieutenants'.
in 3057, the 171st is the first of 4 planned RCT's comprising the Kowloon Theater Militia forces, the others being:
172nd: a heavy formation relying on standard Lyran heavy 'mech designs with a lighter 'lightning' company attached. This unit is being formed on Inarcs.
173rd: a copy of the 171st, drawn mainly from Arluna and Winter.
174th: an Airmobile unit with a reliance on VTOL and light 'mech forces and augmented armored infantry platoons.
2nd Marine Recon: A Coast-Guard unit of armored infantry with Raptor and fighter support. This unit is intended to specialize in commando operations and forward reconnaissance.
12th Coast Guard Division (Blackwater) (abbreviation CGD(B))
4 Squadrons, Sampan Mk. II and III, 1 Squadron CV ('light' carrier vessels), built around FCS Kowloon (Fox Class).
14th CGD (B)-same as 12th, but built around the planned FCS Inarcs
16th CGD (B) same as 12th, but built around planned FCS Arluna
18th CGD (B) same as 12th, built around FCS Yggsdrasill battle group
20th CGD (B) same as 12th, built around FCS Avalon Battlegroup
Special notes:
Sampan Mk II and Mk III utilize a hybrid drive-that is, they are able to 'twist' hyperspace using pulsed gravitics instead of mechanical motion, and a Germanium Core. this means that at least, on that scale, the Kowloonese/Cylon design engines can get Tyllium drive jumps out of hulls above 70,000 tons (but below 200,000 tons of hydrogen mass displacement) The modification doesn't work on smaller germanium cores such as actual 'compact' cores below 50,000 tons due to how big the artificial gravity generators have to be. (Grav plates have a minimum size before they stop working.)
This is being released to New Circe along with contracts for the necessary tooling, but it's still on the back burner there. (not enough warm bodies to work on all the new goodies.) the upper limit on size is due to scaling issues going the other way.
LCAF/AFFC warships have artificial gravity due to the 'Cylon Trade" through Kowloon. Clan vessels have to rely on thrust or rotation for their gravity, and do not have inertial dampening (which even the fighters do, thanks in part to the clever fellas Liz hires to go through all the Cylon-tech stuff to see what ELSE you can do with it. "Science isn't just to answer why, it's to answer why not?")
What this effectively means is a massive improvement in manueverability of LCAF/AFFC warships, including halving the turn radius and enabling some 'sick moves' for Cutter class vessels (Sampans and equivalent gunships) that would normally turn a crew into spaghetti-sauce-with-bone-chips.
IOW vector movement isn't just a thing, it's a thing they do really well. the Word of Blake and Comstar haven't YET stolen this tech, really they wouldn't have to if they'd just give up their spyin' ways and buy a license...