![]() ![]() The Drop Pod kits themselves cost 30,000 c-bills. Systems allowing the deployment of drop pods are assumed to be included in the standard DropShip 'Mech bay, though in 3025, only the Leopard, Union and Overlord class DropShips were reported (by ComStar) to be so equipped. Once free of the effects of the Drop Pod, the BattleMech relies on jump jets, a jump pack, and/or specialized parachutes to land safely on the ground. The cocoon then melts away in the remaining heat. At a pretimed position, the pod explodes into five sections (with the possible benefit of distracting ground-based sensors), freeing the unit. The entire system consists of the pod, jets, parachutes, and flight computers (that enable the unit to land relatively close to the drop zone) and a cocoon of spun foam and a ceramic structure. The Drop Pod itself consists of an ablative ceramic shell (the 'pod') that allows the unit to enter the atmosphere intact. The jump packs (if required) are installed prior to encasing the 'Mech within the cocoon, which itself takes about 10 minutes. In roughly the same period, a cocoon of ceramic and metal was developed to encapsulate the 'Mech prior to ejection from an orbiting DropShip. In 2453, specialized detachable jump packs were designed for BattleMechs that lacked jump jets, allowing them to exit a stationary (but airborne) DropShip and control their descent to the ground. Smaller, armored delivery vehicles were considered, but the ability to only transport one BattleMech at a time was deemed too resource-demanding and limited the size of the assault force. Following the costly 2449 BattleMech assault on the planet Kentares, a method was sought to deliver these new combat assets to the surface without exposing expensive converted transports (such as the Manatee class DropShip) to the perils of defensive fire. ![]()
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