Piranha

Piranha
Production information
Manufacturer	Constantin Assembly Plant M27A-E
Model	PRA
Class	Light
Cost	2,780,940 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass	20 tons
Chassis	Bergan XIV Endo Steel
Armor	Forging ZK11 Standard
Engine	180 Firebox XL
Speed	151 km/h
Armament	2x ER Medium Lasers 1x ER Small Laser 12x Machine Guns
BV (1.0)	801

Description

The Piranha was developed by Clan Diamond Shark shortly before the Battle of Tukayyid to combat Inner Sphere conventional infantry and light vehicles. The sheer speed that the BattleMech is capable of has also made it something of a scout, though it lacks sophisticated electronic equipment. The Piranha is protected mostly by its speed, though it does mount four tons of armor. In the late 3060s, Clan Ice Hellion bid for and won the right to produce the 'Mech themselves. The Hellions have created new variants on the Piranha, though they maintain the original design philosophy.

Armament

The Piranha's main threat is its twelve Series XII Rotary Machine Guns. These are a serious threat on such a speedy 'Mech to any foe, especially if a Star of Piranhas operate in a pack. They are most deadly, however, to unarmored infantry, capable of wiping out an entire company in seconds. For work against hardened targets, the Piranha mounts a pair of Mk. 3 ER Medium Lasers and a single Series 1 ER Small Laser. Since the design only uses ten single heat sinks, the MechWarrior must still manage heat levels. The ammunition dependency of the Machine Guns ensure that Piranhas must stay close to supply lines, so most have been relegated to solahma or garrison roles.

Variants

Piranha 2 - This variant on the Piranha that is fielded by Clan Ice Hellion upgrades to double heat sinks so that the Machine Guns can be effectively swapped out for ER Micro Lasers. The other lasers were upgraded to heavy models.

Piranha 3 - This version is more properly adapted to a scouting role by the addition of a Light Active Probe. It also uses upgraded heat sinks to allow for an all-energy configuration. Eight ER Micro Lasers and two Micro Pulse Lasers replace the pair of ER Medium Lasers. A Targeting Computer improves the accuracy of all the weapons.

References

• Record Sheets: 3055/3058
• Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrade
• Technical Readout: 3058
• Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade