An Ancient Workhorse

Venerable designs are no stranger to us today. BattleMechs such as the Griffin, the Warhammer, and the Commando are prime examples of equipment that has proven reliable and powerful enough to be considered top priority for military procurement for the better part of 700 years. The Age of War and the Terran Hegemony saw the development of many such designs that are still used today. The bulk of the designs seen in Technical Readout: 3025: Centennial Commemorative Edition are still respected for being reliable in this way since their debuts in the Age of War and even early Star League era.

The Leopard CV is an ubiquitous design in the Inner Sphere. First produced in 2581, this combat DropShip is the “little brother” to the popular, lance-level ’Mech carrier, the Leopard. Throughout its nearly 550 year existence, the design has seen little change outside of cosmetic differences via the era or manufacturer. In fact, the Leopard CV has seen only one major overhaul, dubbed the “3054 Upgrade” from the former Free Worlds League’s Irian Naval Systems.

*Editor’s Note: The two middle pages of the Leopard section of Technical Readout: 3025: Centennial Commemorative Edition were removed from the publication of this article for being irrelevant to the discussion of the Leopard CV.

While certainly more specialized and slightly less common than its older brother, the Leopard CV made for a fantastic escort vessel for JumpShips, cargo haulers, and ground-based DropShip fleets during the Succession Wars. The design was so ubiquitous, in fact, that it is still widely available today in the base model configuration. While possessing a solid level of firepower for the DropShip’s size, the main armament comes in its aerospace fighter complement. The ship is capable of carrying up to six fighters across its three berths, allowing for a wide range of deployment options and force projection potential, all while being quite capable of supporting these fighters on its own.

Aside from the tight quarters that the Leopard series is known for, the Leopard CV has a few drawbacks that have led to the development of newer and more purpose-built escort DropShips. One of the biggest issues with the design can affect tactical deployment and in-atmosphere support. The awkward position of the lift-generating tail wings can lead to rough handling in-atmosphere, as well as an easy target to drop the ship from the sky, should it be shot off in a sortie. The lack of a transit drive has led to an almost unnecessary use of reconfigurable rooms in the ship and limits its deployment capabilities.

Though no machine of war is ever perfect, the Leopard CV has proven serviceable over the centuries to the point that the base model is still very much active in Great House and mercenary forces. There were and will be better models of fighter-carrier available to these militaries as technology advances, but as it goes with the ancient Terran idiom, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

- Captain Nathaniel Machen, Republic Armed Forces - Department of Political Liaison, 18 July, 3125

(Get ready for the September release of Technical Readout: 3025: Centennial Commemorative Edition with the classic Leopard CV miniature from Iron Wind Metals! https://bit.ly/IWM-Leopard-CV)