Kiudo
Sarna News
Kiudo Forts are garrison forts that can be quickly erected from prefabricated parts. Designed to withstand a company of BattleMechs, they are heavily armed and built to house a conventional bataillon of infantry and/or tanks.
Contents
History
Near the end of the Fourth Succession War, the DCMS found that they needed to quickly secure captured planets to prevent a recapture by enemy forces as the frontlines shifted. Professor Ishi Kiudo of the Hachiman Techno-School devised the concept of a fortification that was both cheap, easy to transport and quick to build. Within only six months the design was finalized and approved by the DCMS.
Despite its impressively quick development, the Kiudo fortresses came too late to play any significant role in the Fourth Succession War. However, following the war, many garrisons along the Kurita/Lyran border were stationed in such installations.
During the Ronin Wars, Ronin forces occupied the Kiudo fort on Bruben and on 15. June 3034 Camerons Legion (then an understrength mercenary company in employ of the Free Rasalhague Republic) were ordered to capture it and destroy the HQ, without injuring any of the many civilians concentrated at the installation. Hampered by the presence of the civilians, the unit succeeded, but lost 6 out of their 10 BattleMechs in the attack.
Layout
The basic layout of a Kiudo fortress is that of a regular hexagonal structure. Each side is approximately 100 meters long. The walls are as high as a BattleMech and fairly strong (H2, CF90 per 30-meter element); 'Mechs (or any other unit, for that matter) cannot pass through them although they can be jumped over, or landed on. One wall contains the gates instead of regular wall elements (2x H2, CF60).
Powerful gun towers stand at all six points of the hexagon. Each tower (H2, CF90) is protected by 6 tons of armour, and sports two LRM-20 launchers with 24 packs of missiles between them and two Medium Lasers, all turret mounted, as well as another LRM-5 launcher with 24 packs of missiles in its base.
Along the two walls adjacent to the gate wall and 30 meters behind the gates are two 60-meter buildings (H1) containing workshops and garages. Next to the wall opposite the gates there are three barracks (M1) and in front of these, the installation's headquarter. The HQ is a hardened (HD2, CF150) building with powerful, turret-mounted weaponry: An AC/20 with 20 shots, two SRM-6 racks with 30 salvos between them, and six Machine Guns with 200 salvos between them. The turret is also armoured with 6 tons of armour.
Notes
Although the impression is given that the components for Kiudo forts are cheaply mass-produced at an industrial level, and the parts are exceptionally easy to ship and assemble, there is no information on how big the parts are, how they are shipped or how long it takes to assemble a Kiudo fort, or how expensive it actually is.