Piranha

Piranha
Production information
Manufacturer	Constantin Assembly Plant M27A-E, Auxiliary Production Site 4
Production Year	3051
Model	PRA
Class	Light
Cost	2,780,940 C-bills 2,779,740 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass	20 tons
Chassis	Bergan XIV Endo Steel
Armor	Forging ZK11 Standard
Engine	180 Firebox XL
Communications System	K9 Communications System
Targeting Tracking System	Able-Seven Sensor Suite
Heat Sinks	10
Speed	151 km/h
Armament	2x ER Medium Lasers 1x ER Small Laser 12x Machine Guns
BV (1.0)	801
BV (2.0)	998

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, and such a large array allows a Piranha to chew through an opponent's rear armor almost instantly. 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 of the Piranha 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. BV (1.0) = 660, BV (2.0) = 853

• 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. BV (1.0) = 992, BV (2.0) = 1,142

• Piranha 4 

  This version uses two Machine Gun Arrays to make it more effective in combat. One array mounts Light Machine Guns, while the other mounts standard Machine Guns. The ER Medium Lasers are tied into a Targeting Computer as well. BV (2.0) = 1063

Gallery

• 

  Piranha in motion

Bibliography

• Master Unit List
• Record Sheets: 3055/3058
• Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrades
• Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Clan & Star League)
• Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged — Old is the New New
• Technical Readout: 3058
• Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade
• Technical Readout: 3085
• Invading Clans (sourcebook)