ProtoMech

First created by Clan Smoke Jaguar, Protomechs were designed as a way for armored troops to deliver the firepower of a BattleMech to the battlefield for much less cost in resources.

History

In the months after the Battle of Tukayyid, Clan Smoke Jaguar found themselves with a serious problem. Guerrilla raids and uprisings within their Inner Sphere occupation zone had left them stretched to the limit in resources. Smoke Jaguar scientists found that if something wasn't done soon, their Clan worlds would soon be stripped of the ores needed for BattleMech production.

The Clan's top scientists went to work on a radically different battlefield unit design that would combine elements of BattleMechs and that of Elemental Battle Armor. Standing only half the height of a BattleMech, the smaller units would mass only one-tenth that of the larger machines. This, combined with their smaller engines, would allow the Smoke Jaguars to make many more of these for less material. Dubbed ProtoMechs, the ultimate goal of these machines was for a Point of five, working in unison, to be as effective as a BattleMech, while requiring less than half the amount of construction resources. At the same time, Smoke Jaguar geneticists began the task of creating a suitable breed of pilot. Unlike the bulky Elementals, this new breed would need to be smaller even than Aerospace pilots, so that they would be able to fit into the cramped confines of a ProtoMech's torso. Knowing that their Khans would not even consider full-scale production of ProtoMechs until they were proven effective in combat, the Smoke Jaguar scientists and geneticists began working on the project in secret, understanding that it could be years before their work could be revealed.

It was not until the development of the Enhanced Imaging(EI) system by Clan scientists that the ProtoMech concept became a viable one. The EI control system laid the groundwork needed by Smoke Jaguar scientists for controlling the ProtoMech. The ability to give the pilot direct neural control eliminated the need of a gyroscope and full-sized cockpit. This gave room for the pilot to ride in the torso while still allowing ample space for weapons. However, the problem of breeding suitable pilots was harder to overcome. The failure of thier breeding program left the Smoke Jaguars no one but volunteer Aerospace pilots who had failed to test into the Warrior Caste.