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My thanks to James Tanaga for the work on this briefing

Military Production facilities of the Rim Collection
AFFS Briefing

Overview: This briefing is an overview of the military industries of the Rim Collection at the current time. In doing so, it will allow our soldiers and personnel assigned to the Rim Collection knowledge of common equipment and vehicles used by the Collection, as well as serve as an aid in determining the strengths and weaknesses inherent to the Rim Collection Touman as it currently stands.
Under no circumstances is it in any way to be misconstrued as bashing a certain ally’s intelligence briefing that was at one time composed [Emoticon redacted].

Collection Initiative

The Rim Collection’s military manufacturing complex as it is today came about from the first technology exchanges from Clan Fire Mandrill to the Rim Collection. Clan Fire Mandrill, eager to replace its lost military production facilities during its exodus from the Clan Homeworlds, licensed a number of Clan designs to Rim Motors in return for a percentage of the production rights. Yet it was what the Collection has termed the Koshi Issue that is acknowledged as the true start of the Collection Initiative.  In brief, the Steelsoul Khanate of Clan Sea Fox, long ally of Clan Fire Mandrill, agreed to provide the schematics of their then-new Koshi BattleMech and Undine power armour in return for twenty percent of the factory production output for ten years without permission from its fellow Khanates, angering them and endangering a key production facility within Clan Fire Mandrill. President Jerry Able eventually smoothed things over with the Sea Fox Khanates, and using the situation to further bring the Mandrills into the Collection proper, highlighted the Collection Initiative to the Rim Congress.

Calling for the sharing of Clan technology and military schematics, as well as heavy Clan Fire Mandrill support, so far the Collection Initiative has been a shocking success. It showcased an entirely new BattleMech in the Deathstalker and the Collection first true OmniVehicle in the Diomedes-derived Macaque, as well as allowing the Collection access to some OmniMech and Omni-Vehicle designs. What’s telling about the overall success of the Initiative Collection isn’t particularly these feats, though impressive by themselves, but rather what the Collection has done in the past year. In the last year, due to continued Lyran interests in the Collection (Michael Sherris), Clan Fire Mandrill retooled production lines in their Armory Gamma on All Dawn to reintroduce Assault-class OmniMechs, specifically the Dire Wolf, much to the concern of the Lyran Archon.
Rim Motors

The primary provider of military equipment within the Rim Collection before the arrival of Clan Fire Mandrill, it remains a primary military provider for the enlarged Rim Collection’s Rim Lancers Galaxy. The arrival of Clan Fire Mandrill has advanced its production facilities, as well as enlarged them. The arrival also saw the uncovering of a previously unknown BattleMech production facility on Caldarium, capable of producing the formerly extinct Rampage assault BattleMech.

At the current time, Rim Motors is the primary provider of assault-class BattleMechs and a major supplier of light BattleMechs. Interestingly, both production sites produce Clan specific equipment, vehicles, and ‘Mechs, suggesting this company has a very close relationship with that of Clan Fire Mandrill.

Production Facilities: Caldarium, Otisberg

Otisberg: Aerospace Fighters, BattleMechs, Vehicles
Aerospace Fighters: Tyre ASF
Battlemechs: Bear Cub, Kit Fox (Omni), Locust IIC
Vehicles: Badger-C (Omni), Macaque OmniVehicle (Omni), Maxim Hovertank.

The production facility at Otisberg is a former Star League facility that produced solely light BattleMechs during the 1st Star League era. Lava covered much of the facility and it was forgotten until the Rim Collection found and reactivated parts of it. During the Collection’s time as part of the Lyran Commonwealth, Maxim production lines were established.  Since the Mandrills arrival into the Collection, they have helped the Collection in refurbishing the facility, updating a number of lines to produce Clan vehicles, ‘Mechs, and aerospace fighters. How the Fire Mandrills gained control over the second-line BattleMech Bear Cub schematics in particular at this time is unknown. To produce these, Otisberg no longer produces many of the antiquated light-battlemech designs it did before the arrival of the Mandrills.

Caldarium: BattleMechs, Aerospace fighters
BattleMechs: Rampage
Aerospace Fighters: Xerxes

The arrival of Clan Fire Mandrill to the Rim Collection came the finding of this until-now unknown factory capable of producing Rampage assault BattleMechs. With a supply of Fusion 340 engines now available, Clan Fire Mandrill licensed the Xerxes aerospace frame to Rim Motors almost immediately upon relocating the facility, though damage from Clan Stone Spirit in a raid limited output of the factory to only Rampage BattleMechs until only recently.

Mandrill Armouries

The Mandrills on Atreus had little time to prepare for a full evacuation of their production facilities at the time of their exodus from the Clan Homeworlds. Yet what they brought with them to All Dawn, either intact or in decent enough shape to be brought online quickly. And it shows. Since their successful evacuation, the clan has spent much time in reforming their factory complexes and fine tuning them to again manufacture what they could before their withdrawal from Clan Space, all the while reactivating then adding to a Daedalus IndustrialMech factory found during a hurricane by Mandrill warrior-cadets of all things [Addendum: Just one of many acts that have made me conclude the Mandrills are culturally insane, at least in regards to its Warrior Caste [Emoticon redacted]]. Collectively called Mandrill Armouries, each armoury seems to be specialized towards a particular fusion engine family for the most part. Additionally, Mandrill Armouries provides the majority of OmniFighters and OmniMechs for the rest of the Rim Collection at this time. The very recent destruction of Armoury Beta in a nuclear attack on All Dawn resulted in the peaceful absorption of Clan Sphinx Raptor into the Mandrill ranks [Addendum: Interesting, the Raptors were absorbed only after a Grand Council meeting via HPG. ].

Production Facilities: All Dawn (Six Facilities)

Armoury Alpha: Aerospace Fighters, BattleMechs, Power Armour
Aerospace Fighters: Issus ASF, [Redacted]
BattleMechs: Arctic Cheetah (Omni), Daedalus (IndustrialMech), [Redacted]
Power Armour: Salamander

Armory Alpha is based on the 240 series of fusion engines. The Mandrills did not bring this facility with them on their exodus to All Dawn, but rather found it soon after their relocation. A small factory built only to produce Daedalus IndustrialMechs, the Mandrills nonetheless quickly retooled and expanded the facility to include production lines for a light OmniMech and an aerospace fighter, as well as a line for Salamander power armour. A modest facility, the production and trade of Daedalus IndustrialMechs marks it as one of Clan Fire Mandrill’s more important economic assets. Modifications are ongoing to modify the Daedalus lines to be able to switch to and from BattleMech production within weeks when needed. As of yet, it is unknown if this facility has this capability or not. [Addendum: Armoury Alpha has never produced Jengiz OmniFighters, nor the Griffin IIC BattleMechs [Emoticon redacted].]

Armoury Gamma: Aerospace Fighters, BattleMechs, Power Armour
Aerospace Fighters: Kirghiz (Omni), Visigoth (Omni)
BattleMechs: Dire Wolf (Omni), Conjurer, Predator
Power Armour: Elemental, Salamander, Undine

Armoury Gamma is based on the 300 fusion family of engines. Together with Armoury Zeta, it is one of the largest facilities controlled by the Mandrills, containing multiple production lines. Unlike much of the other industrial facilities under its control, Armoury Gamma, as Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga Tertiary Production Facility, was for the most part fully evacuated from Atreus, only suffering the total loss of its two Dire Wolf lines. The complex in the last year has reproduced a single hand-crafted Dire Wolf, gifted to President Karen Able. While an actual production line for Dire Wolves has yet to be verified, it is theorized the Mandrills production line (if the Mandrills do indeed have one) can only produce a single star (5) at most yearly, due to the hand-crafted quality of the one gifted to President Able and as such, is listed in this briefing. [Addendum: How the Lyrans “intelligence” operatives missed the Conjurer and Visigoth production lines is beyond me, but both have been visually verified.]

Armoury Delta: ProtoMechs, Vehicles
ProtoMechs: Centaur, Hydra, Minotaur
Vehicles: Anhur, Donar Assault Helicopter, Shamash Reconnaissance Vehicle

A former Smoke Jaguar facility that produced only ProtoMechs, Armoury Delta was later modified to produce vehicles as well. Production of ProtoMechs was cancelled soon after the Fire Mandrill’s exodus to All Dawn and the lines switched over to vehicles, but the impressive showing of ProtoMechs during the Battle of All Dawn, specifically the defense of Armoury Zeta and the Mandrill’s stepped temple, gave ProtoMechs in the Rim Collection added life, allowing limited production runs of ProtoMechs to continue. It has been confirmed the only reason for Armoury Delta’s continued existence was the fact it was used as the test-bed in copying the Ghost Bears in making their factories mobile.

Armory Epsilon: Battlemechs, Vehicles, Power Armor
Battlemechs: Koshi
Power Armor: Undine
Vehicles: Masada

Until recently part of Armoury Delta, Armoury Epsilon provided only Masada fighting vehicles for the Mandrill touman and the Rim Collection. Helped by members of the Steelsoul Khanate, Clan Fire Mandrill rushed the Koshi BattleMech into production just as Clan Sea Sox was about to. Rumors are that Clan Sea Fox would have made a power move to remove the facility from Clan Fire Mandrill control and punish the Steelsoul Khanate, who helped expand the facility in return for twenty percent production of the Koshi lines for ten years if not for some hasty diplomacy on the part of Jerry Able. Due to this new BattleMech design and the expansion of the Masada IFV lines already underway, Armoury Epsilon was separated from Armoury Delta. The Rim Collection and Clan Sea Fox have both begun operating the new BattleMech, with the Collection maintaining its sales to periphery powers, Northwind, and our FedSuns while the Foxes sell to all other powers, suggesting an agreement between the two or at least an unspoken one.

Armoury Zeta: DropShips
DropShips: Fortress, Overlord-C, Titan, Titan Monitor

Armoury Zeta is the largest production facility held by the Mandrills at this time, producing DropShips and capital-grade naval weaponry for Clan Fire Mandrill and the Rim Collection. Due to having lost roughly half of its production lines in evacuating from the Homeworlds, the facility produced only Overlord-C’s and Titans upon its arrival on All Dawn. In the years since then, the Mandrills have retooled two of the Overlord-C lines to produce Fortress-class DropShips. Interesting, the facility no longer builds the regular Clan Titan, though maintains the ability to do so if ever needed and as such, that class is included in this briefing. The naval weaponry testing grounds is thought to be an SDS system of some sort, though no confirmation verifying or denying this has yet to be made. [Addendum: Verified the facility shot down three Lyran DropShips during the Battle of All Dawn during the Six Week War, giving weight to this rumour.]

Armoury Eagle: BattleMechs
BattleMechs: Conjurer, Deathstalker, Thor (Omni)

Armoury Eagle is a mobile BattleMech factory captured from the Falcons just before the Mandrill's withdrawal to the Inner Sphere. Originally producing a line each of Loki's and Thor's respectfully, the Loki line was modified to create a second Thor line, than later modified to include production of the Collection’s new Deathstalker BattleMech. Interesting, the mobile factory also refits Conjurers, though no production line for Conjurers is present as of yet. At the present time, Armoury Eagle is stationed on All Dawn, though remains deployable should the Rim Collection or the Fire Mandrills have any need to.

Hiberius Foundry

First built on Hiberius as a small vehicle plant for the Quikscell Company to provide vehicles for the Rim Worlds Republic, the factory was captured during the first years of the Amaris Conflict and then supplied vehicles for the Star League, who updated the factory to produce the Kanga Hover Tank and Maxim Transport. After the Exodus, the planet and factory was largely forgotten by the rest of the Inner Sphere. Only able to produce the bare bones of the Bulldog tank and the Maxim transport, the planet nevertheless managed to keep itself independent from pirates. Hiberius’s recent membership with the Rim Collection has already paid dividends for the factory, which has been updated back to its former glory. Interestingly, Hiberius Foundry is the primary provider of Internal Combustion Engines for the Rim Collection. In an attempt to circumnavigate the controls of the Rim Congress and the President’s Council, Hiberius Foundry entered into arrangements with Leopard Armour to update its production lines, adding a third BattleMech production line alongside the two the Collection had financed.

Production Facilities: Hiberius
Hiberius: Battlemechs, Vehicles
Battlemechs: Commando, Stinger, Clint
Vehicles: Bulldog Medium Tank, Kanga Hover Tank, Maxim Transport (I.C.E. versions), Merkava Main Battle Tank, Partisan Heavy Tank

The recent joining with the Rim Collection has allowed Hiberius Foundry to once again produce up to date vehicles. Currently, half its production lines are offline as it begins the last stage of a three stage process to completely retool the factory in an ambitious upgrade by their corporate ally Leopard Armour. Once done, it is expected Hiberius Foundry will be roughly on par with Otisberg in regards to its manufacturing capabilities.
 
Able’s Arms, Limited

Formed shortly after the finding of the Otisberg BattleMech facility to provide weapons for the Rim Collection's new Mechs by then-Colonel Jerry Able, the company has provided clan-tech weapons and equipment for the Rim Collection since the Fire Mandrills arrival. Since the Six Week War, the company has branched out to provide light vehicles and power armour for the Collection.

Production Facilities: Gillfillan’s Gold
Gillfillan’s Gold: Power Armor, Vehicles
Power Armor: Longinus, Nighthawk
Vehicles: Anhur, Donar Assault Helicopter, Shamash Reconnaissance Vehicle

Since the Mandrills arrival, Able's Arms has changed its direction slightly, now providing clan-tech equipment outside Clan Fire Mandrill to the Rim Collection and produces clan light vehicles. Since shortly after the Six Week War, Able's Arms, Limited has provided Longinus power armour and the original Diomedes prototype that eventually evolved to become the Macaque to the Rim Collection, signalling a connection between the Rim Collection and a so far unknown Marik successor state. House Able is the primary owner of Able's Arms, Limited, with President Karen Able’s nephew, Charlie Able, running the day to day operations of the company and continues to see the enlargement of the Longinus production lines.

Special notes: 4

1: The Bear Cub BattleMech produced by the Rim Collection differs from that produced by the Rasalhague Dominion. Rim Motors, under the direction of Mandrill technicians, switched the original heat sinks with 10 double heat sinks and fitted the design with endo-steel and Ferro-Fibrous armour. Additionally, the ER Small Laser has been replaced with three Micro Pulse Lasers. A targeting computer, light active probe, and a remote sensor dispenser have been added rounding out the design. The left over tonnage is given to the BattleMech's armour. Additionally, I have been told the LRM-5 and SRM-4 missile launchers on board the Mech are designed to be interchangeable with each other, providing the Mech much more flexibility then it should otherwise have and giving it almost an OmniMech-like feel to it. All in all, this BattleMech is flexible and dangerous, yet inexpensive to maintain and produce and far superior to the ones the Bears currently field and seem to specialize as a garrison/security/scout BattleMech.

2: Neither Clan Fire Mandrill nor the Rim Collection has any JumpShip/WarShip production facilities at this time, but has surprisingly large DropShip production facilities relative to its size. Additionally, the RCS Providence is capable of maintaining the Collection’s WarShip and JumpShip fleets.

3: It is unknown which Marik successor state provided the Longinus production lines to Able's Arms, Limited, but it has been determined the unknown Marik Connection has recently fallen on hard times, heavily suggesting it was House Stewart of the now-United Marik States (former Marik-Stewart Commonwealth). Should this connection continue with providing the Rim Collection materially, it may in time lead to a shift in power from the Lyran Commonwealth to the Rim Collection, though this would be generational and decades in the making.

4: The former Diplass Mechworks facility on Timbuktu remains deactivated at the current time, though it is confirmed Rim Motors, Hiberius Foundry, and Able’s Arms are all interested in reactivating the factory. Brooks, Inc in the Marik states, Leopard Armour of Terra, and Diplass Mechworks of Erdvynn are all confirmed to be interested in reactivating the complex as well. Lastly, the still-so-far unknown Marik Connection is rumoured to be being quite interested in it. I do not believe I need to include in this report how that would politically shift things in this region of space if this rumour turns out to be true.

In summary, the Collection, as it currently stands, possesses a massive and downright scary military manufacturing complex relative to its small size, largely confined to Rim Motors and Mandrill Armouries. While the Collection relies heavily on the worlds of All Dawn and Otisberg for its war material, the Collection has begun to diversify itself, so as not to put all its eggs in one basket, as shown on Gilfillan’s Gold and Hiberius. Judging by how parties within and outside of the Rim Collection are looking into reactivating the deactivated Diplass Mechworks facility on Timbuktu, this would add yet another moderately sized ‘Mech factory under the Rim Collection’s banner.

A so far unique fixture found within the Rim Collection’s military complex is the continuing centralizing of production on models keyed to certain fusion engine families. While this streamlines production, it also serves to make the production far more specialized and is something to keep note of for any future combat both for and against the Rim Collection. Additionally, the Collection possesses a few mobile factories in the form of Armouries Delta, Epsilon, and Eagle although it is not believed that the Rim Collection move these units very often if ever.

After studying the Rim Collection production sites and its equipment, it becomes easy to extrapolate the current strengths and weaknesses of the Rim Collection Touman. See the attached file Fundamentals of the Rim Collection Touman for more information in this regard.


Rim Collection Military Production Centers Chart

Battlemechs (10)

All Dawn: Conjurer, Deathstalker, Koshi, Predator
Caldarium: Rampage
Hiberius: Clint, Commando, Stinger
Otisberg: Bear Cub, Locust IIC
Timbuktu (Deactivated): Locust

Omnimechs (4)

All Dawn: Arctic Cheetah, Dire Wolf, Thor
Otisberg: Kit Fox

Aerospace Fighters (3)

All Dawn: Issus
Otisberg: Tyre
Caldarium: Xerxes

Omnifighters (2)

All Dawn: Kirghiz, Visigoth

Conventional Vehicles (9)

All Dawn: Anhur, Donar, Masada, Shamash
Gilfillian’s Gold: Anhur, Donar, Shamash
Hiberius: Bulldog, Kanga, Maxim, Merkava, Partisan
Otisberg: Maxim

OmniVehicles (2)

Otisberg: Badger-C, Macaque

Dropships (4)

All Dawn: Fortress, Overlord-C, Titan-C, Titan Monitor

IndustrialMechs (1)

All Dawn: Daedalus

Power Armor (5)

All Dawn: Elemental, Salamander, Undine
Gilfillian’s Gold: Longinus, Nighthawk

Protomechs (3)

All Dawn: Centaur, Hydra, Minotaur

Matthew Davion
Commodore, Federated Suns Navy
Federated Suns Embassy, All Dawn, Rim Collection