Type: GHR-6M Grasshopper
Production: Free Worlds League/Andurien (Irian Technologies, Shiro III)
Combat Value: 1535 BV
Total Cost: 6,381,574 C-Bills (including x1.7 tonnage premium)
Internal (Endo): 3.5t
Engine: VOX 280: 16t
Walking: 4
Running: 6
Jumping: 4 4t
Heat Sinks: 14(28): 4t
Gyro/Cockpit (std): 6t
Armor Factor (Std): 13t (208 pips)
Head 3/9
Center Torso 22/30/13
R/L Torso 15/20/10
R/L Arm 11/22
R/L Leg 15/26
Quirks: Rugged (1)
1x PPC (3cr, 7t) RA
2x Large Lasers (4cr, 10t) LA
2x Medium Lasers (2cr, 2t) RT/LT
1x SRM-6 (2cr, 3t) CT
1x Ammo (SRM) 15 (1cr, 1t) RT
1x CASE (1cr, 0.5t) RT
The recovery and dissemination of the Helm/Grey Death Memory Core was hugely beneficial for the industry of the Free Worlds League, which saw both a renaissance of new and updated designs, as well as the development of a massive armaments export industry as the Federated Commonwealth and Draconis Combine scrambled to fend of the Clan Invasion, and the Capellan Confederation sought to rebuild its shattered military following the Fourth Succession War. No League firm benefited more than Irian Technologies, which released a slew of lostech upgrades to classic designs, as well as proprietary new ‘Mechs, typically designs claimed by Irian for a fraction of their value, because their original owners had been destroyed or devastated during the Succession Wars.
There was considerable competition between the two primary offices of the massive League firm, with the central office on Irian claiming the bulk of the spoils (and thus, profits). However, the facility on Shiro III, long subsidized by the Duchy of Andurien and semi-autonomous for centuries as a result, fought back. When Irian Central unveiled their upgraded Guillotine GLT-5M in 3049, the Shiro III office had already been working on a jump-capable 70t ‘Mech for some time, and were furious at having been undercut. However, the Guillotine 5M was a very modest upgrade, little more than the old Newhart Industries design with (albeit more reliable) Irian weapons and components.
Shiro III had been working on an updated Grasshopper, with a far more powerful weapons array, having quietly acquired the rights to the rugged and mobile design from the still-extant Lantren Corporation of Bryant in 3030, during the life of the short-lived Tikonov Free Republic (when the TFR was desparately in need of capital investments, and having fire sales on IP as a consequence). However, designers had wanted to incorporate new Ferro-Fibrous and Endo-Steel components into the ‘Mech, both as a showcase of their industrial expertise, as well as to field-test these technologies for future designs. The Guillotine announcement by Irian Central forced Shiro III to speed up their efforts, and the Grasshopper GRH-5M was released in early 3051, with the first two runs being split between the Capellan Confederation and local Free Worlds Legionnaires units.
Irian Shiro III designers realized that both Endo-Steel and Ferro-Fibrous Armor were extremely bulky, and that heavy ‘Mechs in particular would only be able to realistically use one of these two components, to reserve space for armaments. Because Irian Technologies as a whole was struggling to develop their own Ferro-Fibrous blend (it wouldn’t be until the 32nd century and the release of the Juliano), in large part because of internal politics and inter-office industrial sabotage, the focus was therefore on creating orbital facilities that could produce a reliable and replicable Endo-Steel, with Shiro III finally succeeding with the Irian “Class 60” Second Generation Endo-Steel, an in-house variant of the Star League era Crucis brand.
Apart from the use of double-strength “Freezer” heat sinks (dropping to fourteen from the 22 heat sinks of the classic Grasshopper), the rest of the design uses reliable and time-tested components, hinting to the rushed development process throughout 3050, following Irian Central’s release of their Guillotine. The 5M uses the same VOX 280 fusion engine (ironically the same as the Guillotine), but substitutes Irian-manufactured products across the board: Rawlings Model 52 jumpjets, Irian E.A.R. comms gears with Wasat Aggressor targeting/tracking systems, and Durallex Heavy with CASE (for a right-torso ammunition bin).
The weapon systems are similar to the classic Grasshopper, but redistributed and significantly harder-hitting. The head-mounted missile system has been moved to the center torso housing, and replaced by an Irian Weapons Works Class 6 SRM launcher, with a ton of ammunition. The right arm weapon is a Kinslaughter PPC (the production rights secured from Krupp Stellar of Mars) – the short-barreled cannon not seen in production since the Amaris Civil War, although the H-Class (extended range) variant is still in production on Terra. The left arm has a pair of Diverse Optics Type 30 Large Lasers for a considerable mid-ranged punch. Two Diverse Optics Type 2 Medium Lasers on the traditional torso mounts round out the weapons systems.
Shiro III took great pleasure in releasing a ‘Mech that is very clearly similar to Irian Central’s Guillotine, but superior in performance and reliability in almost every way, and the Irian Grasshopper is already becoming quite popular with with the CCAF and FWLL units it is deployed with – and the profits and accruing entirely to the Shiro III branch, which is aggressively plowing them back into their facilities and R&D teams, always seeking to retain their autonomy and avoid being subsumed by Irian Central.
