Description
Although only a prototype at the outbreak of the Amaris Coup, the Sling still managed to make its way into the hands of the Star League Defense Forces in the fight to retake Terra - and in turn, several of the machines accompanied Aleksandr Kerensky on the Exodus, finding a place among the nascent forces of Clan Smoke Jaguar during Operation KLONDIKE.
Armament
Meant mostly as a high-speed fire support unit, the minimally-armored Sling was meant to remain out of the way of enemy fire, saturating the target area with its fifteen long-range missile tubes. The standard SLDF procedure was for Slings to only carry Thunder munitions, but pilots assigned to the machines frequently ignored this standard in order to carry at least a ton of standard munitions. The Sling also carried a TAG spotting laser, meaning the 'Mech could serve double duty as a harasser and an artillery spotter.
Variants
* SL-1H - Meant as a more traditional skirmish unit, the SL-1H replaced all three missile launchers with a pair of standard medium lasers and a single medium pulse laser, which allowed for an increase in both the number of heat sinks and the armor protection due to the tonnage freed up by the removed ammunition supplies. The 1H still kept the TAG laser, allowing it to still serve as an artillery spotter.
Related 'Mechs
* Mist Lynx - Clan Smoke Jaguar used the base chassis of the Sling as the starting point for the development of the Mist Lynx OmniMech.
* Duan Gung - The Capellan Confederation used the Sling as the basis for their new light fire support 'Mech.
