Originally conceived during the Star League era, the Land-Air Mech (or LAM) was a hybrid unit capable of transforming between BattleMech and Aerospace Fighter forms. The idea was to create a platform that could perform equally well in both roles, erasing the line between aerospace and ground combat.

It didn’t work out quite that well. After decades of work and countless SL-bills spent, working LAMs were produced and delivered to units. After even more years and more money, they were even declared operational, but in a more limited role.

Their high unit cost, extreme maintenance requirements, coupled with their relative fragility and light loadout relegated them to the recon role. LAM operations were further complicated by the operator needing to be a fully qualified mechwarrior and aerospace jock. Most people had more than enough with mastering one of those skillsets.

After the end of the Star League no new LAMs were produced, and what vehicles remained were either destroyed during the First Succession War or grounded for lack of parts or crew. A handful exist today, either as museum exhibitions or as stripped shells mounted outside major military bases or government buildings.

Only three LAMs made it past the prototype stage: The Stinger LAM (30t), the Wasp LAM (30t), and the Phoenix Hawk LAM (50t). Other LAM projects either produced no more than a few prototypes, or failed altogether. The most infamous project was the Shadow Hawk LAM, which ran from 2680 to 2750 without ever producing a machine that the SLDF would accept.