JUMPSHIPS

Article about jumpship operations.

List of common IS jumpship types. Others do exist, but are rarer and are generally similar to these classes.

Monolith-class (430k, 9x2 slots): The Monolith is the largest commercial jumpship ever built, featuring a staggering nine double collars. It is unsuitable for military service as it completely lacks offensive or defensive systems (that doesn't stop the Great Houses for using them to ferry troops). Most Monoliths are privately owned - by the great industrial and commercial corporations that dominate Inner Sphere manufacturing and transportation.

Leviathan (410k, 16x1): An older model, from the same (first) generation of true jumpships as the Liberty. It's 16 docking collars can carry an astounding amount of cargo, but it can't carry "big" dropships like the Mule or Overlord. Operating costs are much higher than the comparable Monolith. Remaining Leviathans are usually ramshackle affairs that ply the same routes over and over, carrying mostly high-bulk low-value goods (relatively speaking), such as rare metals, heavy machinery, and agriproduce.

Star Lord-class (274k, 6x2 slots): The premiere Inner Sphere military jumpship. The Star Lord was specifically designed to carry an entire regiment into battle aboard three Overlord-class dropships. It's well armed and armored - for a jumpship. Unlike the Royalty-class it has no greater accel than other military jumpships. Most Star lords are owned and operated by House militaries, but a few are privately owned. Military version typcially carry 1 small craft and 4 ASF in their bays.

Royalty (210k, 4x2): Originally built by the Rim Worlds Republic, the design was widely adopted after the Amaris Civil War. It features 4 double docking collars, but it's defining characteristics are above average acceleration, heavy armor and potent weaponry. It's pretty rare these days. All of them are House owned and operated. A carrier version with 4x4 ASF cubicles also existed, but it is thought to be extinct. 

Liberty-class (203k, 8x1): An older design that features only single docking collars. The Liberty is visually very similar to the Invader, which is essentially a slightly redesigned Liberty. It is much less common than the Invader, primarily because it has much higher operating costs per collar - and it can't carry big dropships such as the Mule.

Invader-class (152k, 3x2 slots): The most common jumpship in the IS - and beyond. It's the perfect blend of cost efficiency, reliability and cargo capacity. Widely used for both commercial and military work. The main difference is that most military vessels have some self defense weapons (acceleration is too low and armor too light to make it much of a fighter). Many are privately owned. It has two docking bays. Typcially 1 small craft and 2 ASF are carried by military versions.

Merchant-class (120k, 2x2 slots): Very common model, used mostly for commercial work, but with some serving as auxiliary ships for various militaries. Competes with the Invader for the title "most common jumpship" in the Periphery, but is somewhat less prolific in the IS. It has a small launch bay that can hold 1 small craft or 2 ASF.

Scout-class (90k, 2x1 slots): Despite the name the Scout is used more as a light trader than a scout (the exception being ComStar's Explorer Corps). It has 2 single collars, as well as a small launch bay that can either carry a small craft or two ASF. The Scout is pretty common in the Periphery, bur rarer in the IS. It is not widely used for military purposes.

Quetzalcoatl-class (90k, 0 slots): This heavily modified Scout-class is used by the Capellans in limited numbers to ferry up to 12 ASF. Since ASF have limited endurance, they must either be used to protect the jump point or ferried in-system by dropships.

Explorer-class (50k, 0 slots): The smallest jumpship in common use. It's small, a little over half the mass of a Scout. It has no docking ring, but can carry 4 small craft in its spacious internal hangar bay. Originally intended for interstellar exploration, it is now mostly used for priority passenger (or light cargo) transport. The military version is used as a fleet scout and/or fast courier. Attempts to turn it into a fleet ASF carrier (for 8 ASF) have not been very successful.

DROPSHIPS

List of common IS dropship types. Others do exist, but are rarer and are generally similar to these classes.

Classification: Dropships are either Large or Small. Large ships require a double collar slot (not all jumpships can carry them). Small ships require just a single collar. 

Princess-class (11800t, Large Spheroid): The biggest, most luxurious dropship in existence. If you want to go somewhere in style, you ride a Princess. Most are owned by Canopian interests, but ply the IS spacelanes.

Mule-class (11200t, Large Spheroid): The Mule looks like a fat, over-sized Union. The Union is far more common, but it's the Mules that make IS commerce go round. It can carry more than TEN times that cargo a Union can. Its slow and not at all combat worthy, which means it should never drop into a hot LZ. Its perfect as a rear area logistics carrier though.

Vengeance (10000t, Large "Aerodyne"): The Vengeance is a dedicated deep space ASF carrier, able to carry up to 40 fighters. It looks like an aerodyne, but has only one set of drives, like a spheroid, and has a deck layout perpendicular to the drives, again like a spheroid. Together with the Achilles and the Pentagon, the Vengeance makes up the core of Successor State naval combat forces.

Overlord-class (9700t, Large Spheroid): Premiere IS military transport. The Overlord can carry a full battalion of mechs, command elements included, and 6 ASF. It's heavily armored and armed, with good accel and deep fuel tanks. Almost all of them are under House control (it's all merc commanders' wet dream to own one).

Dictator-class (9000t, Large Spheroid): Precursor to the Overlord. Can carry a battalion of 36 mechs, but no command element. It does not have room for any ASF. They are pretty rare in the IS these days, but more common (relatively speaking) in the Periphery, where many decommissioned vessels now ply the space lanes as ramshackle tramp freighters.

Triumph-class (8600t, Large Aerodyne): Among the largest aerodynes ever designed, the Triumph does for armored battalions what the Overlord does for mech battalions. It can carry a battalion's worth of tanks and armored vehicles, and the crews and techs needed to run them. Due to high operating costs it's pretty rare. It has a bad rep following some truly horrendous breakup-on-reentry events.

Lion-class (7215t, Large Spheroid): Called the poor man's Fortress. The Lion can carry the same mixed battalion the Fortress can, but without all the fancy support systems, like integrated artillery and C&C. It still plays an important role in several militaries (Taurian and Outworlds especially), where it's simple ruggedness is highly valued.

Fortress-class (6000t, Large Spheroid): Capable of transporting an entire mixed battalion (mechs, tanks and mechanized infantry), then supporting it in the fields with superior firepower, cargo capacity, command and control - and integrated artillery. It's rare and much sought after.

Monarch-class (5000t, Large Spheroid): The most common bulk passenger carrier in the Inner Sphere. Not for military use. House militaries sometimes use it to ferry soldiers (and their personal kits, but there is no room for anything more).

Achilles-class (4500t, Large Aerodyne): Dedicated space superiority dropship. It has room for 2 ASF and 2 small craft (typically boarding shuttles). It's considered Large because it requires a double collar to dock. The Achilles is about as close to real warship as the Successor States get, and they are very careful not to let anyone else get access to these ships.

Pentagon-class (4000t, Large Spheroid): Another space combat dropship. Where the Achilles is all about speed and working with ASF, the Pentagon is about big guns and heavy armor. Rare in all militaries, generally considered too valuable to actually use much, and held in naval reserve.

Buccaneer-class (3500t, Small Aerodyne): The Buccaneer was never a popular combat dropship, and higher operating costs per ton of cargo means it will never be as popular as the Union for carrying freight either. Still, you take what you can get, and the Buccaneer remains a pretty common sight in the Inner Sphere.

Union-class (3500t, Small Spheroid): Iconic spheroid. Easily the most common dropship in existence. It's incredibly rugged and versatile. But even more important is the fact that it's designed to require only a single collar (among the largest ships to do so). The military version is armed and armored and can carry 12 mechs and 2 ASF. The civilian version has no weapons, but can carry more cargo in its bays. Most militaries have come "civilian" Unions that they use to ship supplies into contested areas.

Trojan/Danais-class (3200t, Small Spheroid): Similar to the cargo Union, but with purely civilian roots. Originally known as the Danais. The Trojan version has had weapons and light armor added, at the expense of cargo capacity. It's quite popular in the Periphery and with militaries (mercs included) that can't get proper Unions.

Intruder-class (3000t, Small Spheroid): The Intruder (not to be confused with the jumpship of the same name) dropship is a dedicated assault transport, intended to deliver a full company of battle armor on top of the enemy. It's smaller than a Union, but even more heavily armed and armored. It can also carry 2 ASF and has ample room for cargo/light vehicles. It can operate equally well vs ground targets and in space-borne boarding actions.

Gazelle-class (2900t, Small Aerodyne): Military aerodyne dropship, used primarily for vehicle/personnel transport. It has a cargo deck and carry vehicles, but isn't a dedicated tank carrier. Instead its meant to ferry a company of mechanized infantry into battle. While the Gazelle-class does require extra maintenance over a Spheroid, its overall operating costs are rather low for an aerodyne, which makes it somewhat popular with merchants too.

Confederate-class (1860t, Small Spheroid): Basically a spheroid version of the Leopard. Carries a lance of 4 mechs and 2 ASF, plus some cargo. It's much less common than the Leopard. It costs more to purchase, but is cheaper to operate in the long run. It's supposedly vulnerable to ground fire, but that isn't rally supported by empirical data. Mostly seen in the Capellan Confederacy and the Rimward Periphery (Taurian and Canopian space).

Fury-class (1850t, Small Aerodyne): Very common light military transport. A single fury can carry a company's worth of light vehicles and a reinforced infantry company, as well as supplies and spare parts. They are known for being cheap and reliable, but lack the Leopard's reputation for resilience under fire. Some Furies have been converted to civilian use, as passenger lines or even as VIP transports (for those who don't think a simple drop shuttle is enough).

Leopard-class (1720t, Small Aerodyne): Iconic aerodyne lance-sized dropship. Can carry 4 mechs and 2 ASF. It's fast, agile, and quite tough in a fight. Due to its dual drive system it's pretty expensive to keep running (all aerodynes have this problem), but this is outweighed by its otherwise excellent characteristics.

Leopard CV-class (1720t, Small Aerodyne): Carrier version of the Leo. It has room for 6 ASF, but no mechs. It's intended to portect jumpships, ferry AS fighters, support them during fights, and help recover them after. Its FAR LESS common that the regular Leo.

Drop shuttle (Small craft): A wide variety of so-called drop shuttles exist. They are essentially miniature dropships. They are carried internally in a small craft bay, not externally. Most shuttles weigh around 200-300 tons. Both spheroid and aerodyne versions exist, but spheroids are cheaper to operate and therefore more common/popular.

Escape pod (Small Craft): Escape pods are rudimentary drop shuttles designed to be used only once. All jumpships carry 1 or more. Escape pods can both stay in deep space for prolonged periods of time and land on planets (but can't take off again if they do).

MECHS

Article about the history of mech technology.

Article about the current state of mech technology.

Article about Quad mechs.

Article about LAM mechs.

HPG

Article about interstellar communication.

Article about HPG operations.