compiled overview of the 30
ton Javelin 'Mech, from various
BattleTech novels and game sourcebooks:
The JVN-1 ON
Javelin is one of the newer recon vehicles used by the armies of the
Successor States. First produced in 2751, the light
'Mech still had not been entirely integrated into many
'Mech regiments by the beginning of the
First Succession War in 2786. The
Javelin's appearance on the battlefield caught many combatants off guard.
House Davion took a particular interest in the
Javelin's development, introducing the
'Mech into many
recon lances. Today, after its use in centuries of
Succession Wars, the
Javelin is known as a reliable scout
'Mech.
The
Javelin's main function is reconnaissance, though it is also used extensively in
ambushes,
giving rise to the widespread use of the phrase "sneaky as a Javelin".
The
Javelin is fast and maneuverable, its
Rawlings 95 jump jets providing it with enough
thrust to leap as far as 180 meters in a single jump. With these movement capabilities, the
Javelin can avoid having to engage heavier
'Mechs.
The
Javelin has several disadvantages common to recon
'Mechs. Its armament is designed only for short and medium ranges, and so a
Javelin pilot must take care to avoid being caught by long-range fire. The
'Mech's two racks of
Arrowlite SRM-6 systems are devastasting at short range, however, and many light and medium enemy
'Mechs have come under a rain of concentrated missile fire from a
lance of
Javelins as a result of poor scouting.
With its ample missile ammunition supply, the
Javelin does not run out of ammo as quickly as other
'Mechs, making it useful in rear-guard or holding actions. Once its missiles are
spent, however, commanders usually try to pull a
Javelin out of action because its light armor makes it a poor
hand-to-hand combat fighter.
The
Javelin design has one other, less-known problem.
Its torso-mounted missile racks and ammunition supply pull the 'Mech's center of gravity dangerously far forward when it is at full-load displacement. This tends to make the machine somewhat top-heavy and prone to falls when moving at high speeds in difficult terrain.
During the bloody battle of
Kentares IV in March of 2796, Bunk's
Recon Lance of
Rejold's Battalion,
Davion's
Second Crucis Lancers, awaited the arrival of
Kurita forces, with orders to send immediate warning of their approach. As the enemy advanced, the three
Javelins and one
Wasp of Bunk's Lance signalled the
Davion headquarters, then waited in covered positions.
After the enemy had passed by, Bunk's Lance rose up and bombarded the rear units of the
Kurita 'Mechs, destroying one
Phoenix Hawk and heavily damaging two others. Bunk's Lance then jumped out of position, pursued by more than a company of the enemy. Using leapfrogging tactics, the
Javelins kept up
a harassing bombardment of missile fire until they were in support range of heavier friendly units.
Javelins also played a major role in the Second Battle of
Cylene II in December, 3002. In that battle, the recon lances of
House Davion's
Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry were hidden in a moderately sized recreational lake known as
Waterhole Number Nine. Composed mostly of
Javelins, these recon lances were put in standby mode while they waited under 30 meters of water for the rest of the
Davion forces to pull back from the advancing
Kurita army. With their heat signatures hidden by the deep water, the
Davion recon lances went undetected until the heavy
'Mechs of
Kurita's assault regiments entered the lake to begin attacking the
Davion defense line, some 400 meters away. Suddenly,
Kurita 'Mechs started collapsing into the water amid huge explosions as the
Javelins' missiles hit them at point blank range. At the same moment, the
Davion land forces counterattacked, routing the enemy and inflicting heavy losses. Shortly after this encounter,
Kurita forces evacuated
Cylene II.
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