Spotlight: Donar Assault Helicopter

[DeJaVu]

[12 October 3070; MercNet] The last decade or so has brought a resurgence of interest in the combat helicopter in the Inner Sphere, especially in the former Chaos March during the turbulent 3060s. Firms like Cal-Boeing of Dorwinion and Michaelson Heavy Industries of Ruchbah have made a fortune selling these lightweight combat machines to the militaries of the Inner Sphere.
For centuries the much-maligned Warrior H-7 was the only internationally-known combat helicopter, and then mostly due to the success and low cost of Michaelson’s Yellow Jacket Gunship, more airframes were designed and built. Even the Clans have one, the Donar. And every Inner Sphere swing-wing manufacturer would sell his or her children to get the design molds for that machine.
Like Michaelson’s Yellow Jacket and Hawk Moth gunships, the Donar is built mostly around a single powerful weapon, in this case the magnificent Clan extended-range large laser. It is supplemented by a pair of short-range missile launchers, much like the Warrior’s. It’s also faster than the Yellow Jacket, faster even than the Hawk Moth and can match that airframe’s engagement range of 750 meters.
There are a handful of captured Donars in the Inner Sphere, relics of the obliteration of the Smoke Jaguars by the second Star League, and rumors that for a truly astronomical price you can buy one from the Diamond Sharks, but neither of those options offers much hope. Unless and until the Inner Sphere can match this machine, the Clans will have the edge in combat helicopter design.