Name:  Drone Carrier Control System
Type (Category):  Equipment (Other)
Reference:  Tactical Operations: Advanced Units & Equipment (p. 117)

Description:
Not to be confused with the fully autonomous robotic control systems used by the infamous Caspar-class drones of the Star League era, the drone control systems used in the 31st century instead reflect a less sophisticated remote-control command and operating system, where human hands direct the intelligence of unmanned vehicles. Because of their reliance on communications, remote drone systems are highly susceptible to ECM, and they are often far less effective than piloted machines. These factors alone have prevented remote drone control and operating systems from becoming commonplace on the battlefield.

Game Rules:
To operate any remote drone network, a dedicated carrier control system must be present, functional and free from interference. Drone networks of any available vehicle type can be controlled by any friendly carrier control system (also of any available vehicle type). However, groundbased networks (without satellite aid) have a maximum functional radius of 80 kilometers (about 160 BattleTech mapsheets) before ground clutter and background interference renders them incoherent. Aerospace-based carrier control systems (including satellite-based systems) that maintain an unbroken line of sight have a much longer range at 3 million kilometers (after which communications lag makes any drones far less responsive to control).

A drone control unit and all of its attached drones are treated as a single unit for Initiative purposes. Drone control units automatically detect any units detectable by the drones they control (including hidden units adjacent to the drones or within range of drone-based active probes), but must adhere to standard rules for determining line of sight to attack such units. Drones can be used as LRM indirect fire spotters. However, when used in such a fashion, the movement modifier for the drone control unit (as well as that of the spotting drone) must also be applied to the attacker’s to-hit roll. Furthermore, the +1 modifier for the spotting unit making attacks also applies if the drone control unit makes its own attacks in the same turn (a +2 modifier applies if both the spotting drone and the drone control unit make attacks in the same turn as they are used to spot for indirect fire).

All hostile ECM (including Guardian, Angel and Watchdog systems, screen launchers and chaff) disrupts the signal between drone carriers and their drones if they occur in the line of sight between them. If an ECM bubble includes the carrier control unit, all drones in the carrier’s network are affected. Otherwise, the bubble only disrupts the operations of the drones to which it blocks the carrier’s LOS. Critical hits that affect the sensors of a unit with a carrier control system (or the carrier control system itself) also disable the drone control network. Critical hits that result in a Crew Stunned, Crew Killed or Commander Hit effect on a unit using a drone carrier control system also disable the network. For as long as these effects last, the drone control unit will be unable to communicate with the drones.

Drones suffering from communications failure (either due to damage or the interference as described above) simply cease operations and become immobile targets on the ground (or continue to coast along their last known velocity, vector and facing in space. Airborne drones in the space/atmosphere interface, atmospheric row or ground row hexes of the High-Altitude Map fall 1 hex per turn of communications failure, starting during the Movement Phase (Aerospace) on the turn following the turn communication fails. If there are two equal hexes to fall into, randomly determine which hex the unit enters. If players are using Low-Altitude Movement, the airborne drone falls three altitudes each turn. If it enters a Ground Hex (on the High-Altitude Map) or Altitude 0 (if using Low-Altitude Movement), the airborne drone crashes. If communications are later reestablished—before the carrier control unit or its drones are destroyed—the drones may resume operating normally.

Combat Vehicles

Prototype Date:	—
Production Date:	ES
Extinction Date:	—
Recovery Date:	—

Combat Vehicle Specific Construction Rules

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT COMBAT AND CONSTRUCTION TABLE * See rules for this equipment
IT = Item Tonnage (weight of component itself)

RULES LEVEL PROGRESSION TABLE
ALPHA STRIKE WEAPON CONVERSION TABLE
Special Unit Abilities

MegaMek Output → Critical Slot:  ISDroneCarrierControlSystem
Record Sheet Output → Critical Slot:  Drone Carrier Control System (%IS% Drone%ISS%)

Prototype Date:	—
Production Date:	ES
Extinction Date:	—
Recovery Date:	—

Combat Vehicle Specific Construction Rules

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT COMBAT AND CONSTRUCTION TABLE * See rules for this equipment
IT = Item Tonnage (weight of component itself)

RULES LEVEL PROGRESSION TABLE
ALPHA STRIKE WEAPON CONVERSION TABLE
Special Unit Abilities

MegaMek Output → Critical Slot:  ISDroneCarrierControlSystem
Record Sheet Output → Critical Slot:  Drone Carrier Control System (%IS% Drone%ISS%)