At the height of the Coalition's invasion in 3068, by forces unknown, it became clear the hard-pressed BCAF would be forced to fight for the major cities of their worlds on a block-by-block basis.

In those sort of scenarios, what you need are large, heavily-armed units, specifically configured for close-quarters combat.

Once again, the BCAF's Chief of Staff turned to Coldstream Technologies for a solution.

Originally conceived as a one-off design, the Defender began as a multi-role mech that was, nevertheless, ideally suited to the brutal short to medium range battles, common to urban warfare.

It was decided to design the new mech with an LRM20 missile launcher as it's primary ranged weapon. An Artemis IV fire control system was also fitted to improve targeting and accuracy.

The original concept was to use a pair of these launchers, enabling the pilot to unleash up to 40 long range missiles in a single volley, but their large size and high heat build-up resulted in a re-think.

Eventually, it was decided to complete the weapons loadout with an ever-reliable Luxor Class 10 autocannon, an extended range particle cannon, to augment its long-range capability and a quartet of extended range medium lasers, two of which are rear-mounted to   ensure sneak attacks do not go unpunished.

The Defender X is extremely well protected against the ravages of close-range combat, with 19.5 tons of standard armour plating and an ECM suite. The use of a standard engine increases its chances of survival, as does the installation of CASE.

The use of 15 double heat sinks, means the pilot should rarely encounter overheating problems, even in the fiercest fighting.

Yet to see combat...but with the way the invasion is going, it is surely only a matter of time.

The Defender also comes in Y and Z variants, following the decision of both the BCAF Command staff and the designers at Coldstream, to create more specialised versions.

The Defender is being rushed to city militias across the Caledonian ADR as fast as they can be produced.