Equestrian Jaeger Corps
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Research Notes: Jaegers
Author: Twilight Sparkle (J-Tech Research Division Head)
Doc ID: 000231
D.O.P: Not cleared for general release
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Jaeger - [Pro: Yeager, Trans: 'Hunter']
Having extensively studied both the data files aboard Midsummer Night and Brawler Yukon, I have written this article as somewhat of a compendium concerning Jaegers. This note will briefly cover the purpose and the Mark (Mk.) system used to classify Jaegers
The purpose of a Jaeger from data collected is fairly obvious, kill Kaiju. What though, makes them excel at this so much more than any other platform? Their high cost, both in material resources and technological requirements make them no small feat to construct and maintain. This in of itself makes the prospect of building and maintaining a large fleet of Jaegers somewhat of a daunting prospect. From the data and information I have studied though, I believe I have discovered the reason for the superiority of a Jaeger over ‘conventional’ forces.
Firstly, a Jaeger is able to go toe-to-toe with almost any Kaiju, their large size allowing them to fight the beasts on their level rather than being forced to scatter or face certain destruction. This coupled with their immense strength and agility (even a relatively slow Jaeger like Frontier Justice could outrun and outmanoeuvre all but the fastest of armoured vehicles.) allows them to engage Kaiju and in most cases, destroy them. Their ample power supply allows them to mount heavier weapons than would be possible on conventional forces and their aforementioned agility allows them to bring them to bear much more efficiently as well. While costly to maintain and potentially volatile (While I cannot confirm it for obvious reasons, a runaway reactor reaction could be potentially fatal to both the Jaeger, crew and any nearby terrain features), a Jaeger’s power core could easily supply an entire city with its power needs if required.
In addition to the obvious combat benefits that a Jaeger would possess, it is also worth considering the morale boost that such a machine offers. Seeing an eighty metre high equine construction fight and defeat the creature that was tearing your home apart would no doubt give you reason to cheer. The popularity of the Jaeger program, even in its infancy, reflects this rather well.
Marks
The Mark system of classification is a little bit of a misnomer. While most ponies would normally assume that a higher Mk. Jaeger is better than a lower Mk. one. This isn’t always case, although generally I assume development of technologies would lead to improvements in Jaeger design rather than deteriorating quality (or so I’d hope…). In truth though, the Mk. of a Jaeger actually does little more than to refer to its year of manufacture.
Despite this, I have still managed to classify Mks. by using their defining characteristics. Note that I’ve used the human Jaegers found in the database as our Jaegers seem to not quite meet these guidelines nor do we have enough different Mks. to make an interesting comparison.
Mk.1s: Seem to be test beds and basic hulls, with fewer advanced systems in comparison to newer Jaegers. Interesting to note that despite their technological ‘roughness’ they are still brutally efficient, possessing enough power to either beat a Kaiju into submission or basic tricks which allows them to overcome an enemy. These Jaegers, despite the rapidity that they were assembled with, are mostly superior to anything we have manufactured as of yet.
I will also note at this juncture for all those who constantly remind me that our Mk.1 Jaegers bear some similarities to human Mk.1s that several of our own designs have indeed been based off successful human Mk.1s as the technology present in these machines is much easier to replicate and fabricate than higher Mks. I would expect as our technological aptitude increases our designs will become more divergent from human designs.
Ref: Romeo Blue, Cherno Alpha, Coyote Tango. Horizon Brave, Tacit Ronin
Mk.2s: These Jaegers seem to be simply redeveloped Mk.1s; system overhauls, improved software and more efficient systems built into Mk.1 or similar to Mk.1 hulls. These Jaegers also possess some measure of experimental capacity, a few being fitted with weapons or systems which seem to be unique to that Jaeger. Other than the extensive data on Midsummer Night that is available, little other information is available for this Jaeger design. Why this would be case I can only speculate on although the performance records of these Jaegers compared to the Mk.3s may have something to do with it.
Ref: Midsummer Night, Eden Assassin
Mk.3s: From what I can tell, these machines are the workhorses (no pun intended) of the Pan Pacific Defence Corp. Fitted with improved reactor technologies, stronger and lighter alloys, newer control mechanisms and interfaces and generally improved weapons, these Jaegers are a world above the Mk.2 design. Most Jaeger drops seem to involve at least one Mk.3 supporting two or three other Mk.2/1s over a wide deployment area. Although fitted with mostly unremarkable weapons and comparatively primitive construction, one Jaeger in particular, Gipsy Danger*, has achieved a record of five kills before destruction; an impressive feat considering the number of confirmed breaches on Earth.
Ref: Gipsy Danger, Chrome Brutus, Vulcan Specter. Shaolin Rogue
Mk.4s: These are the elites, the best of the best. The Mk.4s are some of the advanced machines of their time, sporting a dizzying array of combat techniques, weapons and designs to accomplish their goal: killing Kaiju. Each of the five Jaegers in this class are highly attuned, being specifically designed around the unique abilities of their pilots. Probably the best example of this would be Crimson Typhoon, a three armed Jaeger hailing from the nation of China** which has a unique three pilot control system and if combat records and simulator drops are to be believed, capable of performing front flips in combat! I personally consider this method of combat highly impractical compared to the simply brute efficiency of the original Mk.1s and the newer Mk.3s suggesting that these Jaegers were created to show the perceived superiority of Jaegers over Kaiju, a guess that their mostly solo combat record seems to support.
Ref: Mammoth Apostle, Crimson Typhoon
Mk.5: According to records there is only one Mk.5 in existence, the Australian*** Jaeger Striker Eureka. There are annoyingly few files on the Jaeger itself though, leaving anecdotal evidence the main source of information. According to my dubious sources (two humans who I’m quite sure were just messing with me at this point.), the Jaeger is capable of running at over 350 kilometres an hour at length, weighs about as much as a feather, has brass balls the size of a county (I feel this is a joke I’ve missed, brass would hardly be a suitable material to construct a Jaeger with) and can disembowel a CAT IV Kaiju in under thirty seconds single-handedly. How much of this is actual fact and not just fancy remains to be seen.
Ref: Striker Eureka
* Despite my best attempts to divine some sort of naming pattern for Jaegers I’ve managed to come up with absolutely nothing other than pure whimsy and what Shane describes as ‘Rule of cool.’
** A well-developed nation on Earth. While my attempts to research the human home world have netted some results, the two main sources of information (i.e. Shane and Michael) have so far been unwilling to part with much information.
*** Another nation of Earth whose dialect of speech is what I can only describe as incomprehensible.
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Equestrian Jaeger Corps