Military technology is a rapidly changing thing, especially now, with the Confederation's discovery of Star League era hardware and the blueprints necessary to precisely recreate it, the Grey Death Legion's discovery of an ancient Star League memory core, the NAIS's (and others') reinvention of old equipment and invention of new equipment, and Comstar's release of hoarded technology all combining to form a major technological renaissance.
Because of this, units or even weapons that are theoretically the same may perform radically differently. For convenience, CAFALL has defined a set of tech levels to describe the equipment in use.
Tech Level One describes the level of technology in general use before and during the Fourth Succession War. This includes standard autocannons, lasers, and long- and short-range missile racks of all sizes, the basic PPC, flamer, and machine gun, the Thumper, Sniper, and Long Tom artillery pieces, and standard armor, engines, heat sinks, and internal structure.
Tech Level Two describes Star League level technology. It includes the basic Level One technology, and adds improved weaponry like the KWI (Ultra) and Lubalin Ballistics autocannons, extended-range heavy lasers and PPCs, pulse lasers, Gauss rifles, and the Arrow IV missile launcher and the target acquisition gear mated with it, improved construction materials like Endo Steel, Ferro-Fibrous armor, double-strength heat sinks, extra-light engines, and CASE.
Also included are advanced electronics such as the Guardian ECM system, the Beagle active probe, myomer acceleration signal circuitry, the Artemis IV, Narc, and basic (two-missile) Streak missile guidance systems, Swarm and Thunder munitions, one-shot missile launchers, and anti-missile systems.
Level Two technology is described in detail in the Comstar document "Technical Readout 2750".
Tech Level Three encompasses all the advanced technology of Level Two technology, with one exception:
Genuine Star League era Gauss rifles had more accurate timing controls than any modern manufacturers have been able to produce, and were therefore able to accelerate their projectiles to higher velocities than modern guns. This, in turn, allowed them to pack the same amount of kinetic energy into a lighter slug. Because of this, units equipped with Tech Level 2 Gauss rifles can carry 10 rounds of ammunition in the same weight and space Tech Level 3 Gauss rifles require for 8 rounds. There are very few of these original guns still in existence; the Confederation is known to possess at least one Highlander equipped with such a weapon, apparently the original rifle installed at the factory some three hundred years past, but the rumors of others have gone unconfirmed.
In addition, Tech Level Three includes new advances by the Successor Houses beyond the original state of Star League technology. Specifically, the triple-strength myomer perpetrated upon the Capellan Confederation by House Davion and perfected by the NAIS and CAF R&D is included, along with the C3 computer systems newly fielded by the Draconis Combine.
Tech Level Four encompasses technology currently still considered experimental. Though some machines using this technology may be in the field, it should not be considered reliable, and most of it is only found on prototypes, if even there.
Specific instances of Level Four technology include:
Larger caliber LB-X autocannons, undergoing field testing on the Confederate F-110 Riever, VTR-11LX Victor, and Demolisher Mark II. These weapons have proven reliable and will probably be going into full production soon.
Larger caliber Ultra autocannons, undergoing prototype testing on the Confederate Shrike II-X, the VTR-11CX Victor, and Demolisher Mark II. The new Ultra models have serious problems with jamming and occasional misfeeds with explosions resulting, and will probably not see real combat for some time. If the difficulties continue, it is likely that initial models of the new Demolisher will carry two LB-X autocannons rather than the LB-X/Ultra combination originally planned.
Streak SRM racks capable of handling more than two missiles. An SRM 6 Streak is undergoing field testing on the Confederate F-110 Riever. It has not yet been perfected; it is still quite common for one or more missiles to lose the target lock and miss the target. However, these difficulties appear to be nearly worked out, and in the meantime it is a distinct improvement on the standard SRM 6, and poses no explosion or similar threat to the launching craft, so it is likely that the slightly imperfect racks will go into full production soon, with refinements incorporated after the fact.
The Light Gauss Rifle, found on the MAL-2G variant of the Draconis Combine's new Mauler assault mech. This technology is working quite well, and is likely to be seen in the field as soon as the rest of the bugs in the Mauler are worked out and the design is finalized - all assuming, of course, that the production design is indeed the version that includes the light Gausses.
A host of new construction materials, including a lighter, bulkier version of the XL engine, supercharger technology designed to increase engine power output, lighter, bulkier, "XL" gyros, and smaller cockpits, all of which are found only on the CAT-9C Cheetah assigned to the Confederate Knights of the Cat. The Cheetah is a very expensive custom-built unit, and, while the technology is working well on the Cheetah, it has been so heavily optimized for that particular machine that it is unlikely that it could be readily adapted to a different chassis without a similarly long and expensive customization process.
The hardened armor and reinforced internal structure found on the Confederate JGR-2T Juggernaut. The Juggernaut is a proof-of-concept design only, and may never see actual production. The new construction materials used in the design appear to be safe, if heavy, technology, and may make an appearance on production designs in the near future.
New electronics systems, such as the Angel ECM suite and Bloodhound active probe, found on the Confederate OTT-8C Ostscout design. These systems are far from completion and are unlikely to be seen on the battlefield any time soon, as the OTT-8C currently exists only on paper.
The null-signature system on the EXT-4D Exterminator can actually be considered a piece of Level Two technology. However, due to the system's thorough integration with the basic design of the mech, incorporating one into any other machine would involve a great deal of rediscovering of the fundamental principles behind the system. Simply duplicating or scaling up existing prototypes is not possible. Thus, non-Exterminator machines with null-signature systems are considered Level Four technology. There is only one such design - the Confederate SMK-1E Smoke, which, so far, exists only on drawing boards.
Level Five technology includes the massive capitol ships of the Star League era that the Inner Sphere has so far been unable to recreate.