In the aftermath of the battle for Luthien, Draconis Combine troops salvaged several damaged Clan OmniMechs. Prominent Kurita scientists and manufacturers had already begun a crash OmniMech-development program using the spoils of their victory over Clan Smoke Jaguar on Wolcott, but had been unable to replicate any of the captured 'Mechs because the OmniMechs' ferro-fibrous armor and endo-steel skeletons were beyond their technological grasp. The spoils of Luthien, however, provided numerous examples of the Black Hawk, a Clan OmniMech that used standard materials for its internal structure and armor. Engineers at Luthien Armor Works led by Rurik Drascir swiftly realized that they could copy this OmniMech, and immediately began converting their primary factory to produce the Black Hawk-KU. The new 'Mech matched the Clan Black Hawk in maneuverability, weapons load, and protection. Because Inner Sphere weapons are heavier than their Clan counterparts, the designers had to upgrade the engine and internal skeleton, adding 20 percent to the 'Mech's overall weight.
         The Black Hawk-KU fought well for the Combine and other governments, especially during the assault on Smoke Jaguar territory, the FedCom Civil War, the First Combine-Dominion War, and of course the Jihad. The same simple components that made it possible to replicate the design also made it easy to keep it in service. Only the extra-light engine proved difficult to maintain as the Jihad destroyed one advanced factory after another, but Coordinator Ricol ordered the organization of an organization devoted to salvaging and preserving what advanced engines they could, and much of the fruits of this laber went into keeping the Black Hawks alive. Still, by the end of the Jihad many of them were nonfunctional
         Faced with what looked to be the general loss of one of the most effective OmniMechs the Combine had, Coordinator Ricol ordered that the Black Hawk-KU be redesigned with a standard fusion engine. Rurik Drascir led the process, as he had with the other OmniMechs, and helped to make the reborn Black Hawk-KU into what is now the most common single OmniMech in the service of the Dragon.

       Like most heavy 'Mechs, the Black Hawk-KU2 is slower than lighter machines and has less impressive firepower than assault 'Mechs. However, the use of OmniMech technology and a solid understanding of its advantages make this 'Mech a flexible and deadly machine. It is slower than the KU, and Rurik Drascir took responsibility for removing the jump jets from the base design. Between the smaller engine and the jump jet removal, the KU2's pod space was increased to 24 tons, nearly half the design's total weight. With a near maximum load of Star Slab Glaze laser-reflective armor, this allows the design to absorb far more damage than the KU and remain combat effective.
       In its primary configuration, the Black Hawk-KU mounts a total of ten standard lasers in arm pods, plus two smaller lasers in armored blisters on either side of the cockpit. Jump jets improve its manueverability while MASC allows it to keep up with its ancestors and outrun most heavy BattleMechs in use even by realms that use recovered Star League technology.
       The alpha variant is equipped with dual snub-nosed particle cannons and MASC, though drops the jump jets in favor of extra heat sinks. The beta variant also carries medium-range weapons, another snub-nosed particle canon and an autocannon. The charlie variant drops the MASC in favor of the jump jets and carries a high-velocity autocannon and a medium laser. The delta variant carries a light particle cannon and massive LRM rack that can worry even the most heavily armored opponents. The echo variant lacks both MASC and jump jets. It is most often used in static defense situations however, where its twin autocannons can rain down accurate weapons fire against even heavily ECMed and agile BattleMechs at over a kilometer away. Lasers and a flamer allow it to deal with shorter-ranged foes and even infantry should its position be overrun. The remaining version, the foxtrot variant, carries two particle cannons and as many heat sinks as the design can carry.

       While the Black Hawk-KU was sold and licensed to other nations before the Jihad, Coordinator Ricol recalled all such licenses after Coordinator Kurita was murdered. Any that claim to build the design do so illegally. The KU2 has only ever been deployed in the most trusted Combine units and therefore has remained a design that is truly unique to the Draconis Combine. Its heavy armor, heavy weapons load, and manueverabilty make it a favorite of Combine MechWarriors, making it the most common single OmniMech in service to the Dragon.