Combine society rests upon five "pillars", with emphasis placed upon the military (the Pillar of Steel). That philosophy extends to the very core of Combine life; a blow dealt to any of it shakes the foundations of the whole, but none more so than a threat to the Pillar of Steel. With that in mind, the loss of territory during the Fourth Succession War illustrated the start of a trend devastating to an already shaky economic and industrial base (the Pillar of Jade). House Kurita needed more than military might to survive.
         With that in mind, Theodore Kurita extended the program that had successfully rebuilt the DCMS to modernize the Combine's neglected industrial infrastructure. His plan was that by doing so, his realm's economy would benefit and House Kurita would escape its dependency on imported weapons, both objectives that were equally worthwhile.
         Cosby BattleMech Research Firm (CBR) made their debut as a BattleMech manufacturer with their No-Dachi design. Now provided with the funding to expand their Vega plant, they planned to secure lucrative contracts. The prestige (or lack thereof) of their former designs, however, proved a problem within the honor-driven society. Several premier units shunned the No-Dachi because of its links with the Legion of Vega.
         To combat this, CBR made an effort to expand their list of designs. They had acquired manufacturing rights for the Crusader years before in a hostile takeover. By using an existing chassis but upgrading its physical appearance, the development costs were slashed; CBR had a 'Mech they could sell to "picky" units, and the Coordinator looked favorably on a rapid return on his investment.

         Like the ubiquitous "Missile Boat" of the Succession Wars era, the redesigned Crusader retains the ability to rain missiles upon a target with two arm-mounted Shigunga MRM-30 launchers. The 'Mech scores over the similarly armed CPLT-5K Catapult by mounting two powerful hand actuators to give extra punch in close combat. While the CDR-5K lacks auxiliary SRM launchers, the MRMs are backed up with four torso-mounted medium lasers, two of which are pulse models. Designed primarily as an in-fighter, the CDR-5K's performance in this role is enhanced with jump jets, heavy armor and a C3 Slave unit.
         A CASE protected magazine holds almost a thousand MRMs. While an ammunition explosion will probably disable the Crusader, the MechWarrior's odds of survival are greatly improved and the unit will remain salvageable.

         The CDR-5K Crusader reached front line units during the close of the First Dominion/Combine War. Acting as the "point 'Mech" for C3 formations in the Sword of Light and Ryuken, losses were regrettably high. The Ghost Bears' casualties were just as bad, however-earning the CDR-5K respect from both the DCMS and their Clan opponents. Their losses were far heavier during the Jihad, but a few of them came to Azami territory with survivors of the Ryuken who chose to follow the Kurita family into exile. They proved the base for a resurgance of the design after the Jihad, and in Azami hands they have become a powerful weapon of the new Caliphate.