The Drillson Heavy HoverTank is a new tank, first built in the 3020s as the Third Succession War was winding down. In keeping with the Lyran commanders' predisposition toward heavy combat vehicles, it is on of the heaviest hovertanks of the modern era.
         The Drillson is manufactured by Cyclops Incorporated, a newcomer to the field of military hardware, and of course they brought new ideas into the way in which hovercraft should be built. In the decades since, it became very popular in Lyran forces, and of course moved into the Federated Suns during the long alliance those two realms had. Cyclops also sold them to mercenary units, and the Drillson became the bar that heavy hovertanks were measured against.
         Some people upgraded the design during the Clan Invasion, but the basic Drillson remained the most popular version until the Word of Blake Jihad. During that war the Battle Magic mercenary unit upgraded the missile launchers and used them to great effect. Later, as the war continued, Battle Magic and Cyclops Incorporated worked together to build the modern Drillson and that version has remained a popular seller for all of the last three decades.

         The Drillson's main weapon is the turret-mounted Cyclops Eye Laser, unique among heavy lasers for having a small emission blister instead of the typical long barrel. This gun uses both laser technology and particle-beam technology. Instead of firing a beam of coherent light or a stream of electrons, the Cyclops Eye fires a combination of both. The excited photons release electrons, which in turn release more excited photons, creating a beam of tremendous power. Though not any more effective in combat than the other lasers, the Cyclops Eye Laser is much easier to maintain and manufacture.
         Another interesting feature of the Drillson is the Evil Eye Tracking & Targeting System. Though it does not use any new components, the interface between the gunner and the turret is unique. The gunner sits inside the lower turret ring in front of a wraparound video monitor that provides him with a 360-degree view. The gunner has the choice of operating the video monitors to operate in IR, visual light, or radar spectrums - or of switching between them. The gunner's helmet projects a sight reticule onto the screen, which lines up the turret with whatever target the gunner is viewing. The various weapons systems then adjust themselves so that the weapon will hit the target.
         Skyefire Multi-Missile Launchers, mass market versions of the racks that Battle Magic first used on Outreach, give the Drillson impressive long and short ranged firepower. A lance of Drillsons with these launchers actually destroyed several BattleMechs on Outreach when the Word of Blake's mercenaries first attacked, giving them a good first test on the battlefield.
         The two Kicker Machine Guns, remnants of the original design, are a fairly standard design, using large-caliber ammunition at the expense of rate of fire. Some engineers suggested replacing them with small pulse lasers to give the Drillson better anti-infantry capabilities, and a number of examples saw construction, but in the end they chose to keep the older guns as they are easier to keep operational, an important consideration for mercenary units.
         Unlike most Steiner designs, the Drillson is considered swift, especially for the armor it carries. The new Shipil engine that Cyclops first modified to work on the Glaive made itself at home on the Drillson like it was designed for her. Indeed, the tank seems to handle more like a fighter than a hovertank and can keep up with some of the fastest 'Mechs and vehicles around. The upgraded ArcShield Super Heavy armor that Cyclops added in 3069 is heavy enough to withstand the most severe punishment a 'Mech battlefield commonly delivers. Though it is as vulnerable to fire as any other hovercraft, the Drillson's variety of weapons, heavy firepower, speed, and heavy armor make it a formidable vehicle that few can ignore.

         Built on Skye and Northwind, the modern Drillson is heavily used both in the Federation of Skye and by the mercenaries of the Allied Mercenary Command. This gives the Drillson an impressive deployed range, with people throughout the Human Sphere seeing them on a regular basis. Easy for technicians to work on, and capable of using any missile ammunition that happens to be on hand, most mercenaries swear by the hardy craft.