In the wake of the Clan Invasion, the Draconis Combine began looking for a new assault tank that could prosper in numerous roles. At the same time, Bulldog Enterprises was in negotiations with Cosara Weaponries of Northwind, which was expanding its production capabilities and looking to enter the vehicle market. The DCMS commission for a new vehicle proved to be a tailor-made opportunity for a joint design venture, and after several months of discussion and design work, Bulldog and Cosara submitted the Schiltron OmniTank for approval by the DCMS High Command.
         The Highlanders tested the design during the invasion of the Smoke Jaguar Occupation Zone during Operation Bulldog and its good performance guaranteed it a role in the Combine armies. The Word of Blake Jihad cut off Cosara's ability to deliver the tanks, but first the Dragoons and Tikonov began buying whatever they could build. As the Jihad continued, Cosara expanded production, and the slowly-assembling Star League Defense Force made more and more use of the design, even if Cosara no longer had access to the advanced Matabushi Coordinator computer system.
         Even with that lack, Schiltrons featured heavily in the final assaults on Terra, used by every nation, and they suffered horrendous casualties. Very few Schiltrons survived, and the survivors can now be seen scattered throughout the Human Sphere in penny packets by those who fought on Terra.
         But the end of the war gave Cosara time to consider the lessons of it, and they began looking over the various field upgrades done to the design during the war against the Word. In the end, after carefully examining battleroms from a half-dozen nations and scores of mercenary commands, they came up with the final plans for the Schiltron II OmniTank.

         The Schiltron enjoys a good reputation in the Allied Mercenary Command, easily on par with designs built by the Wolf's Dragoons such as the Bandit, Badger, and Kestrel. All use omni technology to increase their versatility, making enemies wonder what exactly they face when they see one coming for them.
         The Schiltron has a CherrySeed Guardian built on Glengarry by the Gray Death Legion permanently integrated into its electronics suite. The CherrySeed makes it easy to hide when it wants to hide, and easier for the Schiltron to jam enemy target locks. The CherrySeed has saved many Schiltrons over the years, and some suggest that the tank would not have survived as a design without it.
         The modern Schiltron uses communications and targeting gear originally designed by Cyclops Incorporated of Skye. The Evil Eye targeting system is loved by those who crew the tanks, featuring an advanced surround video system that allows the gunner to keep track of what is going on all around the tank. Virtually on par with the systems a BattleMech enjoys, the gunner simply looks at his target, the system locks on, and he pulls the trigger. Enemies are most often surprised by the pure speed with which a modern Schiltron can respond to a flank attack, forcing them to be wary of the design.
         The tank has 47 tons of pod space, and can potentially mount as many weapons as the heaviest Inner Sphere OmniMech. Even with Clan technology, many have a hard time matching the Schiltron for the sheer volume of firepower it can deliver, even if it does use recovered Star League technologies in its construction.
         Most critics of the design cite its relative lack of armor for a vehicle of its size, as well as its tremendous production costs, though units that field them most often swear by them.

         Cosara builds few of these designs compared to the hectic days of the Jihad. Even the largest wars of the post-Jihad ear are mere sideshows compared to that conflict, and most nations have returned to using tanks produced inside their borders rather than supporting a foreign company. Cosara's sales therefore have slumped, with their only major buyers being member units of the Allied Mercenary Command. Even these modest sales have resulted in an impressive deployed status though, and people throughout the Human Sphere have seen Schiltrons commanded by mercenary units. With almost everyone having seen images of Schiltrons fighting the Word, these tanks are almost always welcomed by the people as their implacable protectors.