Introduced in 2660, the quick, agile Mongoose soon became popular with Star League light lance commanders. Though the 'Mech was originally designed for deep reconnaissance, commanders began to adapt it for command and control duties as soon as they discovered that the Mongoose's advanced sensor array and associated central processing units would allow them to easily coordinate the activities of an entire light company. Demand for this new vehicle was high, and by 2668, the design had become the standard command 'Mech for all light and recon lances. The Mongoose was designed to replace the venerable Locust, with ground speed, rather than jumping ability, as the key to the 'Mech's maneuverability. An instant success with field commanders, the 'Mech is considered an outstanding design. The 'Mech's armament is based entirely on energy weapons, freeing it from an undue reliance on resupply. This makes the Mongoose an ideal deep-recon 'Mech or raider.