The Kumo was conceived by the DCMS prior to the FC Civil War, and not a moment too soon. Coordinator Kurita wanted a new, light, inexpensive, fast-attack vehicle for the Dragon's conventional units and commissioned Independence Weaponry of Quentin to "come up with something new". Meaning "Cloud" in Japanese, the Kumo drifts or floats from one battle situation to another in relative quickness with an adequate amount of firepower for its size.

           What sets the Kumo apart is that on paper, it offers nothing special. In actuality, this is far from the truth. The Kumo's designers implemented a novel suspension system that allow the wheeled tank to be almost as effective on rough terrain as it is on paved roads. The rear suspension system is completely self-contained within the rear of the vehicle, leaving nothing exposed to enemy fire. Access panels beneath the vehicle behind skid plates allow easy acess for maintenance crews to get at.

         A small Nissan fusion powerplant allws the 25-ton Kumo to reach speeds approaching 120 km/h, which puts it in good stead amongst contemporaries in its own weight class and type. Only three tons of Kallon Unity Weave armor protect the Kumo, although CASE is an integral part of the chassis. Kumo pilots are advised to keep moving, lest they become a sitting duck.

         The Kumo's sole source of firepower comes from its Mydron Rotary D-2 autocannon. Originally, the prototype Kumo utlized an Imperator Class 5 autocannon, but somewhere in the course of development, the Independence team "acquired" a large batch of the Davion-produced multi-barrel autocannons. A single tonof reloads are stored in the CASE-protected chassis, and allow the Kumo to make its presence felt whether in urban or open terrain.

         A battalion of Kumos had just been delivered when the FC Civil War offically began. Soon after that conflict started, the war of succession between the Sandovals erupted, and Draconis March forces pressed into Kurita space. One such unit who recieved the new tanks was the 2nd Arkab, who used the Kumo to great effectiveness defending urban areas from advancing Davion units, including the Robinson Rangers.

         A single variant of the Kumo has been produced. Designated "Type II", this version mounts a Victory Nickel Alloy large laser, a Victory Heartbeat medium laser, an aditional heat sink and almost three more tons of armor, including the removal of the CASE unit. With the T2's extra staying power, the Kumo requires additional protection. The lasers are mounted in the same forward bay as the T1's autocannon system.

         Additionally, five copies of the original Kumo, designated Type I-X, are known to exist. These all carry the Imperator-5 autocannon and a single ton of reloads, but none are known to have seen any combat.

"The Big Ragu"

         This is the name of the first prototype Kumo. Painted by one of the Kumo's developers, Luigi Totti, it resmbled a "metallic bowl of spaghetti" when viewed by the Coordinator upon first blush. After field trials however, the laughing stopped, and the orders were processed.

         Kumos have been primarily fielded by the Legion of Vega, the Arkab Legions, and other Davion-front forces. They are prized for their excellent handling in desert planets which populate a good size of the Draconis-Fed Suns border.