As the Confederation's new stealth armor system approached final testing, the Strategios wanted a say in which BattleMech would first showcase the new technology. The 'Mech of choice was the Raven, which had already gained a reputation in the Inner Sphere as a cutting-edge reconnaissance and vanguard unit. After proving the concept of the stealth armor system on an established design, Hellespont moved to create a new medium 'Mech that would showcase the new armor.
         Hellespont Industries wisely chose to use the Raven chassis as the starting point and discovered that with a slightly heavier frame and alteration to the electronics package, a stealth armor system would work beyond projected expectations. This would become the Sha Yu, the Shark, named for its bullet-shaped forward thrusting cockpit on which an engineer painted an old combat decoration more often seen on fighter craft. A fitting description, Hellespont finally decided, given that the Sha Yu certainly had "teeth."

         Lightly armored, the Sha Yu's primary focus is not close-range combat. The inclusion of a TAG spotting laser is more a leftover from the original Raven design, though the TAG does have a tendency to deter larger 'Mechs from closing and risking a directed Arrow IV artillery strike.
         Central to the BattleMech's field tactics is, of course, the stealth armor system that employs the Guardian Electronics Countermeasures system to create a "reduced targeting profile." Radar and thermal imaging systems both have trouble acquiring target locks. So, in effect, while no enemy will want to close pointblank with a Sha Yu, the Shark also maintains a serious advantage at longer range.
         The Sha Yu typically does most of its damage with the twin ER large lasers, dancing around at the medium ranges and relying on its incredible speed to keep a tactical edge. Enemy machines brave enough to close will quickly feel the added bite of its paired medium lasers, swapped out for one of the large lasers, or simply added to the salvo in a blistering attack.
         In fact, if the Sha Yu has a disadvantage it is the tendency of the MechWarriors to overuse the "alpha strike" capability of the machine and run extremely high heat levels. MechWarriors who pilot the Sha Yu have taken to calling out "blood in the waters" as a warning to lancemates they are about to attempt such a feat. Running cool to that point, likely at middle to close ranges for the large lasers, suddenly the Sha Yu turns inward and uses their formidable speed advantage to close within effective range of the medium lasers. The battle at this point can degenerate into either a slugging match, with debilitating heat effects quickly reducing the Sha Yu's effectiveness, or a saber dance of high-speed passes followed by evasive runs in which the 'Mech fires little while cooling off from the previous all-out strike.

         The Sha Yu is a very recent addition to the CCAF rosters and has been shipped in numbers only to high-profile units such as the Capellan Hussars, Warrior Houses and McCarron's Armored Cavalry. A few of these 'Mechs have worked their way into middle-guard regiments, but remain isolated test cases to see if those warriors can learn to employ this design effectively.
         Despite its Guardian ECM System and the TAG laser, CCAF directives highly recommended that the Sha Yu be employed offensively rather than as a recon unit. Any command deploying the Sha Yu is also advised to field a Catapult with Arrow IV capability, the better to threaten an enemy into keeping his distance.