The Merchant Class JumpShip is the mainstay of the Inner Sphere trading fleets and can be seen at most jump points. Originally launched in 2503, the Merchant has proved a versatile design, and many even serve as military craft.
         The Merchant was originally designed for a crew of 40, but modifications over the past 500 years have reduced the crew requirement of most Merchants to 20 personnel. This reduction makes the Merchant seem much roomier than similar craft such as the Magellan, although most of the excess space created has been converted into cargo storage.
         The Merchant's bridge accommodates a captain, pilot and navigator. The captain sits in the center of the bridge on a raised platform that provides a superb view of the various monitoring stations. The pilot and navigator each have their own stations, which enable them to control the entire vessel.
         Like most other Inner Sphere JumpShips, the Merchant is virtually unarmed. The design carries a few anti-meteor weapons, but none of these are powerful enough to inflict damage on another vessel. Similarly, the vessel is only lightly armored, possessing just enough armor protection to survive a meteorite strike or a rough docking. Usually the Merchant also carries a pair of small craft, a light fighter and a shuttlecraft.
         The Merchant has two docking hardpoints, located along a reinforced portion of the cargo section. A pair of doors adjacent to these docking points provide access to the cargo section's three holds. Each hold can accommodate up to 200 tons of cargo. Some Merchants carry a module in the forward bay that provides accommodations for an additional 15 passengers but reduces the vessel's cargo capacity by 100 tons.