Luthien Armor Works received a license to manufacture the Blackjack from Ceres Metal Works in the St. Ives Compact, as part of the Combine’s technology exchange program to combat the Clans. Luthien Armor Works began producing the design it received for the BJ-2 version, but only a few examples of this ’Mech rolled off the assembly line before plant executives ended production and retooled the line to manufacture an OmniMech version.
       The BJ2-0 Blackjack was the first OmniMech design exported for manufacturing, in this case to Irian BattleMechs Unlimited. Though this level of technological exchange seemed remarkably enlightened at the time, the inability of the design's firmware to accept any weapons other than those built by the Draconis Combine colored the opinions of the buyers. While the "bugs" in the system were "fixed", LAW's foreign customers never regained their full trust in the company.
         When the Jihad struck and the Combine began losing access to factories that built the recovered Star League technologies, the DCMS soon realized the need to begin building BattleMechs they could maintain should their "Dark Age" scenarios come to pass. They ordered Luthien Armor Works to begin designing new versions of their BattleMechs and OmniMechs that could survive, and LAW quickly went to work. Rurik Drascir led the design process, and soon their "Dark Age" list grew until they had a handful of designs on the boards that could be maintained and built even if all advanced Star League technologies were lost.
         The Blackjack OmniMech was only the second OmniMech, brought into production mere months after the Firestarter III OmniMech, to benefit from this program. Its basic, tried and true design had fought through the Succession Wars with only minor modifications, and even the OmniMech used the same basic structure as its progenitor. The Blackjack 3 OmniMech benefited from this robust history, and gave the Draconis Combine a good, medium trooper 'Mech during the Jihad.

       The Blackjack 3 OmniMech can carry an impressive twenty tons of weapons and sensors, as much as some heavy ’Mechs. Its jump jets also make the Blackjack a maneuverable and dangerous opponent. A standard fusion engine and standard structure reduces the pod space that the Blackjack 2 OmniMech had, but the ease of repair and upkeep allowed the DCMS to use it during the darkest days of the Jihad. First placed into production mere months after the Firestarter III OmniMech, the delay was still enough to remove the bad Star Slab Glaze laser-reflective armor from circulation, and so the design never suffered from that reputation..
         In its primary configuration, this ’Mech is a deadly infighter: four medium lasers and a quad array of machine guns can throw out a barrage of energy beams and hypervelocity slugs that any BattleMech or vehicle will feel and that infantry would simply not survive. Two autocannons allow the Blackjack to damage enemies at range as well.
       As with other OmniMech designs, the Blackjack’s alternate configurations reflect the needs of specific missions. LRMs make it an effective fire support unit, and a High-Velocity Autocannon, twin heavier autocannons, and an array of particle cannons give it better direct fire damage potential at range.

       While the BJ2-O was primarily used by foreign governments, with only a small number being built for use by the DCMS, the BJ3-O was mass produced during the Jihad. Its foreign origins do make some question its position, but the Coordinator himself has declared the design to be a tooth of the Dragon. Because of this, most major units use at least a lance of Blackjacks for fire support or direct fire roles. Still, the Blackjacks that were once one of the more numerous designs in the DCMS are now far more common in militia units where their long history of ruggedness and simple mechanics makes them an inexpensive OmniMech to use and own. Many militias therefore use them as their standard medium trooper 'Mech.