Welp, looks like this all helped to Do A Thing:
https://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=26688So the problem that's been bedeviling a few of the mechs will be fixed on a more core level in RC9! Thanks to Anoth on the Starsector Discord for unintentionally helping me zero down that it absolutely was the STRIKE + ANTI_FTR tags causing all this.
In the meantime, until shoi gets another hotfix up, make sure to go to line 85 of weapons_data.csv in mods\SS-armaa-2.24\data\weapons (this should be the line with the Micro Missile Pod used on the Gunhazard), and change the segment with "STRIKE, USE_VS_FRIGATES, DO_NOT_AIM, DO_NOT_CONSERVE, GROUP_LINKED, SYSTEM,ANTI_FTR" to "USE_VS_FRIGATES, DO_NOT_AIM, DO_NOT_CONSERVE, GROUP_LINKED, SYSTEM,ANTI_FTR". That'll prevent the Gunhazard missiles from causing a crash in .96a-RC8.
EDIT: As of .96-RC9, this edit is no longer necessary, because the STRIKE behavior has been fixed!