The DDS have announced a change of plan and the cancellation of the Archean class Long Range Frigate (LRF). The total cost of the programme would have been 4.8 billion zarks and the DDS have decided to go with a cheaper option of rebuilding 8 Isometric class frigates for longer-range operations. This has been estimated to only cost 730 million zarks. The 8 ships will be upgraded once the Terran Sea class has been completed and work has begun on the Pangaea class. The DDS then will have enough ships for their planned patrol and fleet requirements with enough degree of slack to allow some ships to be withdrawn for upgrades.
The upgrades will occur before the Isometric ILU and it is thought will allow the DDS to test some equipment for the ILU programme due for the end of the decade.
