It's ILU is due for 2009 but some Isometric frigates may struggle to last until that date, there is concern at the DDS Fleet that the Isometric fleet is beginning to crumble. The problem stems from the fact the ships have been a great success and thus used far heavier than intended. "Fleet utilisation has been 12% higher than we expected." A Fleet source said, "And the final straw was the Utrek War, some ships have had 20% more combat hours than we intended for them at this stage."
It is thought that the ships in the worst condition will be downrated to slower speeds (maybe 75-100c less) to prolong the life of their main load-bearing beams and also allocated to less arduous patrols if possible. The DDS said that when the ships receive their major update, the ILU, the new load bearers will have a life expectancy more in line with actual fleet usage than originally estimated.
