The 50th SROPS (Short-Range Operations Patrol Ship) has been delivered to the DDS (for some reason the Heron name has never caught on). The DDS have ceased production pending a re-design. To recap the SROPS is a sub-luminal small multi-role craft for local patrol and boarding work. It has proven highly useful to the DDS but has a number of shortcomings. These will be addressed in a future SROPS model, currently known as the Type 76X or SROPS X.
The next generation SROPS has to be the same size as the existing model (as the DDS have expensively modified the docking bays of most of their fleet to suit ships of the SROPS dimensions!) One shortcoming is a lack of superluminal performance. Fitting a faster than light (FTL) drive is possible to a ship of the SROPS size but would increase it's size noticably (or take up so much of the internal space as to make any combat capability useless).
The solution the DDS have come up with is to produce a number of FTL add-ons to the SROPS X. These UCVs are currently known as SROPS Hyperspace Arrays (SHAs) and are hyperdrive engines which would be connected to the SROPS X where needed to give it FTL capabilities. An exoskelton is wrapped around the SROPS X to give it the structural strength without penalising it when in normal mode.
The normal engines of the SROPS X will also be uprated (though will be the same size taking advantage of advances in miniaturization) to give it an enhanced agility as the SROPS X is likely to be encountering small enemy ships.
Atmospheric performance will also be enhanced. SROPS X has a limited ability in atmospheres and this will be greatly enhanced by improved aerodynamic surfaces and a new flight control system.
The tactical system is also being totally overhauled to give the SROPS X much improved datalinking abilities, improved laser weapons and the capability to carry a Cannister TPM round. The SROPS X will be able to act as a control ship for a Ferret-E UCV detachment.
The SROPS X is expected sometime next year and will be a great improvement over the existing SROPS. Existing SROPS will probably be rebuilt to this new standard at a later date.
