Panther ILU to begin next month

The Panther Intermediate Life Update (ILU) programme will begin next month. This will be a major rebuild and upgrade of the cruiser and will be phase 1 of the Type 35 Unification which will aim to create a single standard for the Type 35. Completed Panther ILUs will form the first batch of the Lynx 35M class and the ships will be renumbered (SS Lynx will be the first ship to be converted, giving the class it's name).

The Panther ILU will include extending the hull (to the same length of the Indy 35B), a larger weapon load, larger docking bay, uprated engines (Gluon TM07B-Y6) and other system updates.

Lavender begins first manned mission

The Lavender 105A is an optionally manned warship designed for long-range scouting. The lead ship entered service last year and has conducted a number of missions. However, the habitable zone of the ship was not finished in time so 105-101 Lavender returned to the shipyard at the start of the year to have the habitable zone added.

Lavender has now begun it's first manned mission, with a crew of five. NS said that the Lavenders will usually operate unmanned though manned operation also needs to be tested.

NSIS to review ship security

NSIS are to conduct a review of ship security after a River 75A transport, SS Amazon, was taken over following the death of the crew. Dr Forbidden said that NS Research are looking into the possibility of using UCV technology to give ships the ability to fly themselves to the nearest port if all the crew aboard are killed. At the moment all NS ships have a "dead man switch" which stops the ship dead if the crew die, though this system can be fairly easily overruled.

NSIS have confirmed that SS Amazon was taken over by the Mutre Bee Organisation after bio-control technology was detected in the brain of one of the dead NS crew. It is thought the crewman was taken control of and used to take control of the ship. CCTV is said to show the crewman killing the ship's captain.

Plot to attack Proxima Central foiled by NS

New Sparta have revealed that an enemy group (whom they are not naming) seized control of the NS transporter SS Amazon, killing the crew in the process. The ship was then operated remotely and sent on a collision course with the large orbital space dock Proxima Central in orbit over Proxima 7. The UNP President was visiting Proxima Central at the time, it is not known if the enemy intention was to kill the President or not but it is suspected it was no co-incidence they made the attack now.

NS said that they detected the attack and managed to restore control of the Amazon while it was on the edge of the Proxima Centauri system. The ship has now been towed to an NS orbital facility for analysis by NSIS and repair. NSIS are said to be looking into how the terrorists were able to seize control of the ship. A source has said that the Mutre Bee Organisation was suspected to be behind the attack though NS are, at the moment, not naming the culprits.

VP (Security) Stella, who is currently in charge of NS (Windscorpion is on leave, Torus is said to be ill), has raised the NS alert status to AMBER.

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Can Redjec's mad plan to destroy Proxima Central be foiled?