The F-12 Hammerhead LEO interceptor has been cleared to enter service with the Air Department of the UNDF Terrestrial Forces. The Hammerhead will take over LEO attack duties from the F-10S. It is a high performance and long endurance fighter that can carry up to three TPM-As which can attack objects in low orbit.
DFAD will buy fifty Hammerheads, though may order more if a planned development into a general interceptor is given the go-ahead.
The first two Dinomark KX, which are Pentekonter-MD minesweepers, have entered service with the Dino Army. The Dinos will eventually operate fifteen of them as part of the CIN Mine Warfare Command. Ships will also be operated by Sirikwan. A total of 25 Pentekonter-MDs will be built.
The Pentekonter-MD is known to the DF as Pentekonter Protector 284M with an e-Core engine.
UNDF has reported that it has discovered a major MBO base in the Rim Worlds, on the previously unexplored planet of Beta Algol 635B. The MBO was led by Kommandant Kurt Von Kane, the former NS officer who betrayed NS to join the MBO. It is thought Von Kane was trying to build an army of new MBO drones loyal to him.
A DF force led by Stella attacked the MBO base, which was protected by four MBO ships - survivors of the destroyed MBO fleet - and destroyed it. Von Kane is reported to have been killed during a battle with Stella.
DF units are now searching for any MBO survivors in the area.
Although the news is being heavily suppressed, non-Clone sources are reporting that a critical piece of CDF infrastructure has been hit by a drone attack. The key communications node for the CDF, which relays communications between GHQ and other vital bases and orbital assets, was struck by drones and attacked. It is not known if there were any casualties.
The node was knocked out of action. The problem for the Clones is that the back-up node, which is supposed to activate within a second, failed to activate. For 27 minutes data communications with orbital assets was unavailable, though within a few minutes radio communications were restored. The CDF are now reviewing their back-up facilities as a data communications gap of that length in the event of Cloneworld being attacked could be catastrophic.
The Coril shuttle is a venerable design, originally built by the Tarbotians in the 2070s, but copied by many nations and built since including by the DDS/NS/UNDF. Although it continues to be a highly useful ship, DF are now looking into a replacement which could enter service in the early 2130s.
At the moment the project is known as the Next Generation Utility Shuttle (NGUS) though DF projects tend to change name as they progress. NGUS will be of a similar size to the Coril, DF are said to be looking at a common core for the ship with a range of different crew compartments for different roles. DF have approached Consolidated Spacecraft and other commercial spaceship builders to assist.
Admiral Anderson has said the arrival of two new Shark SKB frigates to the Clone Space Navy means that Clone space ship building has finally been restored after several years of chaos when barely a ship could be completed due to a skills shortage and a supply chain collapse.
Anderson said that more Sharks and also new Cosmos CM cruisers would be joining the fleet later this year and also in subsequent years. New ships are badly needed due to the looming withdrawal of the Kalahati Tuul S fleet and also the retirement of end-of-life Cosmos CA over the next few years.
Anderson also said the fleet would be further strengthened by three more Mekit MK4Y cruisers bought fron the Rectoids. Analysts say this purchase indicates that heavy combatant production may not resume for a while yet.