The first 2 of 20 planned upgrades of HCS Type A transports is due to begin next week after 2 Type A3s arrived at Solaris. The deal signed last year was quite a coup for the DDS Upgrades Division though the topsy-turvey relations between the DDS and HCS has meant that the upgrade was delayed a number of times.
The transports will be re-engined using Hitachi HS-740B engines and will also receive a refurbishment. Each upgrade is expected to take 5 weeks and will occupy DDS Engineering's Upgrade Jig 2 well into next year. The total value of the contract is now 1.06 billion zarks.
In other Type A news the ship is going to be the basis of the desperately needed "super-heavy" transport to replace the now withdrawn Utrek Type Us. The Type AA will consist of 2 Type As (as yet unknown if these will be refurbished or new build) connected together with a large hold fitted between them. This hold will be big enough to transport HCSN aircraft carriers and other super-large hauls. One job for the Type AA will be to transport the Aritan's withdrawn Yeoman class frigate to it's new home at the UNP Space Museum as it cannot travel FTL itself. The Type AA may enter service early in the next decade.
