The Panther ILU has been confirmed to take place later this year and will be a major upgrade of the ten strong fleet. As well as being an upgrade in it's own right the ILU will be phase one of Type 35 Unification which will merge all three versions of the Type 35 by the mid-2120s. Panthers which undergo the ILU will be re-designated Type 35M and renumbered.
The upgrade is an extensive one and will involve a fuselage plug to make them the same size as the Indy 35B. They will also receive a new engine, a Gluon evolution. There will be no performance change though. It is thought the definitive engine for the Type 35M will be an e-Core engine though this has yet to be developed.
Missile load will be increased to one hundred and forty eight with the addition of two VLS batteries. The docking bay will be enlarged and there will be improved accommodation for special forces.
