The Panther fleet has begun it's Intermediate Life Update (ILU) with one ship (name not disclosed yet) leaving service to begin a lengthy rebuild and update. The rebuilt ship will be reclassified Panther 35M and is the first stage of a programme to unify the Type 35.
The Panther ILU will include extending the fuselage to allow for a larger weapon load, up to 148 TPMs. The extra volume will also enable a larger docking bay and a larger storage bay. This bay will be quickly configurable to accommodate special forces. The first Panther ILU is expected to be completed in Q1 2121, the rest of the fleet will be completed by the end of 2122.
