OVERVIEW:
The TDF-IP560 was designed to provide an orbital "on site"
processing facility for a variety of manufacturing processes. For certain
unstable materials, it is sometimes necessary to refine the material on site
prior to warping to secondary processing installation. Normally, a
semi-permanent site would be set up on the surface of the asteroid, moon or
planet in question, but during the Exodus war it was found that mining
facilities had to be able to get in and get out of a sticky situation as quickly
as possible. Usually a detachment of TDF-IP560s would be escorted by a
small convoy of military ships, and by breaking the work down to several IP560s,
should one be destroyed by enemy fire then chances are that the other ships will
escape to a secure location.
CAPABILITIES:
The TDF-IP560 was designed around
a basic box configuration, thereby allowing the maximum internal reconfiguration
to the manufacturing processes. Unlike providing standard modules, it was
found at the beginning that anticipating the requirements of each processing
line was impossible, so the designers chose to simply provide the best that they
could: manufacturing space, power and visible storage modules that are
visible on the side of the ship in the picture above. Each storage
module is air-tight with it's own airlock access, and can be used as an escape
pod if required. The modules are removed at a way-station or by a
utility transport craft and are in turn replaced by empty modules. By
using different transport ships to resupply the TDF-IP560 and to exchange fresh,
empty storage modules with the ones that are filled to capacity, the TDF-IP560
can stay on site for many months, even years if required. The crew
compliment of the TDF-IP560 is very light - on average 6 maintain a single ship,
although additional manpower is normally bunked in a another modified troop
transport ship such as a TDF-TV100. The processing ship itself is in
turn largely a fully automated craft once the processing systems are installed
and in place.
DEVELOPMENT:
Unlike the United Archadian
Republic who has helped the TDF with rebuilding it's fleet via ships such as the
TDF-CS-200 "Helios", the Astro Lift Company is a private conglomerate
vendor that has committed to providing new fleet solutions to the TDF in
addition to it's regular product line and colonization mandate.
ITEMS OF NOTE:
Developed during the Exodus War, the TDF-IP560 is
a standard spec vehicle that is used extensively by the TDF as an answer to the
constant threat of bombardment and attack of TDF mining installations that was
experienced during the war. Despite the end of the war and the subsequent
increase in ground mining installations that came with it, the TDF's need to
rebuild it's fleet coupled with the notion that the TDF should be ready for an
attack from an unknown aggressor has led to the continued use of this class of
vessel.
UPCOMING ITEMS:
The utility transport and resupply craft referred
to above vary in shape and size, but the new standard for the TDF will become
the new TDF-HF310, a lightly armed heavy freighter capital ship.
