HALD Explorers

HALD Explorers

Regular Explorer ships utilized by the Union in the Milky Way Galaxy are usually lightly armed and usually travel alone. While much of the Milky Way Galaxy remains unexplored, help is not completely out of reach and the usual Explorer tactic during any impeding conflict situation is to disengage and retreat.

Since the opening of the Andromeda Galaxy to Union Explorers, this Star Island is unexplored, except for a comparable small region. In the relative short time, several advanced civilizations have been encountered and the possibility to run into Y'All or similar opponents is not unlikely.

A new special class of Explorers was developed and is manufactured and deployed in the Andromeda Galaxy. They are called HALD Explorers (Heavily Armed Long Distance) and are based on the Armageddon Class Battle Ship.

While a HALD explorer is still first and foremost a science and exploration ship with very defined mission parameters, they are only "loaned" to the Science Council and operated by the Navy. Engagement rules are not determined by Science Council rules, but by the Union Fleet Hostile Engagement Guidelines.

These HALD explorers are still not armed as heavily armed as a full Battle ship and has only a small board compliment of Marines, they carry Translocator Cannons and other Class X weapons, full military class Para Dim Shields and a wing of Wolfcrafts.

Also HALD explorers always travel in pairs.

Another difference are the over proportioned ISAH/ATTIKAN engines giving the ships a much greater range.

About 75,000 HALD explorers operate currently in the Andromeda Galaxy. 2,000 operate in the LMC and 15,000 operate in M32.

After the discovery of the Ancient Network and the Highway to the Virgo Super Cluster and the Gate Cluster in the LEO II Galaxy in 5035. Strong Efforts are underway to create a large HALD fleet for LEO II and an Armada of HALD's to go all the way to the Virgo Cluster.