These specially designed tugs are designed to transport cargo containers.
Capable of transferring power to cargo containers via attachment plates, Transport
Tugs can manipulate their warp fields to incorporate a long train of cargo
containers. Most Transport Tugs can maintain a viable speed when hauling one to
two cargo containers, but very quickly loose their speed and manoeuvrability
when hauling more than two.
Transport Tugs, like Transports, do have the ability to transport passengers,
with military transport tugs having the ability to conduct combat operations and
exploration procedures under certain conditions. But their primary mission is
moving cargo containers to and from various ports, housing special Work Bee’s
and Cargo Shuttles.
Although the term "support vessel" engenders visions of repair
ships and re-supply vessels, technically, support vessels include transport and
cargo movement platforms. Many "support" vessels are in actuality
civilian ships designed to conduct extremely specific missions, rarely military
in nature. Support Vessels include cargo ships, passenger ships, repair vessels
and other assorted short to long range ships of all types. Most support vessels
can be bought or traded on the open market, and come in an extremely wide range
of sizes and costs.
Nomenclature of a particular support vessel rarely gives an accurate
description of the ships actual size, crew or defensive capabilities. Most
Support Vessels can (and are) modified to some degree depending on the location
of the specified cargo/operation area. Many support vessels operating in hostile
areas will ban together, often escorted by military authorities, on common cargo
or transport runs.
Some Support Vessels are assigned specific patrol areas, while other wait at
a star base or orbital platform until needed. Even robotic ships are common.
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