While it's a sure thing they need more industry, might I suggest they get themselves a few K-1 dropshuttles?
It would let them handel various things, if played smartly.
Even a potential fusion of mini-dropship, Super-Heavy ASF and a Combat Dropship, to be used as a bording shuttle (heavier then a normal shuttle, so more changes it survives) or perhaps to refill ASF's on longer trips, without needing to use a full on dropship.
Yeah, I get it, I do.
More optimal designs exist, and there is a reason nobody went that way, besides the collar or hangar space needed for this.
It's sub-optimal, I get that.
But the K-1 dropshuttles was so popular, that most planets still have a few of them, cheaper then a full dropship.
It has it's uses.
I do think they should look for a few Princess class dropships, though.
Why?
Conversion to mobile hospitals.
The pool can then become a revalidation(?) pool, where you can learn to move your body, again.
This also points out the greatest lack he currently has, medical personal and equipement.
And I can see a K-1 dropshuttle being used as a potential movable mini-hospital slash ambulance.
If only a Princess could be made to carry a few of them.
I'm sure you all know about thd sftermath of that Earthquick(?) in Turkey(?) and the country next to it?
The above could be quite usefull in such a situation.
Yes, he needs a good MASH unit or rather a whole division of them.
Then ways to produce all the stuff that they would need, which they could then also sell to the FedSuns next door, as well.
If they can locate a old SLDF drop-port or so, can they give their modified/restored base, it's never existed, hangars back?
They would have to dig them out, I know, but some of the other planets might have what they need, right?
Because then they might want to think of a ring of bases, focussed in a ring, around set drop-port.
Would also give them some room to grow, as well or use one as a back-up of the other base, in terms of hangar control.
I suggest they study their data files, a bit better.
And I find myself a bit shaking my head, no effort was made to copy any Snowden it's computer system, it's data files.
Nor of any documents still on them, that are intact.
Personally, I would have kept atleast ond Snowden, for my refit station project, so I could recast damaged gear.
Probably the wrecked one, after using the intact one, to produce the needed stuff to get her up & running again.
As for the modified SLDF Snowdens, I wonder if they combine this, together or not.
It would explain a few things, a few crewed suits to give directions and handel detailed stuff, while the general grind of the job...
At most, I think they weight 53.500 tons instead of the normal 51.000 tons, if that is the direction taken.
On the other hand, it could also fill up the repair facilities, pressurised & unpressurised, if you remove the factory units, their small craft bays, for one...
You only really want the factory part of those factory stations, the Snowden would already have the other parts.
But one modification I could see done, is a proper collar docking setup, if only so they can more easily dock to another dropship, for cargo transfer reasons and that makes me think of the CargoKing & CargoMaster, their advanced fully automated, self-loading cargo carrier system.
So yeah, I really would love to hear, what the SLDF Snowden modifications are all about.
https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Snowdenhttps://www.sarna.net/wiki/Small_Factoryhttps://www.sarna.net/wiki/Medium/Large_Factoryhttps://www.sarna.net/wiki/Mining_Robothttps://www.sarna.net/wiki/Cargokinghttps://www.sarna.net/wiki/Cargomaster