Asp Explorer
Multipurpose

Description

The Asp Explorer is the civilian version of the military model Asp MkII (which first saw service in 2878). Lakon Spaceways now owns the licence to construct these ships and has marketed them heavily at customers looking for their first multi-crewed ships. The ship class has earned a solid reputation for long range missions and those requiring some discretion.

The Asp Explorer has a high jump range relative to other ships in the game and thus is quite good for use as an exploration ship. It has six weapon hardpoints and has a good turning radius for its size which makes the Asp good for more than just exploration. The Asp can act as a heavy-duty bounty hunting vessel due to its superb weapon capacity and good manoeuvrability for its size.

Pirates can also use the Asp to great effect because of the ample cargo capacity, heavy armament, long jump range and large mass (allowing it to charge its own Frame Shift Drive with minimal mass disruption while also mass disrupting the frame shift drive of most ships).

The main downside of this ship is the high initial purchase cost and high maintenance costs. Many roles that the Asp fills can be fulfilled with cheaper ships, though the Asp's performance is typically better than that of the less expensive option.