Based on the Federal Dropship, the Federal Assault Ship sacrifices the flexibility of its sibling in favour of a more combat-oriented profile. Faster and more manoeuvrable than the Dropship, and boasting two medium and two large hardpoints, this is a vessel that has been designed to strike fast and hard. The trade-off for this power and agility is a reduction in internal compartments, making the Assault Ship less versatile than the Dropship.
— In-Game Description
The Federal Assault Ship is a ship manufactured by Core Dynamics for the Federation. Purchasing it requires achieving a Federal Navy rank of Chief Petty Officer. It is a combat-specialised variant of the Federal Dropship, gaining improved speed and manoeuvrability without compromising firepower or defence.
Overview[]
The Federal Assault Ship's agility comes at the cost of fewer Internal Compartments, which makes it more of a fighter than a true multipurpose ship.[1][2] Like its sister vessels the Federal Dropship and Federal Gunship, the Assault Ship has weak shields but a resilient hull, which has given the three models a reputation as "hull tanks".
As a combat ship, the Federal Assault Ship's main competitor is the Alliance Chieftain. Both ships have identical core internal compartments, identical agility ratings (the Federal Assault Ship has higher boost speed but lower base top speed), similar defensive capabilities (the Assault Ship offers significantly better module protection than the Chieftain, but has a weaker shield) and very similar base price tags. The Chieftain has slightly better firepower, slightly better hardpoint placement, and slightly better optional internal compartments, but is mass locked by the Federal Assault Ship. The Assault Ship also requires earning Federal Navy rank, while the Chieftain has no rank requirement. In the end, the deciding factor for a prospective buyer may be aesthetics rather than performance.
One notable advantage that the Assault Ship has over the Dropship and Gunship is its jump range potential: of the three ships, the Assault Ship can jump the furthest with a lightweight loadout. This makes the Assault Ship an interesting choice for explorers, because although its internal compartment layout is not especially spacious and it cannot achieve the high jump ranges of exploration staples such as the Asp Explorer, its rugged design specs mean it can survive a stronger beating than typical exploration ships. It is not recommended for long-range expeditions, but may be suitable for trips to relatively high-traffic attractions close to the bubble, such as the Pleiades Nebula, Witch Head Nebula, and Thargoid-occupied systems, where the risk of explorers being drawn into combat is higher.
The Federal Assault Ship's weapon hardpoints are located as follows: one Class 3 hardpoint above and behind the cockpit, one Class 3 hardpoint on the nose of the ship, and two Class 2 hardpoints underneath the base of the lower wings. The locations of the underside hardpoints are identical to those found on both the Federal Dropship and the Federal Gunship.
Purchase Locations[]
System | Station | Date Seen | Discount |
---|---|---|---|
Shinrarta Dezhra | Jameson Memorial | Always available | 10% discount |
Brestla | i Sola Prospect | Always available | 20% surcharge |
KP Tauri | Spedding Orbital | Oct. 1, 2019 | 15% discount |
Maikoro | Hawking Port | Oct. 1, 2019 | 15% discount |
Dinda | Mount Sunday | Oct. 1, 2019 | 15% discount |
Fiden | Panshin Ring | Oct. 1, 2019 | 15% discount |
Kotigeni | Shaw Port | June 19, 2020 | 15% discount |
G 41-14 | Ramon Hub | Oct. 1, 2019 | |
82 Eridani | Bresnik Port | Oct. 1, 2019 | |
Dulos | Wilson Ring | Oct. 1, 2019 | |
HR 2283 | Musgrave Dock | Oct. 1, 2019 | |
Dahan | Dahan Gateway | Oct. 1, 2019 | |
LHS 302 | Kavandi Dock | Oct. 1, 2019 |
Outfitting[]
- Main article: Outfitting
All ships are customisable through the Outfitting menu of Station Services. Listed below is the default load-out for the Federal Assault Ship.
Category | Default System | Default Rating | Default Class | Max Class |
---|---|---|---|---|
Medium Hardpoint | Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 |
Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 | |
Large Hardpoint | Empty | -- | -- | 3 |
Empty | -- | -- | 3 | |
Utility Mount | Empty | -- | -- | 0 |
Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
Bulkheads | Lightweight Alloys | I | 1 | 8 |
Reactor Bay | Power Plant | E | 6 | 6 |
Thrusters Mounting | Thrusters | E | 6 | 6 |
Frame Shift Drive Housing | Frame Shift Drive | E | 5 | 5 |
Environment Control | Life Support | E | 5 | 5 |
Power Coupling | Power Distributor | E | 6 | 6 |
Sensor Suite | Sensors | E | 4 | 4 |
Fuel Store | Fuel Tank [x16] | C | 4 | 4 |
Internal Compartments | Shield Generator | E | 5 | 5 |
Cargo Rack [x16] | E | 4 | 5 | |
Cargo Rack [x8] | E | 3 | 4 | |
Empty (M) | -- | -- | 4 | |
Empty (M) | -- | -- | 4 | |
Cargo Rack [x8] | E | 3 | 3 | |
Empty | -- | -- | 2 | |
Empty | -- | -- | 2 | |
Supercruise Assist | E | 1 | 1 | |
(PAS) | I | 1 | 1 |
- (L) = Loaned Module
- [x#] = Capacity
- (PAS) = Reserved solely for the Planetary Approach Suite or Advanced Planetary Approach Suite
- (M) = Military Compartment reserved for Hull Reinforcement Package, Module Reinforcement Package, or Shield Cell Bank
Notes[]
- The Federal Assault Ship was added in the CQC Update (1.4) on October 6, 2015.
- The Federal Assault Ship was referred to in some pre-release materials as the "Federal Dropship MkII".