The Intruder Class DropShip is a combat assault ship designed to support raiding operations or to attack heavily defended ground targets. The ship often takes the place of the lighter-armed and -armored Union Class DropShip, especially when no BattleMech support is needed.
         The Intruder's well-armored, 3,000-ton hull contains a large assortment of weaponry, and its cargo section has a 675-ton capacity with enough area to carry up to ten heavy vehicles. To provide aerospace support, there is a Fighter bay on either side of the hull, each equipped with servicing support equipment and a single small craft cubicle. The Intruder sometimes carries a pair of Land-Air-'Mechs if available to provide it with a light 'Mech force, which gives it greater flexibility in its operations.
         The ship carries a marine support unit for ground combat, boarding operations, and scouting purposes. This unit normally consists of three infantry platoons, though special circumstances often require the use of an armor unit, motorized infantry, a scout unit, or specially organized irregular units. Quarters are provided for up to 90 troops.
         The ship is equipped with three large bays that the marine units use for training purposes. These bays contains target practice simulators, visual training aids, and plenty of floor space physical activities. The training bays often serve as recreation rooms when not needed for other purposes.
         The Intruder's well-equipped medical facility can handle most emergency cases that occur during combat. It consists of an emergency treatment room, which can handle two cases simultaneously, an intensive care ward with room for up to six patients, and a tiny dispensary for treating minor injuries and illnesses.
         To support the marine unit during ground operations, the ship carries a well-equipped command center. From this room, deep inside the armored walls of the ship, the marine commander can control all the activities of the three platoons and any other units operating with the Intruder's troops. The command center contains extensive communications gear, combat computers, mapboards, and tactical intelligence displays.
         One of the Intruder's interesting features is the design of it's thick, sturdy landing gear that extends like pistons directly from the underside of the hull. These legs are locked into the "down" position as the ship approaches the ground. Once the ship has touched down and the shock of landing has been absorbed, the landing gear retracts once more. This procedure protects the ship's relatively weak underside by preventing enemy troops or vehicles from getting under the ship.
         Prior to lift-off, the legs are extended again, raising the 3,000-ton hull off the ground. The legs lock into place and allow the super-hot plasma from the engine core to vent itself away from the skin of the ship. The time it takes to extend the legs and lift the ship is usually about 30 seconds.
         The intruder is usually used in raids and intelligence-gathering missions to worlds known to be occupied by hostile forces. The ship is idea for such missions because it can fight in space or on the ground without the support of other DropShips. Once landed, the ship can then deploy its reconnaissance or raiding forces, which are coordinated from the Intruder's command center. its heavy armament keeps it well-protected from enemy AeroSpace Fighters and ground forces.
         The ship is also regularly assigned to planetary assault missions. Often used to establish   a foothold for troopships to follow, the Intruder just as often directly attacks large concentrations of enemy troops.
         Among the very few variants of the Intruder, the one used by House Liao is the best-known. This ship is designed to pack a greater punch at closer range through the modification of certain weapons mounts. The rear-side-mounted Autocannon/5s, half of the similarly mounted medium lasers, and two tons of ammo are removed and two rear-side-mounted Autocannon/10s and four tons of ammunitions are added. Also to store all of the required ammo, the ship gives up six tons of fuel.