D41 Cormorant

The D41 Cormorant Aerospace Superlifter is a superheavy dropship and transport spacecraft in service with the United Nations Space Command and a handful of colonial defense forces. They are used to transport large amounts of troops and materiel as well as superheavy vehicles such as the Elephant to and from combat theaters. Designed to fill a void in the UNSC Aerospace Force's strategic spacelift capability during the Insurrection, the Cormorant can be equipped with a slipspace capability to extend its operational range. This makes the D41 more versatile than its smaller and older cousin, the D20 Heron HLV.

Due to its modular frame, the Cormorant can be refitted with various mission packages, and several variants of the craft are in service with the UNSC. These include a command variant, designed to be used as a mobile firebase on worlds with poor infrastructure, a logistical support variant with a protective EW package, and a post-war upgrade package which incorporates active EM proto-shielding for defense, especially upon atmospheric entry and troop deployment. The Aerospace Force utilizes the Cormorant extensively in intrasystem transportation.