The Maxim Transport Hovercraft has a long history of being a superior troop transport, capable of carrying a full platoon of infantry and their support weapons in comfort that other transports could not match. In addition, the Maxim has been known as an excellent fire platform. Mounting multiple missile racks and machine guns, it could provide indirect long-range, short-range, and covering fire for its infantry. It was, in short, a capable design with few ways of making it better, even with advanced technologies.
         Of course, the Draconis Combine did build an upgrade for it during the Clan Invasion era, designed to carry one of the short-squad BattleArmor units in use at the time. Other transports were similarily refitted but as BattleArmor became more common and mass produced, nations began to look towards placing them in standard squad numbers. This required transporting squads in two Maxim-sized transports, or creating new transports.
         Cyclops' Saxon was one of the new designs that relegated the Maxim to a backwater role in infantry transport. Faster, more heavily armored, and capable of transporting a full-sized BattleArmor squad, it became the frontline troop transport of Tamar, Skye, and the Allied Mercenary Command. For two decades, the Maxim remained unchanged, keeping its market lead in the secondary market, but as cheaper competition began to edge it out of even that market, Cyclops Incorporated began looking to upgrade it to handle modern frontline transportation. Their upgraded Maxim entered production in 3090, and soon passed the Saxon in sales as infantry units gobbled up production as fast as the factory on Skye, and then the expansion on Northwind, could push them out.

         The Maxim is not as fast as the Saxon, though the new version does use a similar Shipil AeroSpace Fighter engine as the smaller craft. The aircraft-like scream of its engines is often the last sound an enemy hears, and Maxim pilots compare strapping into them to be more like flying a fighter than some clunky transport. Indeed, most Maxim pilots have experience piloting fighters even if only in that they failed fighter school. Most military units contend that even a failed fighter pilot is better than a standard vehicle driver, and so far that theory has worked as the new Maxims can boast an impressive safety record.
         Unlike other infantry transports, the Maxim is large and comfortable. A cavernous hold can be reconfigured to carry unarmored or armored infantry. When in unarmored mode, the passengers have room to move around, check weapons, and discuss tactics. The seats are all padded and face toward the center of the vehicle so that the soldiers are relatively comfortable and are able to talk to each other, thus boosting morale.
         When configured for armored infantry, the hold seems even larger and each soldier usually has his own personal "living area" where he or she can relax and sleep between missions. A common briefing room allows the squad commander to brief his soldiers on the mission to come. Finally a public morgue contains all of the BattleArmor, and robotics arms that can help a soldier strap on his armor. The system does not work for older suits, that were far too segmented for anything but a team of techs to bolt into place, but for more modern suits that crack open and have less "kibble" that has to be strapped on over the hinges it works well. BattleArmored troops swear by the new Maxim's autoloading system, or sometimes at it when it pinches them in uncomfortable places. Still, the speed with which it allows BattleArmor teams to suit up for combat is impressive.
         The new Maxim doesn't have as many weapons as the old one, but the weapons it has are more capable and can easily approximate the firing pattern of the older Maxim. The designers kept this capability for several reasons. First, infantry feel more secure if their transport can defend itself while they are inside. Second, the Maxim can provide covering fire for exiting troops. Troops exiting a vehicle are easy targets, and a transport that can fight back will discourage most attackers. Third, once the Maxim has debarked its infantry, it can support other vehicles in combat. Although this is not standard procedure, the Maxim carries enough firepower to make a difference.
         The weapons on the Maxim are arranged to give a great deal of firepower in all directions, and are aimed via the patented Evil Eye targeting system. Comprised of a full 360-degree, multi-spectrum, surround-video system, the gunner aims at his target by looking at it, and an optical recognition scanner in his helmet scans the video feed before "painting" its target on the screen. If it has recognized the target correctly, the gunner need simply pull the trigger and the weapons will fire, adjusting their aim for the observed distance and speed of the target. If the system doesn't recognize the correct target, the gunner can switch to manual targeting mode and aim the crosshairs where he or she wishes to fire.
         Five Skyefire Multi-Missile Launchers adorn the craft, nine tubes on the front glacious, and six tubes on the turret to allow for fire in any direction. These launchers can fire any standard missile submunition, allowing its crew to load whatever ammunition they have on hand. They most often fire at long range, and then load more powerful missiles as the range closes. Two Kicker machine guns are fitted on either side of the MML tubes on the turret. This allows the Maxim to use its heaviest weapons on a single target, and an infantry unit so "honored" rarely appreciates the attention.
         The new Maxim carries over seven tons of ArcShield Super Heavy armor that offers the same protection level of that enjoyed by the Saxon. This helps to keep the Maxim alive while its troops disembark. In addition the lifting skirts of the hovercraft are specially designed to deflate and lower when infantry are leaving the craft. This means that the Maxim does not have to shut down its engine in order to lower to ground level, keeping it ready to explode back up to cruising speed in a matter of seconds. Infantry, whether armored or unarmered, are all encouraged to not congregate around the rear of the craft after unloading. One urban legend claims that a Scout Armored Trooper was once sent flying for over one hundred meters, through a building before stopping, when his Maxim's engines went from idle to maximum thrust before he could move out of their wake.

         This new Maxim is primarily fielded by the Federation of Skye, where it most often works as a command and guardian vehicle for Saxons. Cyclops expanded its factory on Nothwind to build the design in 3092, when demand maxed out its production capacity on Skye. This has made the design very popular with units in the Allied Mercenary Command, and keeps the design visible throughout the human Sphere.