Alien Transporter (Apocalypse)

The Tactical combat map of the Transporter.

Alien Transporter (UFO Type 3) is probably the most important Alien ship in the game. Without capturing one of these, you will never be able to research any of the craft that come after the Dimension Probe (Explorer, Biotrans, Retaliator, Annihilator), thus you will never be able to invade the alien dimension. Any post-Transporter vessel will unlock the three "Core" systems - the Propulsion System, the Energy Source and the Control System.

Q: Help! The aliens are long past the Transporter stage and I'm having to kill Battleships and Motherships with Valkyries and Hawk Air Warriors! What should I do?
A: This isn't actually that hard a situation as long as you've captured alien ships post-transporter (for example the fast attack ship, bomber, assault ship, etc.) as in those situations you should have discovered vehicle shields and disruptor beams.
Q: Wait, what?
A: Using plasma cannons, missiles and medium disruptor beams, you can whittle capital ships down through sheer virtue of number and firepower. Their guns fire very slowly, and aren't all that accurate, and even if your vehicles do get damaged you can just retreat them.
Q: Okay, but that sounds really hard and dangerous!
A: Danger is what X-COM personnel live for. Don't give up! Keep destroying all the alien ships that show up in the City, and eventually decimate their armada until they're forced to start using Transporters again, and then you'll be able to strike back.

The Transporter itself is lightly armed and does not present significant danger to X-COM. The problems come from its escorts – fast and dangerous Fast Attack Ships. The Transporter will ignore your vehicles, as its only purpose is to give you a headache by sending a large infiltration force into a building. Its slow speed is compensated by heavy armor, so it might take some time to bring it down. It is also the first manned Alien ship that you will meet.

Tactical combat is fairly easy, since there are only two entrances – facing north and south – and neither of them is cloaked in smoke from the crash. A single Megapol AP Grenade thrown to the door should lure the most of the aliens out.

Note that some of the crew can perish in the crash. The infiltration force always dies completely if the ship is shot down before it could beam the force into a building.

Stats:
Top Speed: 8
Health: 400
Armor: 36
Score: 150
Equipment: Light Disruptor Beam
           + Small Disruption Shield (Late in game)
Crew: 2 Alien Eggs, 4 Anthropods, 2 Hyperworms, 2 Chrysalises, 1 Popper, 4 Spitters
Infiltration force: 5 Anthropods, 5 Alien Eggs, 3 Brainsuckers, 3 Multiworms, 1 Popper, 3 Spitters
Research components: (aside from the ship itself): Alien Propulsion System, Alien Energy Source,
Alien Control System, Light Disruptor Beam, Small Disruption Shield