Upgrade center

The upgrade center was a platform constructed to accommodate the rising sophistication of GDI equipment with powerful mainframes and databanks installed within. It included two upgrade platforms that accepted up to two units, which determined the functionality of the structure. It was used during the Second Tiberium War and the Firestorm Conflict.

Game building
A Seeker control upgrade unit was responsible for assembling and releasing Hunter-Seeker droids. Another unit was the ion cannon uplink, which allowed a commander to call down an ion cannon strike.

Another upgrade was introduced shortly before the Firestorm Conflict. The drop pod control plug allowed for interfacing with space stations located in lower orbit and the GDSS Philadelphia to call down drop pod reinforcements. Eventually, the functions of the building were taken over by two other, more specialized buildings (the space command uplink and ion cannon control).

Trivia

 * A third upgrade was supposed to be included in Tiberian Sun - the threat rating node, which assessed enemy threats and coordinated the base defense grid. It was cut before release.
 * The main building was derived from the cut dropship bay structure. The only edit made to it were two plugs in front of it, and the residual landing pad for dropships can still be seen underneath them, albeit unanimated.
 * Originally, the upgrade pods were assigned to the GDI radar station, then dubbed the "communications tower". This was later changed and assigned to the separate upgrade center, although the old communications tower SHP sprite is still present in Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 files.
 * The upgrade center was referred to as the "comm center" in several campaign missions.