Several Great changes coming in April 18th 2017 (delayed 1 week)

BEST NEWS SINCE 3.0!!!
A higher lever of gear  248's
A return to Pre-5.0 PVE style gear drops, one preset token per boss in every Op.  SM will drop 236, HM will drop 242 and NiM will drop 248.  You can also upgrade from 242 to 248 with Unassembled Components, and 248 will drop from Command Crates at Command Level 300
A New OP!!!  (well at least the first boss of a new Op)

in other news we have:

• Master Mode Uprisings – hard challenge for 4 players. They will have additional mechanics and coming with 5.2.
  
• New storyline – Return to Iokath. Scouts from the Alliance, Republic, and Sith have all arrived on Iokath. You, as the alliance commander, need to pick which side you will be on and take the super weapon. You can side with the opposite faction from your starting faction (i.e. Empire players can side with Republic and vice versa)
  
• Returning companions – Quinn and Elara. If you side with the Empire, Quinn will return. If you side with Republic, Elara will return.
  
• New Daily area on Iokath. Storyline will unlock repeatable dailies on Iokath. New gameplay options with these dailies much like we did for the chapters. There will be a new reputation track depending on which side you pick.
• New Operation – Superweapon is the boss of the operation. Unlike previous operations, they are not waiting until fall to release all 5 operation bosses. First operation boss will come in 5.2, all 5 will be released before end of the year. First operation boss is Tyth, the God of Rage in Zakuulan Pantheon. The same guy who designed the Revan fight also designed Tyth. This operation will be on PTS in about 2 weeks. They may either do an open PTS or a closed PTS and open PTS later.  Tyth will have story and veteran mode with 5.2, and they will release master mode for him when they release the second boss.
  
• Most of the story for Iokath will be wrapped in the storyline but the operations bosses are also tied to the story and serve as a side track.
  
• Companions return are separate from the operation.