User:BaconShelf/Paris

This post is a blog-style semi-rant post written to hopefully address the issue of the Paris-class heavy frigate and the issue of it carrying dropships, space fighters, and ground infantry complements.

The issue

Spawning a Pelican inside the Commonwealth on the map Boneyard illustrates the issue well.

As many fans have noticed, the Paris heavy frigate's canon stated length of 535 metres (1,760 ft) doesn't work well, if trying to fit dropships or a fighter complement inside the ship. One common suggestion is that the canon figures are simply wrong, and that the ship should be scaled up several times to achieve such a feat; I would argue the exact opposite. Not only is this not an issue, but it's arguably intentional, and trying to do it introduces more problems than it solves.

Defining the fleet roles of the frigate

So, why is trying to make the Paris into a general-purpose troopship a bad idea? Well, for one, that is not the ship's job. Here's a brief overview of the three (relevant) wartime frigates of the UNSC, and what they are used for. For the purposes of this discussion, the late/postwar Anlace-class, Mulsanne-class, and Strident-classs will not be relevant.

The UNSC has three classifications of frigate used throughout the majority of the Human-Covenant War. These are;

• Stalwart-class light frigate (notably featured as UNSC In Amber Clad in Halo 2)
• Charon-class light frigate (notably featured as UNSC Forward Unto Dawn in Halo 3)
• Paris-class heavy frigate (notably features as UNSC Grafton and UNSC Savannah in Halo: Reach)

• 

  Stalwart-class light frigate.

• 

  Charon-class light frigate.

• 

  Paris-class heavy frigate.

Despite their obvious visual similarities, these three ships all have different roles within the UNSC Navy, and are differently outfitted to support it. The primary differentiator is whether the ship is classed as a "heavy" or a "light" frigate, which is defined in the Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition) as "largely based on a combination of their armament and displacement". In other words, whether a frigate is classed as heavy or light depends on how much the ship masses, and how much of that mass is taken up by weapons and ammunition (alongside what kinds of weapons they carry). All frigates are characterised by rather minimal armour plating, and instead a focus on speed and overwhelming firepower.

"Unlike cruisers, carriers, and destroyers, UNSC frigates are fast and nimble ships, capable of quickly bringing significant firepower to a fight."

— Halo: The Essential Visual Guide p.76

This can be contrasted with UNSC destroyers, which often occupy a similar size and tonnage bracket to the frigates, but with a more significant portion of their mass devoted to armour.

"UNSC destroyers combine heavy armament with high speed and thick armor."

— Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), p.122

It is also worth noting that all wartime frigates mass, on average, around half of their destroyer counterparts for the era.

A comparison of frigate and destroyer masses.

Frigate class	Frigate mass	Destroyer class	Destroyer mass
Stalwart-class light	0.93 million tonnes	Halberd-class light	1.8 million tonnes
Charon-class light	0.65 million tonnes	Hillsborough-class heavy	2 million tonnes
Paris-class heavy	1.3 million tonnes	Able-class heavy	2.3 million tonnes

"Particularly common, especially within the context of planetary defense, are the Stalwart and Charon classes, as both are well-armed and extremely mobile. The heaviest frigates are those in the Paris-class, which are typically used as fleet escort but are also capable of directly engaging enemies whenever needed."

— Halo: The Essential Visual Guide p.76

"Though out-numbered, these [Paris-class] heavy frigates proved their worth in battle thanks to additional armor plating that increased their defense against the Covenant arsenal and their surplus of armament compared to standard frigates."

— Halo Waypoint - UNSC Frigate

• Class: Stalwart (Light Frigate)
• Role: Defense, escort
• Class: Charon (Light Frigate)
• Role: Escort, attack
• Class: Paris (Heavy Frigate)
• Role: Escort, attack

"Ferociously effective on a tonne-for-tonne basis compared to other UNSC warships, the Paris-class dominated frigate production toward the end of the Covenant War, proving the indispensibility of sheer firepower over cargo capacity and armor when facing the Covenant."

— Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), p.120

"Like the Paris-class before it, Mulsanne-frigates were optimized for swift offensive strikes and carried a diversified complement of weapons, making it one of the most adaptable warships in the UNSC Navy."

— Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), p.121

This can be easily contrasted with the light frigates, as noted in the following quotes;

"As colonial unrest grew on the periphery of human space, the first true multi-mission combat frigates, such as the Stalwart and Charon classes, emerged."

— Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), p.122

"Boasting one of the largest hangars bays by volume of any frigate, the Charon was often leveraged to ferry ground forces to and from the surface of contestes worlds, while also providing local fire support."

— Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), p.123

"While not as greatly armed or armored as other similar vessels, Charon-class light frigates have the capacity to carry a large complement of troops and vehicles into battle."

— Halo Waypoint - UNSC Frigate

"'Stalwart-class light frigates enjoy great success due to their superb balance between troop transportation and fleet support."

— Halo Waypoint - UNSC Frigate