Pulse laser turret

This article describes the Covenant weapon. For the pulse laser mounted on UNSC prowlers, see XEV9-Matos Nonlinear Pulse Cannon.

A CCS-class battlecruiser firing its pulse laser turrets.

The pulse laser turret is a light Covenant ship-to-ship weapon system. These laser weapons are known to have been mounted on most Covenant ships and starfighters, and are mostly used for point defense but also for ship-to-ship combat.

Design details

Specifications

The pulse laser turret is one of the Covenant's primary weapon systems, often classified as a point-defense weapon and compared to the UNSC's point-defense guns. These pulse weapons are affixed to most Covenant ships, including Kig-Yar privateer ships such as the Minor Transgression, and starfighters such as the Type-31 "Seraph"-class.

Firing operation

Main article: Laser

The pulse laser turret fires by means of laser, using hydrogen fluoride as fuel.^[1] Before the weapon fires, it must first charge; during the charge, a sphere of light energy forms around the charging weapon. After finishing charging, the weapon expels a cyan/purple beam of energy. A section of the ship's shielding system must be dropped to allow the pulse weapons to fire completely.^[2]

Damage

Like most Covenant weapons, the pulse laser turrets are rated in the kilowatt range.^[3] Damages dealt by the pulse laser turrets are known to be serious threats to most, if not all UNSC ships; a pulse laser salvo is capable of melting through 45 cm of Titanium-A armor in a single shot.^[4] In one such instance, the UNSC Commonwealth, a frigate, received severe armor damage in sections three and four to a quarter the original width.^[4] As such, it is believed that UNSC ships with thicker armor would have to take multiple pulse laser salvos to show the same results.

Known types

Eriu-pattern - Used on the Hekar Taa-pattern Blockade Runner.
Ferriel-pattern - Used on the Kerel-pattern CAS-class assault carrier.
Gon-pattern - Used on the Sinaris-pattern CPV-class heavy destroyer and the Ket-pattern CCS-class battlecruisers.
Pallio-pattern - Used on the Mjern-pattern DSC-class support ship.
Phot-pattern - Used on the SDV-class heavy corvette.
Phot Et-pattern - Used on the Varric-pattern ORS-class heavy cruiser, and the Mutan Et-pattern DAS-class storm cutter.
Pok-pattern - Used on the CRS-class light cruiser.

Gallery

Closeup of the pulse laser turret.
Another closeup of the turret.
A CCS-class battlecruiser firing its ventral pulse laser turrets and dorsal plasma turrets.
An SDV-class heavy corvette fires a pulse laser at a space elevator at the Corbulo Academy, triggering its collapse.
The laser being used against UNSC vessels.