Editing Archer missile

| type=Ship-to-ship missile

The '''Archer missile''' is a ship-to-ship missile used by the [[UNSC Navy]].

Warships usually carry large numbers of Archer missiles to complement their [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]]s. Archer pods usually carry around two dozen missiles each; [[UNSC frigate|frigates]] and [[UNSC destroyer|destroyers]] carry thirty pods, though larger ships carry more pods, sometimes hundreds. While individual Archers are vulnerable to point-defense weapons and have limited destructive potential, their sheer numbers make up for their lack of individual effectiveness. [[Covenant]] [[Energy shielding|shield technology]] can withstand large numbers of Archers, though unprotected ships can be destroyed by Archer missile strikes to the hull and superstructure.

The {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} was armed with 350 pods of twenty-four M42 Archers for a total of 8,400 Archers. They were supplemented by 250 pods of thirty [[Rapier missile|M75 Rapier missile]]s for a total 7,500 missiles and 500 pods of twenty [[Howler missile|M96 Howlers]] for a total of 10,000 Howlers.<ref>[http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2012/10/10/The-Halo-Bulletin-101012-.aspx '''Halo Waypoint''': ''The Halo Bulletin: 10.10.12'']</ref>

The M58 Archer is the preferred model of missile for the UNSC Navy, with most models of [[UNSC frigate|frigates]] and at least two classes of [[Cruiser|cruisers]] mounting these as their supplemental anti-ship weapon system. The number of individual devices per pods varied: the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} was armed with twenty-four M58 Archers per pod as part of its refit for [[Operation: RED FLAG]],<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/Content/assets/en-us/ONI/577839090903298928/DDR-A340024-1115-08-27-52.pdf '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Data Drop 5'']</ref>, while the {{UNSCShip|Commonwealth}} had thirty missiles in each pod instead.{{Ref/Reuse|TFoR}} The M58 is also mounted on smaller [[UNSC corvette|corvettes]], with the [[Gladius-class heavy corvette|''Gladius'']] and [[Scholte-class missile corvette|''Scholte''-classes]] each employing two pods of M58 Archers.{{Ref/Site|Id=CFFoundations|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-foundations|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Foundations|D=12|M=01|Y=2022}}

M58 Archers are considered long-range anti-ship missiles{{Ref/Book|Id=WF26|HWF|Page=26-27}}, and can be fitted with various warhead options{{Ref/Book|Id=WF36|HWF|Page=36-37}}.

Prior to the [[Human-Covenant War]], the UNSC found the missiles to be effective against [[Insurrectionist]] combatant ships. A single Archer missile was capable of crippling all but the largest of UNSC ships.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest'''</ref> Against the Covenant, however, they realized that the defensive measures employed by the enemy ships such as energy shields and [[pulse laser turret|point defense lasers]] suddenly rendered Archer missiles near-obsolete - lasers were able to pick off up to half of the missiles launched, and those that hit were rarely enough to penetrate the shields.<ref name="TFoR">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach'''</ref><ref>'''Halo Wars: Genesis'''</ref> At least one Covenant ship class, the {{Class|DAV|light corvette}}, possesses [[Electronic countermeasures|jamming measures]] that interfere with the guidance systems. Tactics were developed to counter this, using the more devastating but slower-firing Magnetic Accelerator Cannons to break through the shields, rendering the hulls vulnerable, but on the whole Archers proved to be ineffective weapons against the Covenant. Smaller ships, such as [[Covenant boarding craft|boarding craft]] or fighters, are much easier targets,{{Ref/Reuse|TFoR}} and Archers may be used in support of ground forces, launched from orbit to strike a ground-based target.<ref>'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''', ''level ???''</ref>