Lancer-class fast-attack corvette
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The Lancer-class fast-attack corvette is a corvette employed by the Colonial Military Authority and later the United Nations Space Command.[1]
Overview[edit]
Design details[edit]
Lancer-class corvettes were the fastest warships available to the CMA Navy and UNSC Navy at the time of its introduction. Long and sleek, they evoked speed even when docked.[1] By corvette standards, they are extremely large vessels measuring in at 341 meters (1,120 ft),[1] outclassing the next-largest Gladius-class heavy corvette (240 meters (800 ft)) by around one hundred metres. This puts them close to the size range of the smaller frigates such as the Anlace-class light frigate, which measures in at 1,220 feet (370 m).
The ship is divided into a distinct trident-like design, if viewed from the top-down. The primary chassis of the ship is a long, rectangular box reminiscent of a UNSC frigate housing the MAC and a dorsally-mounted bridge. Two booms are constructed on the lateral sides of the ship, each housing a large fusion drive assembly. Two smaller fusion drives are mounted on the main chassis, for a total of four.[2]
Armaments[edit]
The primary armament of the Lancer are its rapid-fire naval coilguns, which allowed it to harass large Covenant ships from a relatively safe distance, and eliminate smaller vessels before they could get into plasma torpedo range. Its relatively small magazine capacity means that a typical strategy is for Lancer squadrons to "dump rods" early in the engagement and then attempt to disengage to behind the main fleet and replenish their stores.[1] The coilguns are arranged in fixed-forward positions similar to the MAC, with two mounted on the front of each of the ship's distinctive lateral pods, and two mounted above the main hull of the ship, just below the dorsal bridge.[2]
The primary hull of the ship contains the vessel's 5D7C2 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, and is broadly similar in proportion to the upper MAC booms distinctive of larger UNSC frigates such as the Paris-class and Stalwart-classes.[2]
Ships of the line[edit]
- UNSC Lancer - The lead ship of the class[3]
While not specified by class name, the UNSC Two for Flinching has been described as a fast-attack corvette, indicating that it may also be considered a part of the Lancer classification.[4]
Operational history[edit]
Over-gunned and under-ranged for most Insurrection-era deployments, the Lancer-class found its calling in the months and years following the Covenant's assault on Harvest.[1]
The class' limited endurance—both in terms of ship stores and fuel—restricted their use in wartime expeditionary operations, and most were relegated to internal patrol and planetary defense picket duties. Many were even stripped of their slipspace drives, with the extra space used for additional ammunition and crew comforts.[1]
Production notes[edit]
The Lancer-class' appearance originated as a part of a design exploration exercise for UNSC ships, done as a collaboration between the narrative and concept teams at 343 Industries, during the development of Halo Infinite and the 2022 edition of the Halo Encyclopedia. This was the result of a fortuitous alignment of interests, which allowed them to leverage the ideas generated for multiple purposes; the narrative team wished to further flesh out the UNSC fleet, while the concept team needed to craft ship designs for Infinite, which would ultimately culminate in the Mulsanne-class light frigate seen in-game.[1][5]
Trivia[edit]
A lancer is a cavalryman who fought with a lance, a long spear designed for use on horseback; they were often employed as shock units.
Gallery[edit]
Concept art of the Lancer-class for Halo Infinite.
Sources[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Foundations (Retrieved on Jan 12, 2022) [archive]
- ^ a b c d This concept turnaround
- ^ Stephen Loftus on the Autumn class' talk page
- ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, chapter 4
- ^ ArtStation, Halo Infinite Space Ship Concept Art (Retrieved on Jan 17, 2022) [archive]
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