Editing Strident-class heavy frigate

{{Era|HCW|Post}}

|class=[[Frigate|Heavy frigate]]<ref name="Warfleet"/>

|role=*Escort<ref name="Warfleet"/><ref name="universe">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/vehicles/unsc-frigate '''Halo Waypoint''': ''UNSC Frigate'']</ref>

*Attack<ref name="Warfleet"/><ref name="universe"/>

|width={{Convert|407|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}<ref name="EVG"/>

|height={{Convert|368|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}<ref name="EVG"/>

|mass=1.1 million metric tons<ref name="Warfleet"/>

|slipspace drive=[[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]]<ref name="departure"/>

|hull=[[Titanium-A armor|Titanium-A battle plate]]<ref name="Warfleet"/>

|shielding=Equipped<ref name="universe"/>

|armament=*1 [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|Mark IV, heavy coil - 94B1E6/MAC]]<ref name="Warfleet"/><ref name="universe"/>

*2 [[Archer missile#M42 Archer|M42 Archer missile]] pods<ref name="Warfleet"/>

*6 [[M870 Rampart point defense gun|M870 Rampart point-defense guns]]<ref name="Warfleet"/>

*5 [[Mark 55 Castor naval coilgun]]s<ref name="Warfleet"/>

*6 [[Mark 57 Arena point defense gun]]s<ref name="Warfleet"/>

*1 [[M4093 Hyperion nuclear delivery system|M4093 Hyperion missile silo]]<ref name="Warfleet"/>

|complement=1–4 [[Pelican]] [[dropship]]s<ref name="Warfleet"/>

|crew=190 [[UNSC Navy|sailors]]<ref name="Warfleet"/>

|era=*[[Human-Covenant War]]<ref name="Warfleet"/>

*[[Post-Covenant War conflicts]]<ref name="EVG"/>

|introduced=

|affiliation=[[UNSC Navy]]<ref name="EVG"/>

The '''''Strident''-class heavy frigate''' is a type of heavy [[UNSC frigate|frigate]] in service with the [[UNSC Navy]], designated with the hull code '''FFG'''. Manufactured over [[Mars]] and [[Tribute]] by [[Aerofabrique SA]],<ref name="Warfleet"/> these frigates are used as both escort ships and swift-attack vessels. Outfitted with [[energy shielding]] and powerful weaponry, the ''Strident'' class represents one of the newest generations of [[warship]]s within the Navy.<ref name="clarity">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-clarity-grace '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Clarity & Grace'']</ref>

The ''Strident'' class fulfills a number of versatile roles in the [[UNSC Navy]], from convoy escort to troop transport. The multi-purpose ''Strident''-class heavy frigate most often fulfills escort and attack roles in the [[fleet]]. In attack roles, they rely on their speed and numbers to engage enemy [[capital ship]]s. To compensate for their relative fragility, ''Strident''-class frigates maneuver and attack as a synchronized group to minimize exposure to [[plasma]] fire.<ref name="Warfleet"/>

Blurring the lines between frigate and [[destroyer]], the lean and lethal ''Strident'' class is considered an invaluable asset to the Navy.<ref name="Warfleet"/> Up to ten of these frigates can be stored in the internal [[Hangar bay|hangars]] and docking clamps of {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}.<ref>''Halo Warfleet'', p. 43</ref> After an initial assault, they are deployed ''en masse'' to deliver a final, crushing blow and mopping up any stragglers in the process.<ref name="universe"/><ref name="EVG"/>

==Specifications==

The ''Strident''-class heavy frigate is an incredibly fast and agile [[warship]] capable of precise naval combat.<ref name="universe"/> 575 meters in length, the ship is fairly narrow on the port-starboard axis. Relatively fragile, the ''Strident'' class is armored with easily replaceable [[Titanium-A armor]] panels, with additional plating around the ship's delicate engines.<ref name="Warfleet"/> Like other [[UNSC frigate|frigate]]s, the ''Strident'' possesses port and starboard "wings" and has a laterally split hull. A blister with several viewports is on the dorsal surface near the bow.<ref name="Midnight">''[[Halo 4]]'', campaign level, "[[Midnight]]"</ref> Rather than relying solely on the ship's hull for protection,<ref name="universe"/> the ''Strident'' class can be outfitted with [[energy shielding]]. Production delays mean most frigates are not equipped with energy shielding, though [[Energy barrier|small generators]] capable of sealing the [[Hangar bay|hangar]] and [[airlock]]s are standard. Channels for waveguides and bay sockets for emitters are installed, making final integration of shields a straightforward process once modules are available.<ref name="Warfleet"/>

The frigate's [[bridge]] features a state-of-the-art combat management system and a datacore capable of hosting a [[smart AI]] ship director. The AI and automated systems handle target detection, threat evaluation, tracking, and calculating of firing solutions, though the crew sets target priority and authorizes weapons release. These frigates maintain a low sensor signature.<ref name="Warfleet"/> The ship's [[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle|SOEIV]] deployment bays are mounted on the mid-ventral surface.<ref name="Initiation">''[[Halo: Initiation]]'', [[Halo: Initiation Issue 1|Issue #1]]</ref> Like other warships of the [[UNSC Navy]], sublight propulsion is provided by a [[fusion drive|deuterium fusion engine]].<ref name="departure"/>

The ''Strident''-class heavy frigate is crewed by 190 [[UNSC Navy|sailors]]. These warships traditionally carry no expeditionary troops,<ref name="Warfleet"/> though may occasionally hold and deploy a handful of [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]].<ref name="Initiation"/> Due to the frigate's relatively small size, the ''Strident'' class carries little in the way of complement. The class has a single internal hangar bay, capable of housing a single [[Pelican]] [[dropship]]. However, three more dropships can be carried on exterior hull clamps.<ref name="Warfleet"/>

Additionally, the ''Strident'' class may also carry [[OF92 Booster Frame]]s, heavily armed [[space fighter]]s specifically designed for use by [[Spartan]] operatives.<ref name="Warfleet"/>

===Armament===  

The ''Strident''-class heavy frigate is described as a lean and lethal warship, capable of carrying incredible firepower.<ref name="universe"/> The frigate's primary armament is its ship-mounted [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|Mark IV, heavy coil - 94B1E6/Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]].<ref name="universe"/> The 94B1E6 heavy MAC and its twelve massive capacitor banks allow the ''Strident'''s firepower to rival the twin MACs on [[UNSC destroyer|destroyers]] and light [[cruiser]]s. However, the ''Strident'' class is unable to carry much in the way of ammunition due to its small size; for this reason, most combat operations take place near supply depots. For attacking targets of strategic significance,<ref name="Warfleet"/> these frigates are fitted with a single [[M4093 Hyperion nuclear delivery system]], armed with three warheads.<ref name="universe"/> It requires several minutes to load and prepare each [[missile]].<ref name="Warfleet"/> The MAC and the Hyperion warheads combined are capable of defeating a variety of [[Covenant]] [[capital ship]]s, as long as their shields are down.<ref name="universe"/>

The secondary armament<ref name="universe"/> of the frigate is two [[Archer missile#M42 Archer|M42 Archer missile pods]].<ref name="Warfleet"/> To protect against fighters and missiles, six [[M870 Rampart point defense gun|M870 Rampart point-defense guns]] are fitted, emplacements combining quad-mount coilguns and a targeting scanner. They evaluate incoming threats and switch the ammunition to either sub-caliber armor-piercing sabots or proximity detonation fragmentation shells on a target-by-target basis. The ''Strident'' class is armed with five [[Mark 55 Castor naval coilgun]]s as its secondary ship-to-ship armaments. The Castors are designed to fire a variety of munitions, including experimental shield-piercing rounds. Three of the Castors are paired with two smaller [[Mark 57 Arena point defense gun]]s in a "quickshot" configuration, with one on each side.<ref name="Warfleet"/>

The ''Strident''-class heavy frigate was designed late in the [[Human-Covenant War]], implementing hard-earned lessons from previous [[frigate]] designs. The ''Strident'' class was the testbed for streamlined manufacturing techniques intended to accelerate production.<ref name="Warfleet"/> During the war, one of these frigates was used to deploy [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] during a battle for an unknown world in [[2552#October|October 2552]].<ref name="Initiation"/> Following the war's conclusion, hundreds of ''Strident''- and {{Class|Anlace|frigate}}s were commissioned and assembled in shipyards above [[Mars]] and [[Tribute]] to replace the combat losses and engage [[Covenant remnants]] occupying the [[Outer Colonies]].<ref name="Warfleet"/> While prominent in the years following the Covenant War,<ref name="universe"/> the ''Strident'' class is not a direct replacement for other frigate classes.<ref name="clarity"/>

In [[2554]], several ''Strident''-class heavy frigates participated in the [[Battle of Draetheus V]].<ref>''[[Halo: Spartan Assault]]''</ref> During the [[New Phoenix Incident]] in [[2557#July|July 2557]], at least three ships of this class escorted {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} as part of [[Battlegroup Dakota]]. They engaged the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]]'s flagship, ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'', though they could not prevent him from activating the [[Composer]] and killing millions of residents in [[New Phoenix]], [[Unified Republic of North America|URNA]].<ref name="Midnight"/> At the onset of the [[Requiem Campaign]] in [[2558]], ''Infinity'''s embarked ''Strident'' class sub-vessels were launched to engage the [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|Covenant]] [[Covenant fleet|fleet]] around Requiem.<ref name="departure"/> During the battle, ''Infinity Sub-vessel 3'' destroyed a {{Class|CRS|light cruiser}} that was sending waves of troops and vehicles at [[Fireteam Crimson]] over "[[Two Giants]]".<ref>''Spartan Ops'' - [[Catherine| ''Catherine'']], Chapter 4: "[[Catherine/Shootout in Valhalla|Shootout in Valhalla]]"</ref> Later, as ''Infinity'' was stranded and [[Battle of Aktis IV|ambushed]] at the world of [[Aktis IV]] by [[Jul 'Mdama]] with the aid of [[Catherine Halsey]], the flagship deployed its entire fleet of ''Strident''-class heavy frigates to ward off the attacking Covenant fleet, which they eventually succeeded in doing.<ref>''Halo: Escalation'', [[Halo: Escalation Issue 16|Issue #16]]</ref>

*''Infinity Sub-vessel 3'' - One of the internally docked frigates with the ''Infinity''.

==Behind the scenes==

Low-detail models of the ''Strident''-class are seen in the background on the ''Halo 4'' level ''[[Midnight]]''.<ref name="Bulletin">[https://blogs.halowaypoint.com/en-us/blogs/headlines/posts/the-halo-bulletin-5-14-14 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''The Halo Bulletin 5.14.14'']</ref> These ships are intended to appear only in the background, but exploiting a [[Midnight Vacation|glitch]] allows the player to examine these vessels up close, along with two other theretofore-[[Vindication-class light battleship|unseen]] [[Poseidon-class light carrier|classes]]. Because these ships are intended to appear only as scenery, they are rendered as brushes rather than level geometry; as such, the player can fly the [[Broadsword]] through them without harm. This model bears several structural differences to the final model seen in ''Spartan Ops''; it is lighter in coloration, similar to the other ships of [[Battlegroup Dakota]], and the bridge section is sleeker, shorter, and located farther aft.

File:Spartan ops frigates.png|The ''Infinity''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s sub-vessels clearing the corridor into [[Requiem]].

File:Unidentified frigate 1.jpg|Side view of the ''Strident''-class as depicted in ''Midnight''.

File:Unidentified frigate 2.jpg|Top view of the vessel as depicted in ''Midnight''.

File:Dakota_3.jpg|Three ships of this class participating in the Battle of Earth.

File:Halo Initiation unidentified frigate.PNG|A ''Strident''-class in ''Halo: Initiation''.

File:HE16 Infinity Fleet.jpg|''Infinity'''s flotilla of ''Strident''-class escorts engage Jul 'Mdama's fleet in the [[Battle of Aktis IV]].

<References/>

[[Category:United Nations Space Command ship classes]]