Editing UNSC Forward Unto Dawn

{{era|H2|H3|HE|LE}}

{{ratings}}

{{Individual ship infobox
|name            = {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}}
|image           = [[Image:Forward into dawn.jpg|300px]]
|class           = [[UNSC Frigate|Frigate]]
|length          = {{Convert|489.8|m|ft}}
|width           = {{Convert|155.2|m|ft}}
|height          = {{Convert|139.2|m|ft}}
|engine          = Fusion Reactor - 2 Primary/2 Secondary
|slipspace drive = [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]]
|slipspace speed = 2.1 light-years/day 
|hull            = 60 centimeters Titanium-A battleplate 
|armament        =
*[[MAC|MAC Gun]] (1)
*[[Archer Missile]] (50) Pods
30 Missiles/Pod
*2x [[50mm point defense gun]] (4)
*Nuclear missiles (3)
|capacity        =
*[[M808B Scorpion Main Battle Tank|Scorpion Tanks]] (4+)
*[[M831 Troop Transport Warthog]] (1+)
*[[Gauss Warthog]]s (3+)
*[[Warthog]]s (9+)
*[[Mongoose]]s (3+)
*[[Hornet]]s (25+)
*[[Pelican]]s (7+) 
*[[HEV]] (12+)
*[[Cryo-chambers]] (3+)
*Escape pods (12)         
|consumables     = Food, Ammunition, Fuel
|role            = Support for heavier ships, Transport, Command Vessel, Frigate
|first sighting  = [[2552|November 2552]]
|destroyed       = 2552-2553, entire vessel was split in half, one piece returning to [[Earth]], another drifting to an unknown planet along with [[John-117]] and [[Cortana]].
|retired         =
|last sighting   = Fore half crash landed on Earth with the Arbiter. Aft half last seen drifting towards an [[Legendary Planet|unknown planet]] in space.
|battles         =
*[[Battle of Earth]]
**[[Battle of Voi]]
*[[Battle of Installation 00]]
|affiliation     = [[UNSC]] [[UNSC Navy|Navy]]
|fleet           = UNSC Home Fleet
|named crew      =
*[[Fleet Admiral]] [[Sir Terrence Hood]]
*[[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Miranda Keyes]]
|captains        = 
*[[Commander (UNSC)|Commander]] [[Miranda Keyes]]
*[[Admiral]] [[Terrence Hood]]
*[[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery J. Johnson]] (technicality)
}}

The '''UNSC ''Forward Unto Dawn''''' ([[Hull Classification Symbol|FFG-201]]) was a [[United Nations Space Command]] [[UNSC Frigate|Frigate]].

It was also more commonly known by UNSC personnel as "The ''Dawn''".<ref>''[[Halo 3: Official Strategy Guide]]'', page 109</ref>

==History==

===[[Battle of Earth]]===
While nothing is known about the ''Dawn'''s active role in the early stages of the [[Battle of Earth]], since the ship was the flagship of [[Admiral Hood]] it can be accurately assumed that the ship was present to escort him from [[Orbital Defense Platform]] ''[[Cairo Station|Cairo]]'', his previous command. It is also presumed that the ship, along with the few remaining warships of the [[Home Fleet]], hid on the continent of [[Africa]] until the Battle of Voi.

During the [[Battle of Voi]], the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' was part of a formation of three UNSC frigates over the African Savannah of the [[UNSC Home Fleet|Home Fleet]]. Combined with several squadrons of [[Longsword]] fighters, they assaulted Truth's position. 

It fired its [[MAC]] guns at the [[Forerunner]] ''[[Dreadnought]]'', containing [[Truth]], in attempts to stop him from activating the [[Portal]] to the [[Ark]]. This attempt failed, and it appeared the Dreadnought survived unscathed, escaping through the Portal to the Ark. <ref>''[[Halo 3]]'', level "[[The Storm (Level)|The Storm]]"</ref>

===[[Battle of Installation 00]]===

{{Quote|I'm giving the [[Brutes]] all I've got...but this is a heavy-weight fight! The Dawn's only got the tonnage to last a few rounds.| [[Miranda Keyes]] on The Ark.}}  

The ''Forward Unto Dawn'' went through the slipspace portal along with several [[Covenant Separatist]] vessels including the ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'' along with the rest of the Sangheilian Fleet.

It dropped five [[D77H-TCI Pelican|D77H-TCI Pelican Dropships]] in a zero-G drop for a landing on [[the Ark]]. However, the Separatist-[[UNSC]] and Loyalist fleets heavily engaged. This left Commander [[Keyes]] desperate for a landing zone, as most, if not all, of the [[Covenant]] ships heavily outclassed the ''Dawn''. The first objective for the ''Dawn'''s [[Marine]] complement was to clear a landing zone for the ''Dawn'' to escape. It became the Flagship for [[human]] operations at the [[Ark]], despite the fact that it was a mere [[UNSC Frigate|Frigate]]. 

After [[Cortana]] was recovered from the infected remains of ''[[High Charity]]'', it seems that the remaining humans were transferred to the ''Shadow of Intent'' and/or the {{UNSCship|Aegis Fate}}, leaving Sgt. Johnson as the temporary captain of the ship (Unorthodox as the Sergeant is not a [[Navy|Naval Officer]]). He took it as close as he could to the Control Room of [[Installation 04 (II)|Replacement Installation 04]], leaving it and using a [[Warthog]], he traversed the remaining distance to aid the Master Chief and the Arbiter. After the ring's activation, it was used to help [[John-117]] and [[Thel 'Vadam]] escape into [[the portal]].<ref name="level">''[[Halo 3]]'', level "[[Halo (Halo 3 Level)|Halo]]"</ref>

After crash-landing in the Hangar Bay of the ship, the Arbiter traveled to the bridge of the ship while the Master Chief stayed to implant Cortana into the ship to allow them to escape from the ring's activation. After being hit and nearly knocked out of the ''Dawn'' by the very [[Warthog]] he was driving a few moments ago, John-117 was nearly crushed by a [[Scorpion]] tank that was falling out of the ''Dawn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hangar, but managed to hang on. He survived the travel into the portal, but unfortunately the ship was cut in half as the portal collapsed, leaving John stranded in slip-space until the half of the ship could decelerate enough to drop into normal space.

===Current Status===

[[Image:Forward Unto Dawn Name.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The ''Forward Unto Dawn''.]]

{{Quote|Well...some of us made it.|Cortana, after escaping the [[Installation 04 (II)|second Installation 04]].}} 

The forward half of the vessel, including [[Thel 'Vadam]], was able to transition to [[Earth]] and land in an unknown ocean (possibly the Indian Ocean given the portal's location). The Arbiter was rescued successfully from this impact. The latter half of the vessel finally fell out of [[slipspace]], but in a currently unknown location. While jumping through the portal, the stern half of the ''Dawn'' was separated from the forward half by the firing of [[Installation 04 (II)|Alpha Halo]]. As a result, the ship's power failed, as can be seen by the failure of [[artificial gravity]].<ref name="level"/> 

Whether the vessel was left relatively close to the [[Ark]], or the back half of the frigate managed to fit into the portal and get thrown out at a random destination is unknown. The latter theory brings to question how Cortana knew that the firing "did a number on the Ark", while the first theory brings with it the question of how the Master Chief survived the Halo's firing sequence. 

[[Cortana]] dropped a distress beacon while the [[John-117|Master Chief]] sealed himself in one of the ''Dawn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s cryogenic chambers (these are designed to work independent of a ships power, they are able to be dumped into space still active upon a ship's impending destruction).

Five years later, in [[2557]], the ''Dawn'' was still stranded in space. Cortana, showing signs of Rampancy, filed a report on the history of the [[Forerunner]]s and [[Human|Humanity]]. An undetermined amount of time later, the  ''Dawn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s melted, mangled aft section was seen drifting towards an [[Legendary Planet|unknown planet]]<ref>''[[Halo 3]]'', final cut scene</ref>.

==Trivia==
*The second chapter of the level, "[[The Ark (Level)|The Ark]]", is called "''Forward Unto Dawn''".
*On the lower part of the bow there is a black [[7]] inside a yellow star with a yellow chevron under it, this being one of [[Bungie]]'s [[7]] references.
*If you look at the designations of the [[UNSC]] Frigates firing on the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] on the level "[[The Storm (Level)|The Storm]]", they all say ''Forward Unto Dawn'' and the ships numbers are the same as well. This shows that Bungie only made two Frigate models, with the ''Aegis Fate'' model only being used for the multiplayer level "[[Sandtrap]]"
*The ''Forward Unto Dawn'' was originally the flagship of [[Fleet Admiral Hood]]. However, he left it in the capable hands of [[Miranda Keyes]] as she fought her way to the [[Ark]].
**It is rare for a very high ranking officer like Fleet Admiral [[Terrence Hood|Lord Hood]] to have such a small vessel as the flagship of the [[Home Fleet]]. This is probably because many of the more powerful UNSC ships were destroyed during the first actions of the Battle of Earth.
*It is said that frigates have 30 [[Archer Missile|Archer Missile Pods]]. The ''Dawn'' however has fifty: two behind its bay, two in front of its bay, two on both sides of its [[MAC]] gun and one on each side of the thrusters, although this could be a modification, since it once belonged to Admiral Hood.
*In the final level of ''[[Halo 3]]'', "[[Halo (Halo 3 Level)|Halo]]", before the ship is torn in half, there is no mention or sight of the crew, which had boarded the ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'' before [[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] positioned ''Forward Unto Dawn'', this is mentioned in the cutscene at the beginning of the level "[[Halo (Halo 3 Level)|Halo]]", [[Rtas 'Vadum]] can be heard saying "We are all aboard, [[human]]s and [[Sangheili|Elites]]."
*It is small enough to fit in the hangar of the ''[[Shadow of Intent]]''.
*In a ''Star Trek: Armada II'' ship pack including UNSC Frigates, the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' was released as a hero ship, along with the [[UNSC Gettysburg|UNSC ''Gettysburg'']]. Its special improvements are enlarged size and more hull strength.
*On the opening cutscene for The Ark, Johnson's Pelican along with two others are dropped from the hanger of the ''Dawn''. This is interesting, as later on in the level, elevators are seen there. This could have been possibly overlooked by [[Bungie]].&nbsp;Or it is possible that the bottom of the elevators were retracted or were pulled into the frigate so they were not seen in the cutscene and were deployed after the dawn's landing on the Ark.
*''Forward Unto Dawn'' is the third of three main ships, [[Pillar of Autumn]] and [[In Amber Clad]], to be destroyed in or near the end of the game.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:New frigate.jpg|The ''Dawn'' above the [[Portal]]. 
Image:FUD-04-00.JPG|''Forward Unto Dawn'' flying over the new Halo with the Ark in the skyline.
Image:Forward Unto Dawn.jpg|The ''Dawn'', perched on the Ark, or, Installation 00. 
Image:Forward-unto-dawn-04.JPG|''Forward Unto Dawn'' escapes.
Image:FUD.jpg|A profile of the ''Forward Unto Dawn''.
Image:Mac.jpg|The ''Dawn'' in battle.
Image:Fud_cutaway.jpg|Rear section of the ''Dawn'' after being split in two.
Image:50105991-Full.jpg|The SOEIV chutes on the bottom of the ''Forward Unto Dawn''. 
</gallery>

==Sources==
<references/>

==Links==

===Internal===
*[[United Nations Space Command]]
*[[UNSC Navy]]

{{UNSC Frigate}}
[[Category:UNSC|Forward Unto Dawn, UNSC]]
[[Category:Human Starships|Forward Unto Dawn, UNSC]]