Editing UNSC frigate

{{Status|Canon}}

[[File:Mac.jpg|350px|thumb|A [[Battle Group Victory|battle group]] of UNSC frigates firing their [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]]s above [[Voi]].]]

'''Frigate''' ([[hull classification symbol]] '''FFG''') is a [[warship]] classification in the [[UNSC Navy]]. Although they do not possess the same degree of armor, armament, and firepower as [[UNSC destroyer|destroyers]], frigates are lighter and more maneuverable. They are also cheaper to produce, allowing greater numbers to be fielded against the [[Covenant]].

[[File:Halo Legends - Origins II - EarlyShips.png|thumb|left|250px|Early frigates over [[Earth]].]]

During the [[Human-Covenant War]], UNSC frigates were barely considered a match for even the smallest of Covenant warships. Their armor was susceptible to enemy point-defense [[Pulse laser turret|pulse lasers]] and [[plasma torpedo]]es, and it is outfitted with substandard weaponry. Only ''en masse'' did the UNSC frigate give any UNSC fleet element an advantage against even inferior numbers of Covenant [[capital ship]]s. By 2552, UNSC frigates designs became more technologically advanced as seen with both the [[Strident-class heavy frigate]] and the [[Anlace-class frigate]].

The frigate's speed and maneuvering are its advantage, however, allowing UNSC frigates to provide fire support to other UNSC fighter craft such as [[FSS-1000 Sabre|Sabre]]s or [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]]s and engage both multiple enemy single ship fighters, such as [[Elsedda-pattern Banshee|Banshee interceptors]] or [[Seraph]]s, and light enemy warships simultaneously; its speed allows it to put down fire on an enemy ship while being able to avoid a large amount of fire from largely superior [[Plasma turret|Covenant weaponry]].<ref>'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[Long Night of Solace (level)|Long Night of Solace]]''</ref> In addition to this, its small size and role as a troop carrier vessel make it ideal for supporting ground operations in planetside theaters of action, capable of laying down suppressive fire against Covenant ground forces while deploying its complement of aircraft and marines to bolster UNSC forces on the surface.

The forward midsection of the ship has numerous single ship [[hangar bay]]s for [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelicans]] or fighter craft like [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longswords]] on both sides. A UNSC frigate also possess twelve [[drop pod]] bays, located in the rear of the ship, which facilitate the deployment of [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]]. Also, spread throughout the frigate's structure are a number of its many escape pod bays.

Some frigate classes, namely the ''Charon''-class, also have a large loading [[elevator]] in their rear section which is capable of extending out of the ship's ventral side to deploy vehicles or cargo directly to the ground.<ref>'''Halo 2'''</ref><ref name="h3">'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level ''[[The Ark]]''</ref> The {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}} featured a large rear section which had the capacity of holding several [[D77H-TCI Pelican|Pelicans]] in addition to numerous ground vehicles. These hangar floor elevators have been seen operating in two different modes; the single-sided hinges on the elevator are able to swing down 90° in order to allow aircraft like Pelicans to drop vertically out of the hangar for quick deployment.{{Ref/Reuse|h3}} So far the frigate is the only UNSC warship that has been seen landing and deploying vehicles directly to the surface of a planet (or Installation 00 in the ''Dawn''{{'}}s case).

==Design details==

Like other [[human]] ships, the UNSC frigate is powered by thermonuclear fusion reactors which use deuterium (a stable hydrogen isotope) as fuel. The engines almost certainly use the energy obtained from this process to heat some form of reaction propellant which is expelled out of rear-facing exhausts to generate thrust. There are four exhausts visible on frigates; two large and two small. In addition, the frigate has two sets of forward maneuvering thrusters near the front.{{Ref/Reuse|art}}

UNSC frigates are capable of hovering in an atmosphere and even landing. This is likely accomplished through the use of [[Anti-gravity technology|anti-gravity generators]], although the technology involved has never been elaborated upon. Frigates are able to perform a [[Class-L flash-dock]], a landing procedure used when time is of the essence which requires precise maneuvering control.<ref>[[Data Drop|Data Drop #6]]</ref>

[[File:Halo3 - MAC muzzle.jpg|thumb|200px|The MAC barrel on a UNSC frigate.]]

*1 '''[[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]]''' which is able to fire one round per charge. A frigate MAC has an average length of 183 meters, or 600 feet.{{Ref/Book|HEVG|Page=114}} MACs are typically spinally mounted to a frigate, though at least a pair of post-war frigate classes eschew MACs for lasers instead.<ref>''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''</ref><ref>[http://community.spartangames.co.uk/index.php?/topic/16805-halo-waypoint-update-with-spartan-new-ships/&do=findComment&comment=303472 '''Spartan Games''': ''Halo Waypoint Update with Spartan - NEW SHIPS!'']</ref>

*1-3 '''[[Shiva-class nuclear missile]]s''' serve as heavy ordnance.{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc11|Enc11|Page=259}}

*16 '''[[Archer Missile|Archer missile pods]]''' which carry around thirty missiles per pod, adding up to a total of 480 missiles.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc11}}

*4-12 '''[[Point-defense gun]]s''' function as the last line of defense against [[Seraph|single ships]] and incoming missiles. They are used for aerial bombardment on occasion. The model and amount of guns possessed by each ship varies by class, but the [[Rampart point defense gun|50mm Rampart]] is the most common, coming in either twin-linked or quad-linked variants.

A frigate generally has a 250 sailor crew, with an equal number of troops also housed onboard.{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=36-37}}{{Ref/Novel|HSS|Page=19}} The crew number includes deck crews as well as the command crew and technical personnel. Combat personnel, like Marines and ODSTs, are counted separately. The maximum number of personnel a single frigate is capable of housing numbers at least within the thousands.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 220''</ref> Since many frigates have been seen in ground support roles, it is likely that the complement of Marine and ODST personnel on board is higher in percentage than other ships that are more dedicated to space combat.

In [[2552]] [[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery Johnson]] was supposedly able to singlehandedly control the frigate {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}} to aid [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[John-117]] and [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]] on the [[Installation 08|newly rebuilt Halo]], though an auto-pilot function was available with the use of the ship's onboard [[Navigation computer|navigational computer]]. An [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] can monitor and regulate all critical functions without human intervention.

The armor of a frigate is relatively poor compared with that of its larger cousins and counterparts such as the [[UNSC destroyer]], with only 60&nbsp;cm of [[Titanium-A armor|titanium-A battle plate]]. However, due to its relatively light weight, the frigate's strength lies instead in maneuverability and speed. The frigate's relatively wide design is supported by structural support ribs, allowing it to perform orbital incursions. As of 2558, certain frigates (namely, the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}'s ten [[Strident-class heavy frigate|Strident-class]] sub-vessels) possess [[energy shielding]] technology.<ref>'''[[Spartan Ops]]''', ''[[S1/Departure|S1E1 - Departure]]''</ref>

==Classes==

{| class="wikitable"

! width="200" style="text-align:left" |Class

! width="100" style="text-align:left" |Image

! width="500" style="text-align:left"|Details

| {{Class|Strident|heavy frigate}} || [[File:H4-StridentHeavyFrigate-ScanRender.png|300px]] || The {{Class|Strident|heavy frigate}} is best suited as an escort ship and swift-attack vessel used in large-scale naval space battles.

| {{Class|Paris|heavy frigate}} || [[File:HaloReach - UNSCFrigate.png|300px]] || The {{Class|Paris|heavy frigate}} boasts additional titanium-A armor plating and a larger number of point-defense guns than standard frigates, giving it greater capabilities as a fleet support vessel.

| {{Class|Mulsanne|light frigate}} || [[File:HINF UNSCPanamaFront Render Crop.png|300px]] || The {{Class|Mulsanne|light frigate}} closely resembles its aforementioned predecessors but lacks the lower bays characteristic of most frigates, and features a more centralized engine system.

| {{Class|Charon|light frigate}} || [[File:H3-UNSCFrigateAegisFate.png|300px]] || The {{Class|Charon|light frigate}} can carry a large complement of troops and vehicles. It is not as heavily armed or armored as other escort vessels of similar design. This belies a role as fleet support and troop carrier, although it is still capable of ship-to-ship combat.

| {{Class|Stalwart|light frigate}} || [[File:H2A - In Amber Clad render 2.jpg|300px]] || The {{Class|Stalwart|light frigate}} is best suited for planetary defense, fleet escort duties, and troop deployment. It has a smaller complement of vehicles than the ''Charon'' class, and less armament than the ''Paris'' class, effectively balancing it between troop transportation and fleet support.

| {{Class|Anlace|light frigate}} || [[File:H5G Anlace-class Frigate.jpg|300px]] || The {{Class|Anlace|light frigate}} lacks a MAC spinal mount but has a light MAC on top and primarily employs directed-energy weapons.

File:LNoS Frigate Comprison SLoftus.jpg|A scale comparison between the {{UNSCShip|Grafton}} and the {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}}, and the {{UNSCShip|Grafton}} and the ''Long Night of Solace''.

*''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''

**''[[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)|Terminals]]''

{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Human Ships}}