Kerel-pattern assault carrier

Template:Ship The Assault Carrier, also known as a covenant capital ship, is a heavy warship classification within the Covenant Fleet. The Assault Carrier easily dwarfs even the mighty UNSC Marathon-class Cruiser, as seen in this comparison of ships.

Numerous Assaults Carrier are seen above the skies around the Ark in the Halo 3 Announcement Trailer.

The Covenant Assault Carriers are massive Covenant spacecraft capable of massive destruction. They are armed with energy beam projectors and their gravity lifts can also be used as a planetary seige weapon. Two of these craft, one commanded by the High Prophet of Regret, attacked Earth in October of 2552.

They are larger than CCS-class Battlecruisers, with three primary bulbous sections as opposed to the single one atop a CCS-class battlecruiser.

The Prophet of Regret's own Assault Carrier hangs ominously in the clouds over New Mombasa.

Because of their mammoth bulk, they are believed to be heavily armed. It is known that they are possibly armed with at least one energy projector, (As in Halo First Strike a spartan mentioned "Energy Projectors, only the big ships have them.") and a pulse lasers (an Assault Carrier destroyed a UNSC Marathon-class Cruiser over Earth before being itself destroyed by the Master Chief). Assault carriers are also armed with a unique gravity lift able to makeshift as a weapon. Interestingly this gravity lift is speculated to reverse itself and adjust its reversed power to full strength causing it to decimate any obect in it's path (This also what obliterated Regrets temporary temple).

However, their assets would most probably lie in their starfighter and troop compliments, as per their classification as carriers. It is known that they possess Seraph singleships, Banshees, Spirits, Phantoms, and even Drop Pods, along with legions of Grunts, Brutes, Jackals, Drones, Elites, Hunters, Ghosts, Spectres, Wraiths, Shadows, and other ground units.

Characteristics

Assault Carriers, like the high majority of other Covenant ships, are characterized to have a bulbous outline and sillhouette. However they also tend to be characterized by there unique yet odd swollen and bulbous "hook" shaped nose that is familier to that of a bulbous, swollen head of a sea whale. They also appear to have an slightly exposed deuterium/tritium fusion reactor (The slit opening that continuosly eminates a unique deep violet glow). Assault carriers not only seem to have not only posses two but three rather large engines directly beneath the tail of the ship which would unimbigulously become necessary to propell such a large ship throughout space and also planetary atmosphere.

Appearances

• There were two Assault Carriers in the First Battle of Earth - one was the Prophet of Regret's personal starship, and the other was destroyed by SPARTAN-117
• In the Halo 3 preview, the only Covenant capital ships present in the "excavation force" at the site of the Forerunner artifact appear to be Assault Carriers.

Sources

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