UNSC carrier

UNSC Atlas, a UNSC heavy carrier near the yellow dwarf star Lambda Serpentis.

Carrier is a capital warship classification used by the UNSC Navy. It is used for transport and deployment of fighters and ground troops and command and control

Overview

UNSC carriers range from light warships to among the largest ships in service. The smallest light carriers can be lower than a kilometer from stem to stern, smaller than a cruiser, while the largest carriers are multiple kilometers long. Most carriers are crewed by hundreds to thousands and can carry numerous space, air, and ground vehicles. Befitting their role, their primary asset is a large number of space fighters or dropships.

Armament

Despite their size, UNSC carriers depend on their fighter wings for offense, though the heavy carriers are often equipped with at least one Magnetic Accelerator Cannon. Carriers also mount numerous point-defense guns, such as the M910 Rampart point defense network used by the Epoch-class, as well as several nuclear missiles of various types.

Classes

The Navy operates several carrier classes.

Light carriers

• Poseidon-class light carrier – Sleek, elongated, and somewhat cylindrical in general shape. Its structure comprises two main sections covered with white plating; in the fore section, the plating mostly covers the vessel's dorsal surface.

• 

  Poseidon-class light carrier.

Heavy carriers

• Epoch-class heavy carrier – The heaviest variety of carrier in service behind only the immense supercarriers, the Epoch class' tonnage exceeds that of both the Poseidon and the Orion classes. Often forming the core of most UNSC fleets, the heavy carrier is capable of taking extreme damage in combat.

• 

  Epoch-class heavy carrier.

Assault carriers

• Orion-class assault carrier – Considered state-of-the-art when it was introduced, the Orion-class assault carrier incorporated the miniaturized and reconfigurable automated factories and chemical processors that were commonly found in colony support vessels, allowing the carriers to produce fuel, spare parts, and rarely even complete combat vehicles without outside assistane.

• 

  Orion-class assault carrier.

Supercarriers

• Infinity-class supercarrier – Currently the largest warship class in the UNSC Navy.
• Punic-class supercarrier – Used for direct confrontation with Covenant capital ships, and one of the few UNSC ships effective in this role.

• 

  Infinity-class supercarrier.

• 

  Punic-class supercarrier.

Other

• Phoenix-class support vessel – A colony ship classification used by the Unified Earth Government. At least one Phoenix, the UNSC Spirit of Fire, was modified for wartime use by the United Nations Space Command and redesignated a Phoenix-class support vessel.

• 

  Phoenix-class support vessel.

Unidentified classes

There is also an unidentified model of UNSC carrier, which has a length of 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) and have a beam of 120 meters (390 ft). They are armed with one Magnetic Accelerator Cannon. Secondary armament is provided by 300 Archer missiles, while tertiary armament includes two fusion rockets. They do carry approximately 2,100 and a large number of GA-TL1 Longsword interceptors or Pelican dropships. One, the UNSC Magellan, is part of this class.

There is another unspecified model of UNSC carrier, in which UNSC Musashi belonged to prior to its destruction during the space engagements over Reach.

• UNSC Musashi.jpg

  An unidentified carrier class, to which the UNSC Musashi belonged to.

Service history

This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Ships of the line

Class	Fleet or last known tactical grouping	Ship Name	Hull classification symbol	Last known captain	Notes
Epoch-class heavy carrier	Unknown	UNSC Epoch			Lead ship
		UNSC Atlas
Infinity-class supercarrier	Expeditionary Strike Group 1	UNSC Infinity	INF-101	Thomas Lasky	Lead ship. Missing over Installation 07.
	Unknown	UNSC Eternity			Not Completed
Orion-class assault carrier	Unknown	UNSC Fifth Winter
		UNSC Orion			Lead ship
Phoenix-class carrier	Third Fleet	UNSC Spirit of Fire	CFV-88	James Cutter	Active but officially listed as lost with all hands.
Poseidon-class light carrier	Unknown	UNSC Milwaukee
		UNSC Poseidon			Lead ship
Punic-class supercarrier	Unknown	UNSC Punic			Lead ship
	Epsilon Eridani Fleet	UNSC Trafalgar			Flagship of Epsilon Eridani Fleet. Destroyed over Reach
Unknown	UNSC Home Fleet	UNSC Stalingrad		Carl Patterson
		UNSC Witness
	Third Fleet	UNSC Totem Lake	CVA-92
	Unknown	UNSC All Under Heaven
		UNSC Magellan
		UNSC Musashi

List of appearances

• Halo: The Fall of Reach (First appearance)
• Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
• Halo: Legacy of Onyx
• Halo: Evolutions
  • The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole
• Halo: Fall of Reach
  • Boot Camp
  • Invasion
• Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series
• Halo: Outpost Discovery
  • Pelican Training
• Halo 4
  • Midnight
• Halo: Legacy of Onyx