The SDV-class heavy corvette is a light capital warship classification in the Covenant Navy.[1][2]
Specifications
Design details
Larger than UNSC frigates but relatively weak compared to most Covenant ships, corvettes are usually sent in advance of larger fleets.[1][3][2] They are streamlined, with a smooth oblong hull shape. Their "double-hull" assembly is unique among Covenant military vessels. Corvettes are also different from most known Covenant vessels in that the bridge is located at the front of the ship[2] instead of in the ship's center.[4] Corvettes are propelled by four engines at the rear of the ship.[1][3][2][5] Red and blue lights are used to distinguish the port and starboard sides of the ship.[2]
Unlike larger Covenant vessels, SDV-class heavy corvettes have no energy shields. This leaves them vulnerable to smaller UNSC weapons such as point-defense guns. A lack of energy shielding also puts them at risk of being boarded, as in the case of the Ardent Prayer during Operation: UPPER CUT.[1][2][5]
Armament
The Covenant corvette is armed with multiple weapons. On either side of the ship are three plasma turrets which are used primarily for engaging larger ships. Located in four slots, two on each side, with two in each, are eight smaller plasma turrets for use against single ships such as fighters. Corvettes are also armed with an unknown number of cannons designed for bombarding surface targets.[6] On the underside of the corvette is a launch bay that can hold at least ten Banshee-class interceptors for use in combat. The hangar bay also carries six Seraph-class starfighters, with additional room to carry one or more Phantom gunboats for additional combat support. The dorsal landing pad can carry additional fighters. The "runner" ringing the underside of the ship is capable of launching orbital insertion pods.[2]
Operational history
At least three SDV-class heavy corvettes were present during the Covenant invasion of Corbulo Academy of Military Science on Circinius IV sometime during 2526. At some point they lowered into the atmosphere and fired on the school's space elevator, causing it to collapse.
Several SDV-class heavy corvettes were present during the Fall of Reach. On July 26, 2552, a corvette attacked the Office of Naval Intelligence's Sword Base, but retreated when its forces were driven off. As it left, the corvette was struck amidships by a round from an Orbital Defense Platform's Magnetic Accelerator Cannon and sank in a nearby lake.[1] At least four corvettes were present in the Covenant staging area in the Viery Territory.[3] These corvettes and the supercarrier Long Night of Solace were part of the Fleet of Valiant Prudence sent to Reach in advance of the Fleet of Particular Justice.[7]
At least one corvette, Ardent Prayer, was in the planet's orbit when Operation: UPPER CUT commenced. As the vessel's communications were being jammed by the UNSC, it was engaged by Template:UNSCship, which was assisted by several YSS-1000 Sabre fighters, including one piloted by SPARTAN-B312 and Jorge-052. The corvette was destroyed by Savannah's slipspace drive, which was used as a makeshift bomb, also destroying Long Night of Solace, though Jorge-052 was killed in the slipspace rift.[2] The loss of the Ardent Prayer and the Long Night of Solace effectively destroyed the Fleet of Valiant Prudence, forcing the remnants of the task force to link up with the incoming Covenant invasion fleet.
Other SDV-class heavy corvettes took part in the ground battles on Reach. At least three corvettes were present during the siege of New Alexandria. One took part in the destruction of civilian evacuation transports, but was heavily damaged by a missile battery, apparently disabling its weapons and allowing the remaining transports to escape.[5]
Trivia
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Browse more images in this article's gallery page. |
The Firefight map Corvette and the multiplayer map Zealot take place on Ardent Prayer, a Covenant corvette.
Gallery
- Concept - Corvette design layout.jpg
Concept art of the Covenant corvette.
An overview of the Covenant corvette.
A comparison between the corvette and the YSS-1000 Sabre.
A lightly rendered model of a Covenant corvette used when viewed from a distance.
A rough comparison between the corvette and UNSC Savannah. Note that this may not be up to scale.
A Corvette's gravity lift and Type-27 XMF ventral launch-bay.
Close up of Type-27 XMF launch-bay.
Close-up of the Banshee storage area in the corvette's hangar bay.
View of the corvette's dorsal landing pad.
View inside a corvette's hangar bay, with Seraph-class starfighters hanging from the ceiling.
The bridge of a Covenant corvette, staffed by Special Operations Sangheili, Unggoy Ultras and a Sangheili General.
A group of corvettes over the surface of Reach.
Carter-A259 looks at a Covenant corvette over Reach.
- CovieCorvette.jpg
A corvette attacking Sword Base.
A corvette in battle.
Three corvettes hold position over the city of New Alexandria.
Three corvettes over the Corbulo Academy.
A corvette fires a pulse laser at the Corbulo Academy space elevator, destroying it.
List of appearances
Sources
- ^ a b c d e Halo: Reach, campaign level ONI: Sword Base
- ^ a b c d e f g h Halo: Reach, campaign level Long Night of Solace
- ^ a b c Halo: Reach, campaign level Nightfall
- ^ Halo: The Flood, page 5
- ^ a b c Halo: Reach, campaign level Exodus
- ^ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedGuide - ^ Halo: Reach, campaign level Tip of the Spear