Canon

UNSC starship

From Halopedia, the Halo wiki

File:HM-Infinity.png
Several types of UNSC starships in orbit.

UNSC starships[1] were Human starships operated by the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and it's various branches and forces.

Overview

Organization

In the UNSC, ships can also be operated by different departments and branches. Warships like the UNSC In Amber Clad were often operated by the UNSC Navy.[2] UNSC Navy ships were deployed by UNSC Fleet Command.[3] In the case of the UNSC Swift Justice, it was operated by the Incident Response and Investigation division of the UNSC.[4] The UNSC Department of Commercial Shipping also operated a number of Freighters.

These orginizations as well have ways of identifying their ships. There was the Hull classification symbol, which gives each ship a letter classification and a number.[5][6] There was also the ship emblem, which was a unique image that crew wore on their uniforms.[7][8] Some warships also used the UNSC REG system, which was also a special serial number.[9] There was also the UNc system.[10]

The UNSC Department of Commercial Shipping operated its own identification codes for freighters that were primarily used in COM transmissions.[11]

File:HFB-Parisshield.png
Paris-class frigates in "Shield" formation.

Tactical Groupings

Main article: UNSC Navy tactical formations

UNSC ships were organized into fleets; specifically numbered expeditionary fleets and named defensive fleets. Further down, ships were arranged into battle groups.[12] As well, squadrons were a type of tactical grouping for support ships early in the Covenant War,[13] but by the end of the war were relegated to a type of administrative grouping.[12]

Often, naval groupings had a flagship from which commanding officers lead their groupings from.

Personnel and operations

It is expected of all navy ship personnel to participate in working parties. The working parties help with routine maintenance and replenishment.[14]

Ensigns often did not pilot capital ships.[15]

The commanding officer of a UNSC starship, like other human starships, is referred to as a Captain regardless of actual rank.[16] The actual military rank of the leader is dependent on the size of the ship. Those of the rank Lieutenant often are in charge of small support vessels, Commanders are in charge of small warships, and Captains are in charge of line warships.[17] The commanding officer in radio communications is referred to as the ships name followed by "Actual".[18][19]

UNSC Starships were often given a Ship Director, an AI who could manage much of the ship's tasks with the Captain's authority. Generally, these AI were "Smart".[16]

Children were sometimes born on board UNSC ships as well, with children being born on the UNSC Savannah and the UNSC Grafton.[20]

Procedures, traditions and culture

Several procedures affected the operations of UNSC ships as well. Prior to crash landings, active cryo pods were to be ejected into space.[21] The Cole Protocol also affected the possible destinations of ships.

Navy personnel UNSC ships often follow old naval tradition. Boarding a UNSC warship is considered a ceremony, not a formality. When boarding a ship, the boarder requests permission from the officer on deck. The officer on deck will reply with a curt "Very well".[14]

"Dead fleets" or "paper fleets" are maintained as tradition and to honor those who died while serving. Inadvertently, some starships will be attached to these fleets by bureaucratic error. Many crewmen regarded this as a bad omen.[12]

Design and specifications

Construction, decommissioning and repairs

An Autumn-class heavy cruiser and UNSC Infinity above Earth being tended to by several Bustler-class freighters.
The Infinity being repaired over Earth while an Autumn-class is completing a float out.[22]

A number of corporations helped construct UNSC ships including Sinoviet Heavy Machinery, Aerofabrique SA,[23] TanSec AB,[24] and Reyes-McLees Shipyards.[25]

The UNSC generally had construction facilities in orbit of planets. Tribute, and Mars had ship building yards.[23][26] Reach also had its own ship breaking yards that decommissioned ships were sent to.[27] Earth as well had orbital facilities for repairs and float outs.[22] The UNSC Cradle on the other hand was a mobile Refit station that could travel to ships.

On ship facilities

Design guidelines for ships emphasize that the command crew should have visibility of the surrounding exterior area of the ship. This is usually achieved through windows on the bridge.[28]

UNSC ships have an internal deck naming structure. On most ships, the Hangar deck is considered Zero Deck. Decks below that are "belowdeck" and are numbered in descending order starting at First Deck. Everything above the hangar deck is a "level", starting at Level One and going in an ascending order.[29]

Facilities to create simulated War Games training sessions could be found on several ships. Though they were mostly on post-war vessels and most prominently on the UNSC Infinity.[30]

From the Phoenix-class carrier UNSC Spirit of Fire[31][32] to the Marathon-class heavy cruiser UNSC Say My Name,[33] numerous ships featured holotables for battlefield situational displays.

Cryo chambers were an important feature that allowed the crews to travel large distances without aging as much. Cryo facilities were often large and individual chambers displayed crew member names.[34]

UNSC starships also featured mess halls,[8][35] hangar bays,[8][36] and armories.[37][38]

Crew quarters on UNSC navy ships vary by ship type. Halberd-class destroyers crew quarters were cramped[39] with members being allocated a single sleeping pod that would sometimes need to be shared when the ship has additional crew.[28]

Propulsion, movement, and docking

Main articles: Fusion drive, Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine

UNSC ships were equipped with fusion drive engines to help them move and maneuver in real-space. Shaw-Fujikawa drives help ships reach supraluminal speeds.

UNSC ships had docking capabilities, though the exact details are dependent on what the ship is docking with. Stalwart-class light frigates were capable of docking with Moncton-class orbital weapon platforms.[7] Class-L flash-docks routinely held frigates and corvettes, though the UNSC Pillar of Autumn was able to use one.[27]

Armament

The MAC of a Stalwart-class frigate.

A number of UNSC vessels, particularly those under the control of the UNSC Navy are equipped with weaponry.

Powerful weaponry
Main articles: Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, Nuclear weapon

UNSC warships usually contain nuclear weapons of some sort. Shiva-class nuclear missile and M4093 Hyperion nuclear delivery system were known shipboard nuclear weapons used by the UNSC.

MACs are massive coil guns that are used to accelerate multi-ton projectiles at extremely high velocities. These projectiles were a super-dense ferric (iron) tungsten shell.[40]

As an example, frigate based MACs are capable of firing their slugs at roughly 30,000 meters per second.[40] UNSC Infinity has miniature MAC guns along its hull, to compliment its built in, larger MAC guns.[41]

The UNSC Savannah firing its M910 Rampart guns.[18]
Batteries
Main article: Point-defense gun

UNSC ships generally carry an array of missile batteries. Most UNSC ships carry Archer Missiles in one of many pods. These include the M58 Archer Missile Delivery System and the M42 Archer Missile Delivery System. These were complemented with Fusion rockets.

Point defense batteries were common on UNSC warships. Some of these batteries include the M910 Rampart, the M870 Rampart, the M710 Bulwark, and the Mark 57 Arena.

Complement

Main articles: Space fighter, Dropship
D77H-TCI, a model of the ever present Pelican Dropship.

Attached to various UNSC vessels are a number of small craft. Some were operated by other branches of the UNSC. The F-41 Exoatmospheric Multirole Strike Fighter, for example, was most often operated by the UNSC Air Force.[42] The ubiquitous Pelican was operated by several branches including the UNSC Marine Corps.[7]

Some starships, like the UNSC Pillar of Autumn, had lifeboats for the crew. The most known ones were the Bumblebee series.[43]

History

Rise of humanity

On April 2291, the invention of the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine gave humanity the chance of expanding beyond the Sol system. On the next decades, the Colonial Administration Authority proceeded to prepare and organize the exodus into new habitable systems, which led the creation of several new colony ships, including the Phoenix-class colony ship.

The time of the Insurrection saw a number of class additions and developments to the UNSC's fleet. In 2493, the Valiant-class super-heavy cruiser entered service. Though serious cost problems over five years cast doubt in the class' future.[44] At some point in the Insurrection, a new carrier, the Orion-class assault carrier, was built to help with ground operations.[45] One of the last known class additions during the Insurrection was the Halcyon-class light cruiser. In 2510, the class first entered service.[46]

Human-Covenant war

A few UNSC starship classes during the Human-Covenant war.
Main article: Human-Covenant war

Early war

"We returned to Harvest with enough firepower to assault the vaults of heaven."
Preston Cole discussing Battle Group X-Ray at the Battle of Harvest.[47]
Main article: Massacre of the Outer Colonies

In 2525, the UNSC would strip away the CMA's naval resources and give them to NAVCOM.[48] As well, the UNSC would begin to take over the Colonial Administration Authority in the midst of the Human-Covenant war. With these additions, the UNSC received several different types of ships. This included the CAA's Springhill-class mining ship[49][50] and the Diligence-class from the CMA.[51] Both of which would be brought back to service or continued service such as with the UNSC Kronstadt and the CAA Heavy Burden.

Impressive fleet actions characterized the early war. 40 ships of Battle Group X-Ray fought a single Covenant vessel over Harvest,[52] over 100 ships saw action in the Battle of Alpha Aurigae[47][53] and another 70 clashed with the Covenant at the XI Boötis A system.[47] However these actions were tempered by large losses in each; 13 ships destroyed at Harvest,[52] 37 lost at Alpha Aurigae,[47] and 30 destroyed at XI Boötis A.[47]

End of the war

Main articles: Battle of Sigma Octanus IV, Siege of the Inner Colonies

By the final year of the war, a majority of the UNSC's ground forces had been consolidated at Reach and at Earth. For many colonies, it was only the ships of the navy that were reminders of the UNSC and gave aid to those cut-off. Though in many instances, the Navy couldn't afford the loss of ships and personnel, often leaving these colonies to their own devices including destruction by the Covenant. No appreciable differences could be seen in expeditionary and defensive fleets as the UNSC lost the ability to conduct offensive naval operations. Navy AIs by this point were still assigning ships to squadrons, though at that point they were administrative groupings that had lost meaning over the course of the war. As well, numerous fleets only existed on paper, having been destroyed in lost sectors years prior.[12]

With over 152 ships present at the Battle of Reach,[54] a large number of these ships were destroyed. This included many capital ships such as the UNSC Trafalgar, the flagship of the Epsilon Eridani Fleet and pride of the Navy.[55]

Starting September 5, 2552 all remaining UNSC starships and their fleets were consolidated under a single command grouping under the UNSC Home Fleet.[56] Numerous ships arrived at Earth on October 20, 2552.[57] The ships above Earth would then go onto engage Covenant forces when they arrived the same day with a very large contingent of UNSC vessels and fleets that was later destroyed by overwhelming Covenant reinforcements on November 17, 2552.[7][58] By the end of the war, the plethora of UNSC starships had been reduced to only a few hundred.[59]

Post-war

Main article: Post-Covenant War conflicts
The UNSC Infinity-class supercarrier, the largest UNSC vessel, and the Autumn-class heavy cruiser.

Following the Human-Covenant war, the surviving UNSC starships were brought back to Sol to be repaired, refitted and counted.[59]

A variety of starship classes and several ship improvements that were created during the war finally became commonplace. The Autumn-class heavy cruiser, the Strident-class heavy frigate and the Infinity-class supercarrier were all added to the fleet. All three have shielding,[60][61] an unprecedented addition to UNSC ships.

As part of ongoing offenses, UNSC Strident-class frigates and Anlace-class electronic warfare frigates were being deployed to the Outer Colonies to route out Covenant remnant occupiers.[23]

Created conflict

Main article: Created conflict

During the Created's Reclamation, many UNSC starships were disabled by Guardian Custodes.[62] Some ships, were ripped out of Slipstream Space with the activation of the Guardians, like the UNSC Nereid.[63] Shipboard AIs from numerous starships also defected to the Created.[62]

Several ships survived The Reclamation. At least five Strident-class heavy frigates and two Anlace-class electronic warfare frigates were able to see combat in Operation: WOLFE.[64] At least six Mulsanne-class frigates were able to see combat during the Battle for Installation 07. However during that battle over Installation 07, the UNSC Infinity and those frigates were destroyed.[65]

Types

Colony ship

Main article: Colony ship

The UNSC also operated a colony ship class, the Phoenix-class colony ship.

Ships of the line

Colony ships
Class Ship Name Notes
Phoenix-class colony ship UNSC Phoenix
UNSC Skidbladnir Scrapped in colonization of Harvest
UNSC Spirit of Fire Modified into Warship prior to Human-Covenant War

Support starships

Main article: Support starship

Several types of support ships that were used include the stealthy Prowler and its subtypes. Other stealth ship classes existed including the Chiroptera-class stealth vessel. There was also the incredibly small sloop. Another type of ship that was used by the UNSC was the Calypso-class exfiltration craft. Following the UNSC's take over of the CAA, the Springhill-class mining ship helped build materiel for UNSC forces.

Ships of the line

Warships

Main article: Warship
A scale comparison of multiple UNSC warship classes.
A few UNSC warships and their sizes compared to one another.

The UNSC employs a number of warships including frigates, destroyers and cruisers. The Vindication-class was unique as it was a Battleship, an uncommon warship in UNSC ship design and classification.

UNSC carriers were among the largest, most heavily armed ships the UNSC possesed. Two carrier classes were so large that frigates could dock with them; the Punic-class supercarrier and the Infinity-class supercarrier.[66]

Ships of the line

Carriers
Main article: UNSC Carrier
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

Other

ONI's Reverse Engineering and Prototyping–Xenotechnology department have recovered, refit and begun testing on multiple Covenant starships.[67]

Ships of the line

Cargo/Transportation
Class Ship Name Notes
Ammunition Ship UNSC Diadochi Crashed on what became Partition
UNSC Taulanti
Cargo ship UNSC Dartmouth
Cargo Freighter UNSC Onan
Mona Lisa Converted to a prison transport, Destroyed
Diplomatic Shuttle Han
UNSC schooner UNSC Donoma
UNSC Santori
Colony freighter UNSC Glasgow
Military cargo tender UNSC Dark Was the Night Crashed on Losing Hand, some crew recovered
Unknown UNSC Jamaica
UNSC Nereid

Production notes

Ships

Concept work for the "UNSC Frontend".

A few UNSC craft have appeared in officially created, but non-canon materials. The UNSC Andraste was a ship that appeared in a piece of concept art for Halo 3.[68] The UNSC Frontend, an M-class carrier was the center piece of a cancelled idea for Halo Wars 3.

Depictions

In the introductory level Prepare To Drop in Halo 3: ODST, the UNSC In Amber Clad was represented with a model of a Charon-class light frigate. In all other media, including Halo 2: Anniversary, the In Amber Clad is a Stalwart-class light frigate.

In Halo 4, the Charon-class UNSC Forward Unto Dawn is depicted as a modified Strident-class. This depiction is non-canon.[69] The Strident-class itself is also depicted differently between the campaign mission Midnight and Spartan Ops/Daybreak.

Gallery

Concept art

Overview

Sources

  1. ^ Halo Legendary Crate, Crate 12
  2. ^ Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo, p. 36 & 37
  3. ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), p. 64 (2011)
  4. ^ Halo: Retribution, chapter 2
  5. ^ Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual, PART 1: INTRODUCTIONS, UNSC Infinity Layout (p. 14 & 15)
  6. ^ Halo: Warfleet - An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo, p. 42 & 43
  7. ^ a b c d Halo 2, campaign level Cairo Station
  8. ^ a b c Halo: Combat Evolved, campaign level, The Pillar of Autumn
  9. ^ Halo 4, campaign level Dawn
  10. ^ Halo 2: Anniversary, campaign level Cairo Station
  11. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, chapter 1
  12. ^ a b c d Halo: Fleet Battles, Core Rulebook - p. 9
  13. ^ Halo: Silent Storm
  14. ^ a b Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual, PART 1: INTRODUCTIONS, Welcome Aboard the UNSC Infinity! (p. 10)
  15. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, chapter 21
  16. ^ a b Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo, p. 90-92
  17. ^ Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual, PART 8: UNSC ORGANISATION, NAVCOM Ranks (p. 140-141)
  18. ^ a b Halo: Reach, campaign level Long Night of Solace
  19. ^ Halo 4, campaign level Epilogue
  20. ^ Halo: Reach, campaign level The Pillar of Autumn: Marine dialogue
  21. ^ Halo: First Strike, p. 185 (2010 edition)
  22. ^ a b Halo Waypoint, Community Update - Chasing Shadows (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
  23. ^ a b c Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo, p. 38 & 39
  24. ^ Halo: Warfleet - An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo, p. 19
  25. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, chapter 25
  26. ^ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Buzz Generating
  27. ^ a b Halo: Reach, campaign level, The Pillar of Autumn
  28. ^ a b Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo, p. 32-33
  29. ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 4
  30. ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Needle Me This (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
  31. ^ Halo Wars, campaign level Dome of Light
  32. ^ Halo Wars 2, campaign level A New Enemy
  33. ^ Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Prepare To Drop
  34. ^ Halo Wars, campaign level, Escape
  35. ^ Halo Legends, Babysitter
  36. ^ Halo 5: Guardians, campaign level Blue Team
  37. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved, campaign level The Maw
  38. ^ Halo: Evolutions, "Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian", p. 86
  39. ^ Halo Mythos, p. 82-83
  40. ^ a b Halo: The Fall of Reach, chapter 12
  41. ^ Halo 4, campaign level Infinity
  42. ^ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, Vehicles, p. 114
  43. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved, campaign level The Pillar of Autumn
  44. ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Bulkhead Banter (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
  45. ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Armory Amore (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
  46. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets, p. 60
  47. ^ a b c d e Halo Wars: Genesis
  48. ^ Halo Wars, collectible, Halo Wars Timeline Events
  49. ^ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, Locations, p. 208
  50. ^ Halo 4, multiplayer map Adrift
  51. ^ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Clarity & Grace
  52. ^ a b Halo: Evolutions, "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", p. 463-467
  53. ^ Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", p. 470
  54. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, Chapter 33
  55. ^ Halo: First Strike, p. 168
  56. ^ Halo Legendary Crate, Naval Records Archives
  57. ^ Halo 2, campaign level The Armory
  58. ^ Halo 3, campaign level Crow's Nest
  59. ^ a b Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo, p. 132
  60. ^ Spartan Ops, Episode 1: Departure
  61. ^ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - En Voyage
  62. ^ a b Halo 5: Guardians, campaign level, Guardians
  63. ^ Halo: Tales from Slipspace, Undefeated
  64. ^ Halo: Shadows of Reach, chapter 13
  65. ^ Halo Infinite
  66. ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Infinity & Beyond (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
  67. ^ Halo Waypoint, Catalog Interaction - Page 23 (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
  68. ^ The Art of Halo 3
  69. ^ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Have S'moa