Sahara-class heavy prowler

Sahara-class
Class attributes
Identification:	Hull classification symbol: PRO
Operators:	UNSC Navy
Manufacturer:	Watershed Division
In service:	2520-present
General characteristics
Type:	Heavy prowler
Length:	281 meters (922 ft)
Width:	155 meters (509 ft)
Height:	62 meters (203 ft)
Mass:	71,000 metric tons (70,000 LT; 78,000 ST)
Maneuver drive:	Baffled fusion drives
Slipspace drive:	Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine
Hull:	Stealth ablative coating
Sensors:	Tail-mounted parallel passive phased scanners; Dorsal active sensor array;
Armaments:	2 XEV9-Matos nonlinear pulse cannons; 1 M947 Shiva Nuclear Delivery System; 8 M441 Hornet nuclear mine dispersal racks;
Air wing:	Up to 5 OF92 Booster Frames; or Up to 2 Pelican dropships; or Subprowlers; or Drop pods;
Air facilities:	Ventral drop hangar/docking bay

The Sahara-class heavy prowler is a class of stealth vessel in service in the UNSC Navy.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Overview[edit]

Design details[edit]

The Sahara is one of the most common and well-known prowlers in UNSC service, and stands among the ranks as one of the largest and most heavily-armed.^[2] They have a length of 281 meters (922 ft), a beam of 155 meters (509 ft), and a height of 62 meters (203 ft),^[3] coming in at an overall mass of 71,000 metric tons (70,000 LT; 78,000 ST).^[2] This places it as larger and more massive than the navy's Gladius-class heavy corvette and Scholte-class missile corvettes, though smaller than the Lancer-class fast-attack corvette and Point Blank-class prowler.

The class contains a modularly-configurable^[1] command bridge on the fore of the vessel,^[3] with at least one vessel of the class—UNSC Port Stanley—using a configured lambda-pattern bridge equipped with specific mission intelligence analysis stations.^[1]

Like most prowlers, the Sahara-class is equipped with stealth systems that mask the ship from both visual and sensor detection. These systems include hyperferrite signature-disruption panels, coated with multi-layer ablative optical camouflaging.^[1]^[3] Alongside these, Sahara-class vessels such as the Port Stanley boast baffled fusion drives. The Port Stanley is also known to incorporate several enhancements originating from reverse-engineered Forerunner technology.^[1] It is unclear if these Forerunner upgrades have become standard with the entire Sahara-class of vessels, however.

The ship has a ventral launch bay fitted with hook systems used to deploy EVA maneuvering vehicles.^[1]

Sensors[edit]

The Sahara-class is fitted with both passive and active sensor systems for reconnaissance operations. The active sensors are located in a large dish mounted on the vessel's dorsal surface^[3] used for narrow-band signal manipulation,^[1] and parallel passive phased-scanners for long-ranged threat detection.^[1]

Armament[edit]

Since prowlers usually avoid combat, besides active combat monitoring and recording, the armaments and weapon systems on a Sahara-class prowler is limited. They are armed with several XEV9-Matos nonlinear pulse cannons, allowing the prowlers to protect themselves if they are attacked. Sahara-class prowlers are usually equipped with at least one M947 Shiva Nuclear Delivery System. The main armament of the prowler is its M441 Hornet Remote Explosive System. With the naval mines, the prowlers lay out minefields in space for enemy ships to unknowingly enter.^[3]

Ships of the line[edit]

PRO-49776 - Used to conduct Operation: WARM BLANKET in 2544.
UNSC Aladdin - Transported Dr. Catherine Halsey to the UNSC Infinity in 2558.
UNSC Port Stanley (PRO-46328) - Used by Kilo-Five in the summer of 2553.
UNSC Sahara - The lead ship of the class.
UNSC Silent Joe - Used by Rear Admiral Serin Osman in December 2553.
UNSC Dusk - Present during the Battle of Onyx.

Operational history[edit]

Sahara-class prowlers entered service with the UNSC Navy in 2520, and have become the most common and well-known class of prowlers.^[2] In 2526, each of the three squadrons of Task Force Yama were led by a heavy prowler.^[5] In 2553, after the Human-Covenant War, the Sahara-class prowler UNSC Port Stanley was used as transportation for the Office of Naval Intelligence black ops team known as Kilo-Five.^[6] In 2558, the Sahara-class prowler UNSC Aladdin was used to transport Dr. Catherine Halsey, incarcerated by ONI for war crimes, to the UNSC Infinity.^[7] In May 2558, SPARTAN-IVs Naiya Ray and Gabriel Thorne used a Sahara-class prowler to investigate a biological agent, created by several Kig-Yar, on Ven III.^[8]

Trivia[edit]

The class is named in reference to the Sahara, the largest hot desert on Earth.

Gallery[edit]

The UNSC Aladdin de-cloaking.
A Sahara-class prowler inside one of the Infinity's hangars.
A Sahara destroyed by an M7057 flamethrower.

List of appearances[edit]

Halo: Ghosts of Onyx (First appearance)
Halo Legends
- The Package
Halo: Glasslands
Halo: The Thursday War
Halo 4
- Spartan Ops
Halo: Mortal Dictata
Halo: Escalation
Halo Mythos
Halo: Retribution
Halo: Silent Storm (Mentioned only)
Halo: Lone Wolf
Halo: The Television Series
- Solace

Sources[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q Halo Mythos, page 140
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 129
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 190
^ ^a ^b Halo Legends - The Package (animated short)
^ Halo: Silent Storm, Chapter 5
^ Halo: Glasslands, page ??
^ Spartan Ops, S1E3 Catherine
^ Halo: Escalation, Issue #11

[mythos-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q Halo Mythos, page 140

[Enc22-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 129

[VIS-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 190

[Package-4] Halo Legends - The Package (animated short)

[HSS5-5] Halo: Silent Storm, Chapter 5

[6] Halo: Glasslands, page ??

[catherine-7] Spartan Ops, S1E3 Catherine

[8] Halo: Escalation, Issue #11

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