Carrier is a capital warship classification used by the United Nations Space Command and Colonial Military Authority. They are used for transport and deployment of fighters and ground troops and command and control[1]
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,[2] while the largest carriers are multiple kilometers long.[3][4] Most carriers are crewed by hundreds to thousands and can carry numerous space, air, and ground vehicles.[4][5] Befitting their role, their primary asset is a large number of space fighters or dropships.[5]
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.[1]
Classes
Spacecraft
The Navy operates several carrier classes. In practice, they can be divided into two broad categories: supercarriers and smaller tactical carriers. Supercarriers are massive vessels which form the core of major expeditionary fleets as command ships, while smaller tactical carriers serve as the core of component battle groups and defensive fleets.[5][1]
| Class | Image | Length | Tonnage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poseidon-class light carrier |  |
719 meters (2,359 ft) | 2.8 million tonnes | [1][2] |
| Orion-class assault carrier |  |
2,563 meters (8,410 ft) | 35 million tonnes | [1] |
| Epoch-class heavy carrier |  |
2,220 meters (7,284 ft) | 40 million tonnes | [1][5][6] |
| Phoenix-class support ship | .png) |
2,500 meters (8,200 ft) | 44 million tonnes | [7] |
| Unidentified carrier |  |
2,900 meters (1.8 mi) | N/A | [3][4] |
| Punic-class supercarrier |  |
4,000 meters (13,123 ft) | 670 million tonnes | [1] |
| Infinity-class supercarrier |  |
5,694 meters (18,682 ft) | 970 million tonnes | [1] |
Maritime craft
The UNSC Army operates a number of ocean-based aircraft carriers, predominantly used on Inner Colony worlds such as Earth and Reach.[8]
| Class | Image | Length | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crassus-class supercarrier |  |
498 meters (1,633 ft) | [8] |
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
- Halo: Fall of Reach
- Halo 4
- Halo: Fleet Battles
- Halo 5: Guardians
- Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series
- Halo: Legacy of Onyx
- Halo: Bad Blood
- Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual
- Halo: Renegades
- Halo: Outpost Discovery
- Halo: Shadows of Reach
- Halo Infinite
Sources
- ^ a b c d e f g h Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 126-127
- ^ a b Halo Waypoint, The Halo Bulletin 5.14.14 (Retrieved on Jun 30, 2014) [archive]
- ^ a b Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 249
- ^ a b c Halo Encyclopedia (2011 edition), page 259
- ^ a b c d Halo: Warfleet, page 40-41
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - In the Loop (Retrieved on Jun 30, 2021) [archive]
- ^ Halo: Warfleet, page 48-49
- ^ a b Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Ship Strike (Retrieved on Apr 20, 2023) [archive]
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