Unidentified UNSC light destroyer class
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This unnamed light destroyer is a type of light destroyer, formerly in service within the UNSC Navy.[1] The class predates the introduction of the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon and even Titanium-A armor plating.[2]
Overview
Design details
The ships internally have at least fourteen decks, and at least five cargo bays. The bridge of the light destroyer is shaped akin to a narrow oval, with stations for navigation, ops, engineering, weapons, and communications officers. The ship's captain has their own seat, with their first mate stood by them. The bridge is likely external-facing, with emergency bulkheads available in the event of an explosive decompression event.[1]
Armaments
The light destroyer class is, retroactively, considered woefully unequipped to deal with the rigours of space warfare, and features none of the armaments considered standard on UNSC starships in the 26th century, such as the now-ubiquitous Magnetic Accelerator Cannon.[2][Note 1] The ships are outfitted with just seven Ares missile silos.[1]
With just seven missile silos, the light destroyer class is outgunned by its 25th century CMA Navy counterparts including the Diligence-class cruiser (stocking 40 M35 Ares launchers),[3] though has a higher payload than the Scholte-class frigate (stocking 2 Ares pods and 2 Archer pods).[4]
Ships of the line
Operational history
These light destroyers were introduced into UNSC service prior to the outbreak of the Insurrection, resulting in a ship design that was ill-equipped to deal with the brutality of space combat.[2] They were still in service by the early 2490s, with three examples taking part in the Callisto Incident in 2493. The three ships involved, the Buenos Aires, Jericho, and Las Vegas, were completely unblooded - with weapons that had never been fired and crews that had never seen combat.[1]
The light destroyer role within the UNSC Navy was succeeded by the Halberd-class light destroyer, introduced in 2508 with a MAC and point-defence network as standard armaments, alongside the re-classification of the much older Diligence-class vessels in Colonial Military Authority service from a cruiser to a light destroyer.[3] The introduction of the Hillsborough-class heavy destroyer into CMA service in 2499 and a counterpart UNSC heavy destroyer class in around the same time would see MACs begin to proliferate into destroyer-sized vessels at the turn of the 26th century.[3][5]
List of appearances
- Halo: Evolutions
- The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole (First appearance)
Notes
- ^ When the Callisto nuclear detonation is described in The Impossible Life and Possible Death of Preston J. Cole, a reference is made to the destroyers' MAC sensors being crippled. This is assumed to be an error of inconsistency, as the ships are later explicitly described as predating the introduction of the MAC.
Sources
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Halo: Evolutions - The Impossible Life and Possible Death of Preston J. Cole, section 4
- ^ a b c Halo: Evolutions - The Impossible Life and Possible Death of Preston J. Cole, section 4: Analysis "The UNSC was not prepared for brutal ship-to-ship combat in the early years of the insurgency. The light destroyer class, for example, had none of the armament one recognizes as standard today. The titanium-A armor and magnetic accelerator cannons, however, would soon be developed as industrial priorities shifted from building... to killing."
- ^ a b c Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 124-125
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Foundations (Retrieved on Jan 12, 2022) [archive]
- ^ Halo: Evolutions - The Impossible Life and Possible Death of Preston J. Cole, section 5
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