Punic-class supercarrier
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The Punic-class supercarrier is a classification of capital warship built by SinoViet Heavy Machinery for use by the CMA Navy and later, the UNSC Navy.[1][2] There were only a few constructed, among them the most notable vessel was UNSC Trafalgar.[6][7][8]
Overview
Design details
The supercarrier was used for direct confrontation with Covenant capital ships, and was one of the few UNSC ships effective in this role. The armaments and armor of a Punic-class supercarrier dwarf those of any other carrier in service with the UNSC Navy.[6][7] The Punic class is one of the largest known vessels in human history, whose total length and tonnage is to date known to be superseded only by the UNSC Infinity.
The Punic's main spaceframe is a blocky, rectangular, design similar in nature to the standard cruisers of the UNSC fleet. The front of the vessel contains the barrel for the ship's Magnetic Accelerator Cannon and a hexagonal construction similar in nature to the Halcyon-class light cruiser, with several overlapping layers of Titanium-A armor plating extending further back into the larger, more cuboid shape that characterises the primary spaceframe.[4]
The vessel is propelled by five fusion drives for sublight propulsion. These include one gargantuan primary drive situated centrally on the ship's long axis, and four secondary drives surrounding it. The port and starboard sides are adorned by large wings similar in nature to those of the Epoch-class heavy carrier and Phoenix-class colony ship,[4] and are each fitted with three cargo loading ports similar to those of the Phoenix. These wings can be used to mount frigates or destroyers underneath the ship in its ventral sub-vessel hangar bays,[5] and at least three D20 Heron heavy dropships can be mounted on the wings in a similar manner to the Phoenix.[Note 1] Ten more smaller hangars adorn both the port and starboard sides of the ship (for a total of eighteen), used for launching space fighters and dropships. These are divided into two rows of four hangars, and then two slightly larger individual hangars further back.[Note 1]
Armaments
The Punic's armaments are broadly similar to those used on the successor Infinity-class. Its primary armament is a pair of a CR-01D Series 6 Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, with a pair of secondary Mark 15 Breakwater naval coilguns alongside them. The ship has a massive missile complement, with one hundred M42 Archer missile pods, twenty M96 Howler missile pods, and a point-defence network consisting of 80 M85 Scythe and 100 M965 Fortress guns.[3]
Ships of the line
- UNSC Punic - The lead ship of the class.[1][2]
- UNSC Trafalgar - The former flagship of the Epsilon Eridani Fleet. She was destroyed during the invasion of Reach in 2552.[6][7]
Operational history
The Punic-class supercarrier was commissioned towards the final years of the 25th century to aid the Unified Earth Government in combating the spreading Insurrection. Officially designated Space Control Vehicles, these carriers transported and sustained entire Colonial Military Authority expeditionary and interdiction campaigns throughout the more remote Outer Colonies for months at a time, as they eliminated insurrectionists and terrorists before their views could fester and spread. However, when the Human-Covenant War began, all Punic-class supercarriers were utilized to protect human colonies from the new Covenant threat.[1][2][3]
Punic-class supercarriers have participated in numerous campaigns and holding actions throughout the Human-Covenant War, including the UNSC's last stand above Estuary and as base stations for the decisive counterinsurgency and evacuation operations on Charybdis IX in 2535. However, despite the benefits of the powerful ships, the destruction of each supercarrier led to the loss of skilled crews and materiel that slowly decreased the UNSC Navy's overall effectiveness. By 2552, the final year of the Covenant War, only a handful of Punic-class supercarriers remained spaceworthy, including UNSC Trafalgar, which was stationed over Reach as the flagship of the Epsilon Eridani Fleet.[1][2] The Trafalgar itself was lost in combat against the Covenant during the Fall of Reach, further securing the Covenant's eventual victory in the engagement.[6][7][8]
Halo: Fleet Battles
UNSC Punic Supercarrier
Fore Section
Mid Section
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Aft Section
UNSC Supercarrier Special Rules
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Production notes
In the core rulebook for Halo: Fleet Battles, the Punic-class is referred to instead as the "Trafalgar-class" supercarrier, in reference to then-upcoming ship models that had yet to be released for the game. This was later changed for the final release of the carrier to the Punic-class name.[9] This name is in reference to UNSC Trafalgar; a UNSC supercarrier first-mentioned as having taken part in the space engagements over Reach in Halo: First Strike.[8]
Alongside several other ships, the Punic-class model developed for the Halo fan mod Sins of the Prophets was included in the Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition) as part of an official collaboration between 343 Industries and the Sins of the Prophets team.[3] The Sins of the Prophets model demonstrates a few notable deviations from the original Fleet Battles 3D model, due to being designed for a game rather than for physical production. These differences include less overall surface "greebling", instead replaced by details such as hangar bays and wing-mounted Heron dropships.
Gallery
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Model of a Punic-class supercarrier.
Profile and underside views of the Punic-class. Note the four Paris-class heavy frigates docked underneath the ship.
Size comparison of the Punic-class against other UNSC and Covenant warships, comparable in size to the Syfon-pattern assault carrier.
The Punic-class supercarrier, with several Marathon and Paris-class vessels in Halo: Fleet Battles.
A Punic-class supercarrier, surrounded by four Orion-class carrier escorts and several Paris-class frigates as seen in Halo: Fleet Battles.
A view of the Punic-class from above.
Renders of the Sins of the Prophets Punic model used in the Halo Encyclopedia. Note the presence of D20 Heron dropships mounted under the wings in a manner similar to the Phoenix-class colony ship.
Renders of the Sins of the Prophets Punic model used in the Halo Encyclopedia.
List of appearances
- Halo: First Strike (First appearance)
- Halo: Fleet Battles
Notes
- ^ a b c This detail is only visible on the Sins of the Prophets model, canonised in the Halo Encyclopedia.
Sources
- ^ a b c d e f g Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Bulkhead Banter (Retrieved on Aug 12, 2019) [archive]
- ^ a b c d e f g Spartan Games, UNSC Punic-Class Supercarrier (Retrieved on Apr 13, 2016) [archive]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 126
- ^ a b c Halo: Fleet Battles: Punic-class Supercarrier model
- ^ a b Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Infinity & Beyond (Retrieved on Jul 30, 2021) [archive]
- ^ a b c d Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 252
- ^ a b c d Halo Encyclopedia (2011 edition), page 262
- ^ a b c Halo: First Strike, chapter 18
- ^ Halo: Fleet Battles core rulebook, page 115: "Other exciting Massive UNSC vessels include the Trafalgar-class Supercarrier, a huge vessel in comparison to other UNSC vessels, but still tiny when compared to the Long Night of Solace."
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