UNSC Starships were Human Starships operated by the United Nations Space Command. The UNSC operated these starships through several different branches.
History[]
Insurrection[]
- Main article: Insurrection
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.[1] At some point in the Insurrection, a new carrier, the Orion-class assault carrier, was built to help with ground operations.[2] One of the last known class additions during the Insurrection was the Halcyon-class light cruiser. In 2510, the class first entered service.[3]
Human-Covenant war[]
A few UNSC starship classes during the Human-Covenant war.
- Main article: Human-Covenant war
CAA and CMA Absorption[]
In 2525, the UNSC would strip away the CMA's naval resources and give them to NAVCOM.[4] 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 vessel[5][6] and the Diligence-class from the CMA.[7] Both of which would be brought back to service or continued service such as with the UNSC Kronstadt and the CAA Heavy Burden.
Fall of Reach[]
- Main article: Fall of Reach
With 152 ships present at the battle,[8] 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.[9]
Earth and the End of the War[]
- Main article: Battle of Earth
Starting September 5, 2552 all remaining UNSC starships and their fleets were consolidated under a single command grouping under the UNSC Home Fleet.[10] By the end of the war, the plethora of UNSC starships had been reduced to only a few hundred.[11]
Post-war[]
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.[11]
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,[12][13] an unprecedented addition to UNSC ships.
As part of ongoing offenses, UNSC Strident-class frigates and Anlace-class frigates were being deployed to the Outer Colonies to route out Covenant remnant occupiers.[14]
The Reclamation[]
- Main article: The Reclamation
At the beginning of the Reclamation, many UNSC starships were disabled by Guardians under the control of the Created.[15] Some ships, were likely ripped out of Slipstream Space with the activation of the Guardians, like the UNSC Nereid.[16]
Organization[]
Management[]
In the UNSC, ships can also be operated by different departments and branches. Warships like the UNSC In Amber Clad were operated by the UNSC Navy.[17] Smaller craft were often operated by other branches or were overlapped with another branch. The F-41 Exoatmospheric Multirole Strike Fighter, for example, was operated by the UNSC Air Force.[18] The UNSC Department of Commercial Shipping also operated a number of Freighters.
Tactical Groupings[]
UNSC ships were organized into fleets and further down into Battlegroups. Alternatively, ships could be organized into Flotillas.
Identification[]
There were a few known ways of identifying UNSC ships. There was the Hull classification symbol, which gives each ship a letter classification and a number. There was the ship emblem, which was a unique image that was special to each ship.
Some warships also used the UNSC REG system, which was also a special serial number.[19][20] There was also the UNc system, which had an unknown meaning.[20]
The UNSC Department of Commercial Shipping operated its own identification codes for freighters that were primarily used in COM transmissions.[21]
Leadership[]
The leader of a UNSC starship, like other human starships, is referred to as a Captain regardless of actual rank.[22] Common ranks of this position include Commander (ex: Miranda Keyes, Richard Lash) and Captain (ex: Jacob Keyes, James Cutter).
Design[]
A number of corporations helped construct UNSC ships. Some of these manufacturers include Sinoviet Heavy Machinery, Aerofabrique SA and TanSec AB.
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.[23]
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.[24]
AI[]
- Main article: Artificial intelligence
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".[25]
Armament[]
MACs[]
- Main article: Magnetic Accelerator Cannon
A Charon-class light frigate firing its MAC.
MACs are massive coil guns that are used to accelerate projectiles ranging in mass from 600 tons to 3,000 tons, at extremely high velocities. These projectiles are composed of Titanium-A, depleted Uranium, and/or Tungsten with a ferrous (iron) core. They also super heat the metal slugs to make it easier for them to penetrate a target. Super MAC platforms accelerate MAC rounds to over "point four-tenths" the speed of light[26] (12,000 kilometers per second) with twenty-three linear accelerator coils, while ship-based MACs have a lower velocity. Super MAC platforms can also reload a round in 5 seconds, whereas the smaller capital ships will need several minutes.
The UNSC frigate UNSC Gettysburg is quoted as firing a 600-ton round at 30 kilometers per second. Before Reach fell, UNSC Pillar of Autumn was equipped with a modified MAC that could quickly fire three lighter projectiles in succession instead of just one heavier projectile. It was originally intended to allow Pillar of Autumn a better chance of disabling a Covenant ship, which was a feature required for a mission that was later scrubbed following the Fall of Reach.
UNSC Infinity has miniature MAC guns along its hull, to compliment its built in, larger MAC guns.
Missile Batteries[]
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.
A common tactic among UNSC ships was to disable the target's shields with MAC rounds and then pummel it with Archer missiles.
Point Defense Batteries[]
The UNSC Savannah firing its M910 Rampart guns.
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.
Nuclear Weapons[]
UNSC warships usually contain nuclear weapons of some sort. Generally they were the Shiva-class nuclear missile.[27] Though, in the post-war era, UNSC ships generally use the M4093 Hyperion Nuclear Delivery System.
Types[]
Starfighters[]
The UNSC operates several types of starfighters. The most common being the GA-TL1 Longsword-class Interceptor. The YSS-1000 Sabre was a secretive starfighter that was mostly used in the Inner colonies. The F-41 Broadsword XMSF was a mainline starfighter that lacked the technology of the Sabre.
Dropships[]
D77H-TCI, a model of the ever present Pelican Dropship.
- Main article: Dropship
The most common dropships in the UNSC were the Pelicans. This included the D77-TC Pelican, D78-TC Pelican and the D79H-TC Pelican. Heavier dropships were also used such as the D81-LRT Condor, the D82-EST Darter, and the D96-TCE Albatross. The largest of which was the D20 Heron. The UNSC also had dropship escape pods, the Class-3 Bumblebee.
Colony Starships[]
The UNSC also operated a colony ship class, the Phoenix-class colony ship.
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 UNSC sloop. To assist in fleet actions, there was the UNSC Shield-Generator Ship. Another type of ship that was used by the UNSC included the Calypso-class exfiltration craft. Following the UNSC's take over of the CAA, the Springhill-class mining vessel helped build materiel for UNSC forces.
Light Warships[]
- Main article: Light capital warship
The UNSC also operated several types of lighter warships including the UNSC frigate, the UNSC corvette, and the UNSC destroyer. One large stealthy class of light warship is the Stealth Cruiser.
A few UNSC capital ships and their sizes
Heavy Capital Warships[]
- Main article: Heavy capital warship
The UNSC had a few different types of Heavy warships including the UNSC cruiser and the UNSC carrier. The largest carrier class, the Infinity-class , was also the largest ship class in the UNSC's history. The Vindication-class was unique as it was a Battleship, an uncommon type in UNSC ships.
Other[]
ONI's Reverse Engineering and Prototyping - Xenotechnology have recovered, refit and begun testing on multiple Covenant Starships.[28]
List of UNSC Starships[]
The following is a list of the starships that belong to and are used by the United Nations Space Command.
Carriers[]
| Class | Ship Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Epoch-class heavy carrier | UNSC Epoch | Unknown |
| UNSC Atlas | Unknown | |
| Infinity-class supercarrier | UNSC Eternity | Not Completed |
| UNSC Infinity | Destroyed | |
| Orion-class assault carrier | UNSC Orion | Unknown |
| Phoenix-class carrier | UNSC Spirit of Fire | Active but officially listed as lost with all hands. |
| Poseidon-class light carrier | UNSC Milwaukee | Active |
| UNSC Poseidon | Unknown | |
| Punic-class supercarrier | UNSC Punic | Unknown |
| UNSC Trafalgar | Destroyed | |
| Unknown | UNSC All Under Heaven | Unknown |
| UNSC Magellan | Unknown | |
| UNSC Musashi | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Stalingrad | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Totem Lake | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Witness | Unknown |
Cruisers[]
| Class | Ship Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Marathon-class heavy cruiser | UNSC Canberra | Unknown |
| UNSC Dresden | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Hannibal | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Io | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Leviathan | Unknown, presumed destroyed | |
| UNSC Marathon | Unknown | |
| UNSC Prophecy | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Say My Name | Unknown, presumed Destroyed | |
| Halcyon-class light cruiser | UNSC Constantinople | Destroyed |
| UNSC Dawn Under Heaven | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Halcyon | Unknown | |
| UNSC Pillar of Autumn | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Roman Blue | Crashed on Eiro. | |
| UNSC Toulouse | Unknown | |
| Autumn-class heavy cruiser | UNSC Euclid's Anvil | Active |
| UNSC Pillar of Autumn II | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC Song of the East | Active | |
| UNSC Unto the Breach | Active | |
| Valiant-class super-heavy cruiser | UNSC Everest | Unknown, presumed destroyed/AWOL |
| UNSC Valiant | Unknown | |
| Heavy Cruiser | UNSC Matador | Destroyed |
| UNSC Swiftsure | Unknown | |
| UNSC Weeping Willows | Destroyed | |
| Unknown | UNSC Chares | Unknown |
| UNSC Endeavor | Unknown |
Destroyers[]
| Class | Ship Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Diligence-class destroyer | UNSC Diligence | Unknown |
| UNSC Kronstadt | Unknown, presumed active | |
| Gorgon-class heavy destroyer | UNSC Gorgon | Unknown |
| Halberd-class destroyer | UNSC Iroquois | Unknown, presumed destroyed |
| UNSC Halberd | Unknown | |
| UNSC The Heart of Midlothian | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Herodotus | Heavily damaged | |
| UNSC Pioneer | Unknown | |
| Hillsborough-class destroyer | UNSC Hillsborough | Unknown |
| Unknown | UNSC Agincourt | Destroyed |
| UNSC Armageddon's Edge | Unknown | |
| UNSC Brasidas | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Calcutta | Unknown | |
| UNSC Clearidas | Unknown, presumed active | |
| UNSC Do You Feel Lucky? | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Glasgow Kiss | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Iwo Jima | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Jericho | Heavily damaged | |
| UNSC Lancelot | Unknown, presumed destroyed | |
| UNSC Las Vegas | Unknown | |
| UNSC Majestic | Unknown | |
| UNSC Minotaur | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Persephone | Unknown, presumed destroyed | |
| UNSC Resolute | Unknown | |
| UNSC Seattle | Moderately damaged | |
| UNSC Tharsis | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Thermopylae | Moderately damaged |
Frigates[]
Prowlers[]
| Class | Ship Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Eclipse-class light prowler | UNSC Eclipse | Unknown |
| Razor-class light prowler | UNSC Black Widow | Unknown |
| UNSC Ghost Song | Unknown | |
| UNSC Razor's Edge | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC Starry Night | Unknown | |
| Sahara-class heavy prowler | UNSC Aladdin | Active |
| UNSC Dusk | Unknown, likely active | |
| UNSC Port Stanley | Active | |
| UNSC Sahara | Unknown | |
| UNSC Silent Joe | Unknown, likely active | |
| Winter-class light prowler | ONI Acrisius | Abandoned on Meridian. Likely destroyed or inoperable. |
| UNSC Fast Gus | Unknown | |
| UNSC Winter | Unknown | |
| Point Blank-class Stealth Cruiser | UNSC Point Blank | Unknown |
| UNSC Vanishing Point | Unknown | |
| Stealth Cruiser | UNSC Point of No Return | Active |
| Unidentified prowler class | UNSC Circumference | Destroyed |
| UNSC Red Horse | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| Unknown | UNSC Apocalypso | Destroyed |
| UNSC Applebee | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC Athens | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC Edge of Umbra | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC From the Ashes | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC Ghost Star | Unknown | |
| UNSC Ghost Wind | Unknown | |
| UNSC Lark | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC Last Gleaming | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC Night Watch | Unknown | |
| UNSC Rubicon | Missing | |
| UNSC Taurokado | Active | |
| UNSC Tokyo Rules | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC Wink of an Eye | Unknown, presumed Active |
Corvettes[]
| Class | Ship Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Gladius-class corvette | UNSC Gladius | Unknown |
| UNSC Sagan Blue | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| Fast-attack Corvette | UNSC Two for Flinching | Unknown, presumed Active |
| Unknown | UNSC Bum Rush | Unknown, presumed Active |
| UNSC Callisto | Unknown, presumed Scrapped | |
| UNSC Chalons | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC Coral Sea | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC Pony Express | Unknown, presumed Active | |
| UNSC Glamorgan | Active |
Colony Ships[]
| Class | Ship Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-class colony ship | UNSC Phoenix | Unknown |
| UNSC Skidbladnir | Scrapped in colonization of Harvest |
Cargo and Transportation Ships[]
| Class | Ship Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ammunition Ship | UNSC Diadochi | Crashed on what became Partition |
| UNSC Taulanti | Attacked in 2553. Unknown status after | |
| Cargo ship | UNSC Dartmouth | Destroyed |
| Cargo Freighter | UNSC Onan | Unknown |
| Mona Lisa | Converted to a prison transport, Destroyed | |
| Diplomatic Shuttle | Han | Unknown |
| UNSC passenger schooner | UNSC Donoma | Boarded and destroyed |
| UNSC Santori | Unknown |
Other Ships[]
| Class | Ship Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Chiroptera-class Stealth Vessel | Beatrice | Decommissioned, later destroyed |
| UNSC Chiroptera | Unknown | |
| Vindication-class light battleship | UNSC Vindication | Unknown |
| Auxiliary Vessel | UNSC Belleisle | Active |
| UNSC Dunedin | Active | |
| Exploration | UNSC Gannick | Unknown, likely settled on Gannick 22 |
| ONI Prospecting Vessel | Long Time Coming | Destroyed |
| ONI Sloop | UNSC Walk of Shame | Unknown, presumed active |
| Patrol Ship | UNSC Ariadne | Destroyed |
| Surveying Shuttle | UNSC Iceni | Active |
| Science Vessel | UNSC Hilbert | Destroyed |
| Stealth Ship | UNSC Silberg | Unknown |
| Shuttle Pod | Coda | Destroyed |
| Unknown | UNSC Abstract Endurance | Unknown, Ship Director defected to Created. |
| UNSC Accra | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Agincourt | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Armstrong | Heavily damaged | |
| UNSC Austerlitz | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Basra | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Belfast | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Brilliant Shores | Unknown | |
| UNSC Bunker Hill | Unknown | |
| UNSC Buteo's Talon | Active | |
| UNSC Campo Grande | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Chevalier | Unknown | |
| UNSC Eminent Domain | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Excellence | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Final Summit | Unknown | |
| UNSC Glasgow | Unknown | |
| UNSC Herald | Unknown | |
| UNSC Hermes II | Unknown | |
| UNSC Lance Held High | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Lowrentz | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Maelstrom | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Melbourne's Pride | Unknown. Ship Director defected to Created. | |
| UNSC Midway | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Of Uncommon Courage | Destroyed | |
| ONI PRO-49776 | Unknown | |
| UNSC Pompadour | Unknown | |
| UNSC Resolute Harmony | Unknown. Ship Director defected to Created. | |
| UNSC Sacramento | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Sentry of El Morro | Unknown | |
| UNSC Sevenfold Gates | Unknown | |
| UNSC Texas | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Tharsis | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Troy | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Verdant Sumerian | Unknown. Ship Director defected to Created. | |
| UNSC Vociferous | Unknown | |
| UNSC Waterloo | Destroyed | |
| UNSC Welcome to the Snipehunt | Active | |
| UNSC Witch Bucket | Unknown |
Gallery[]
Concept art[]
Overview[]
Sources[]
- ↑ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Bulkhead Banter
- ↑ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Armory Amore
- ↑ Halo: Combat Evolved: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets - Page 60
- ↑ Halo Wars - Collectible: Halo Wars Timeline Events
- ↑ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide - Page 208
- ↑ Halo 4 - Map: Adrift
- ↑ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Clarity & Grace
- ↑ Halo: The Fall of Reach - Pages 295-297
- ↑ Halo: First Strike - Page 168
- ↑ Halo Legendary Crate - Bonus Item: Naval Records Archives
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo - Page 132
- ↑ Spartan Ops - Episode 1: Departure
- ↑ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - En Voyage
- ↑ Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo - Pages 38 & 39
- ↑ Halo 5: Guardians - Level: Guardians
- ↑ Halo: Tales from Slipspace - Undefeated
- ↑ Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo - Pages 36 & 37
- ↑ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide - Page 114
- ↑ Halo 4 - Level: Dawn
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Halo 2: Anniversary - Level: Cairo Station
- ↑ Halo: Contact Harvest - Page 34
- ↑ Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo - Pages 90-92
- ↑ Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo, Page 33
- ↑ Halo: Silent Storm - A Master Chief Story - Chapter 4, Page ??
- ↑ Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo - Pages 90-92
- ↑ Halo: The Fall of Reach - Page 283
- ↑ Halo: The Fall of Reach - Page 147
- ↑ Halo Waypoint: Catalog Interaction - Page 23
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