Halcyon-class light cruiser

Halcyon-class light cruiser
Class attributes
Identification:	Hull classification symbol: C
Operators:	UNSC Navy
Manufacturer:	Reyes-McLees Shipyards
Naval architect:	Dr. Robert McLees
Built:	50
In service:	2510 - present
General characteristics Type: Cruiser Length: 1,170.63 meters (3,840.64 ft) Width: 352.27 meters (1,155.73 ft) Height: 414.43 meters (1,359.69 ft) Mass: 11 million tonnes Maneuver drive: 3 Mark II Hanley-Messer DFR fusion drives Slipspace drive: Series V CODEN SFTE (main translight engine) Crew: 1,000 Hull: Titanium-A armor Armaments: Initial configuration 1 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon 4 Shiva missiles 180 Archer missiles Alternate weapons configuration 1 Mark II 56A2D4 light MAC 4 Mark 33 Spitfire naval coilgun battery 4 M66 Sentry autocannon 20 M58 Archer missile pods 40 M810 Helix point defense guns or M910 Rampart point defense guns

"A dozen Covenant superior battleships against a single Halcyon-class cruiser. Given those odds, I'm content with three...make that four kills."

— Cortana during the Battle of Installation 04.

The Halcyon-class light cruiser, known as the Human Attack Ship class C-II by the Covenant, is a United Nations Space Command cruiser starship classification designed by Dr. Robert McLees before 2507, with a hull classification symbol of C. Originally designed for attack and defense role in mind, they were also capable of being used as troop and supply transports.

Their service lives were short due to a unique hull design that was costly to construct and maintain with low maneuverability, poor armament, and concerns about their tactical viability. They were replaced by the Marathon-class heavy cruiser and later the Autumn-class heavy cruiser. Despite the disadvantages of the original design, the heavily modified UNSC Pillar of Autumn proved to be one of the most effective, and costly, ships deployed in the war.

Overview

Design details

A cross-sectioned view of the Pillar of Autumn.

Maintaining the monolithic hull design of other UNSC cruisers, the Halcyon-class were visually distinguished by their composition of five hexagonal and octagonal hull sections, each of which stacked on top of each other and progressively grew as they ran towards the engines. The frontmost surface of these cruisers was dominated by a long antenna structure called the foremast, whose base sat below the muzzle of the MAC. The bridge was slung underneath the front section on a portruding structure, which made it very vulnerable to enemy fire. The second-last hull section possessed four docking bays that ran down either side like an equatorial line, and the keel featured a drop bay capable of deploying both SOEIV and dropships. Personnel made use of lifts, stairs, and mag