FSS-1000 Sabre

''Sabre redirects here. For the SPARTAN-III team, see Team Saber.''

The YSS-1000 Sabre is a space superiority starfighter used by the UNSC Defense Force during the Human-Covenant War. Its first known use was in supressing a rebellion on Mamore in May 2552.

Design details
The YSS-1000 is a space-based fighter, which can be launched vertically from a ground-based launch platforms using a system of seven-stage detachable rockets to propel itself out of a planet's atmosphere into low orbit without the use of asynchronous linear-induction or nuclear technology. The Sabre's speed is similar to the Covenant Seraph's; it also has an afterburner system which can be used to increase its speed. The Sabre is capable of performing complex aileron rolls, Split S maneuvers, and Immelmann turns.

Size
The actual measured size of a Sabre is not known. We can assume it is smaller than a Pelican because we can see that the Sabre is roughly half the width of the Pelican(25m), but significantly less in length. The height would maybe be somewhere around 3-4 meters.

Armament
The fighter's armament includes twin 30mm autocannons as well as twin-linked ST/Medusa Missile pods with locking abilities. The Sabre also possesses energy shielding technology. Its targeting computer can identify enemy contacts from a long distance, as well as show the distance to a target. The craft is intended for lethal encounters, not for simply disabling targeted craft.

Operational history
The Sabre was developed as a result of the Sabre Program, a top-secret UNSC project in which SPARTAN-B312 was a pilot at some point. Reach had multiple Sabre fighters stored in launch facilities on the planet's surface, including the newest, which was located near Farkas Lake. In addition, the orbital platform Anchor 9 had several Sabres stored in its launch bays.

During the Fall of Reach, SPARTAN-B312 and Jorge-052 of Noble Team used a Sabre during Operation: UPPER CUT, in which multiple Sabres were used to board the Covenant corvette Ardent Prayer in order to use it to deliver a makeshift slipspace bomb to the Covenant supercarrier Long Night of Solace. Before assaulting the corvette, the Sabres were used to defend Anchor 9 against Covenant Banshee-class interceptors, Seraph-class starfighters, and Phantom gunboats. Noble Six and the other pilots were eventually able to land on the corvette after disabling its engines and destroying its fighter escorts in order to use it and the slipspace drive to destroy the supercarrier. The mission succeeded, but the Sabres were destroyed, as the strike team was unable to return to them due to damage to the corvette and was thus forced to abandon them. Despite the success of this operation, the Sabre Program has remained secret.

Identified Sabres

 * Bravo 029
 * Echo 1
 * Echo 2
 * Echo 3
 * Echo 4

Gameplay
The Sabre is only usable in the space combat segment of the level Long Night of Solace.

Like other vehicles in the Halo games, the Sabre is piloted from third-person view. The Heads Up Display, located near the center of the screen, shows the weapon currently in use, thruster heat, as well as the hull and shield integrity of the Sabre. Enemy ships are identified by type and highlighted with a distance marker once the targeting reticle is moved on them. The HUD is slightly different depending on the weapon used at the time.

Pitch and direction change is controlled by the right thumbstick, while the left stick controls speed. However, if the player holds down the Right Bumper, a few changes are made. The auto-level functionality is disabled and left and right on the left thumbstick give full control over roll. This was a function that was initially always enabled and was cut during testing, only to be re-instated at the very last minute by holding the RB button down, and so is not mentioned in the manual, the official guide, or even within the game itself. The Sabre also has a boost function, which uses its wing-mounted thrusters. This fills up the thruster heat bar,which needs to cool down after continuous usage. A variety of maneuvers such as aileron rolls - often misidentified as 'barrel rolls' - and Immelmann turns can be performed by using the left bumper. The weapon in use can be switched between the machine guns and missiles with the Y button. The autocannons have an additional reticle leading the target, and the missiles can lock-on to enemy ships.

In Halo: Reach, crucial aspects of astrodynamics are overlooked for the sake of gameplay. For example, when thrust is cut, the Sabre no longer maintains a constant velocity. In reality, a spacecraft's momentum would propel it forward indefinitely as friction is not present.

Trivia

 * A Sabre is a kind of backsword, in keeping with the UNSC's tradition of naming exoatmospheric vehicles, like The Longsword and the Shortsword  after bladed weapons. The atmospheric vehicles, which are named after real animals with the exceptions of the Cyclops and Gremlin, which are named after mythical creatures.
 * Although Bungie experimented on implementing the Sabre into multiplayer, it only appears in the campaign due to balance issues.
 * Despite being highly classified and officially non-existent, many sources describe Sabre fighters as being the primary defense fighter of the Inner Colonies.
 * The Sabre launch sequence in Halo: Reach appears to have been inspired by NASA's Space Shuttle program, in both components and angles used for the cinematic. Several angles of the Sabre's launch sequence use similar camera angles seen during Space Shuttle launch, and the on-board cameras are used to examine foam loss on the external tank. The design of the Sabre's own external tank is somewhat based on that on the Shuttle, especially its orange color.
 * The Sabre has a very similar overall shape to the F-99 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle, including the position and shape of the vertical stabilizers.
 * It is possible for the player to ram the Sabre into an enemy Seraph or Banshee and destroy it. This will award the player the Splatter Medal.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Reach