Ket-pattern battlecruiser

The CCS-class battlecruiser is a heavy warship used by the Covenant Navy, one of several different designs of capital ships they employ. These ships are primarily used to transport ground forces, as well as to engage enemy ships, as they are quite capable of engaging in ship-to-ship combat. They are also commonly tasked with glassing operations. It is known as one of the most frequently used vessels in the Covenant Navy.

Overview
The CCS classification is the most well known type of Covenant warship, one of the few which the UNSC has been able to gain decent intelligence from, via the Truth and Reconciliation in particular. The battlecruiser is a long, vaguely organic-shaped spacecraft (often referred to having many bulbous sections), capable of launching dozens of fighters, dropships, and boarding craft. Typically armed with a vast arsenal of energy weapons, it is exactly one-third the length of the rarer and more powerful assault carriers, but larger than the more common frigates and destroyers, with four stabilizer fins protruding from the front. Equipped with the standard energy shield generators, pulse laser turrets, and plasma torpedo launchers, and used as a main heavy warship by both Covenant Loyalists and Covenant Separatists. It appears to be capable of both space warfare and supporting ground operations, capable of deploying upwards of a thousand troops of various races, as well as support vehicles and aircraft through its gravity lift.

Control room
The control center of a CCS classification, known as the "bridge" in human terminology, is located, as on most Covenant starships, in the midsection of the battlecruiser, protected by thick armor in addition to the ship's shields. A raised platform in the center of the spacious room ringed with holographic controls is the Combat Information Center, or CIC, of the control room. These controls are most likely for fire control, navigation, sensors, ship diagnostics, internal security monitors, etc. In front of the command center is a large holographic "banner" which is used for navigation purposes. The crew in the control room usually consists of a Sangheili or Jiralhanae Shipmaster who stands on the central platform and is in charge of giving orders and commanding his vessel, accompanied by, in most cases, Sangheili Zealots, or high-ranking captain Jiralhanae that patrol the lower level of the control room, who are responsible for maintaining the security of the ship.



Gravity lift
Like most warships in the Covenant fleet, the CCS-class is also equipped with a single ventrally-mounted gravity lift, enabling the quick and easy transportation of personnel, vehicles, equipment and supplies to a planet's surface. Objects or personnel placed in it are propelled upward or downward rapidly by an anti-gravity field, and are able to gently disembark, despite the high speeds occupants can reach.

The lift's opening also doubles as an emitter for one of the ship's energy projectors.



Brig
The CCS classification has at least two brigs for holding prisoners, though they may have more since these ships have not been fully explored. Each is a rectangular room with four force field-secured cells on either side, for a total of eight per brig. Each cell can accommodate a large number of prisoners, although normally only one is placed in each cell, probably for security purposes against the possibility of an organized escape attempt. The fields are impenetrable to all hand held weaponry, projectile or energy, but can be lowered by a holographic control panel on a raised platform on the far side of the brig opposite the entrance, the guards post. The cells are arranged at the periphery of a spacious room, with guards patrolling the central section. The guards usually have active camouflage, using their stealth to monitor the prisoners.



Shuttle bays
There are at least four hangar bays aboard the a vessel of CCS classification - two to starboard and two to port side. They are each three-tiered, with a large amount of space between the floors and ceilings of each level. Each bay contains various vehicles, such as Type-25 Spirit dropships, on the bottom floor, with a pillar-like platform used for dismounting passengers rising up and connecting to the second level. Covenant troops are arrayed upon the second and third floors, with multiple stationary plasma shields and Shade infantry plasma turrets.

A energy barrier operates at the mouth of the hangars, retaining atmosphere while in space transit. It denies the movement of all forms of matter attempting to enter or leave the shuttle bays.



Corridors
Most of the ship is comprised of a labyrinth of network of corridors, with circuitry concealed behind purple metal casings. At junctions, gaps in the ceiling and floor appear to accommodate Huragok maintenance personnel, allowing them to float between levels easily and quickly. The corridors appear to be of a curved shape, with doors that open by a three-way system.

Doors
There are various, virtually indestructible doors upon the CCS classification. Unlocked ones are outlined in white light, while locked ones have crimson light. They are protected from electronic intrusion by a 128,000-bit modulating encryption key, but this key can be penetrated by a UNSC AI, such as Cortana, after a couple of minutes.

Engines and engine room
While not seen in-game, every ship presumably features an engine room. The ship's repulsor engines are more powerful and faster than human engines.

Trivia

 * "CCS" is likely an acronym for Covenant Capital Ship.
 * A "CCS-class Battlegroup" generally consists of at least three CCS-class ships.
 * All "CCS-class Battlecruisers" have the Marathon logo on their launch bays
 * The Cruisers featured in Halo 3 have four fins instead of two, like those of the Truth and Reconciliation in Halo: CE. This could be simply because of better graphics than the previous games.
 * The only CCS-Class battlecruiser to be controlled (however briefly) by humans was the Truth and Reconciliation.
 * During the development of Halo 2, Solemn Penance was originally going to be a CCS-class battlecruiser, as seen in the E3 2003 demo.
 * According to an ONI report, CCS-class Battlecruisers were first encountered by humans when Admiral Cole's fleet arrived in the Psi Serpentis system in 2543. However, this contradicts both Halo Wars: Genesis, which clearly depicts Cole's fleet engaging CCS-class Battlecruisers as early as 2526, and Halo Wars, in which two such vessels - which have been identified by the UNSC - are engaged in orbit over Arcadia.
 * On the cover of Halo: Reach, a CCS-class battlecruiser can be seen in the sky above Noble Team.
 * In the level New Alexandria, if you perform the Flyable Pelican and Phantom easter egg and you fly inside one of the the CCS-Class battlecruisers outside of the map, then you will find a small cube in the center of either ship. It is a cube map, which contains the texture for the vessel.
 * If the Mythic skull is turned on while playing Halo: Reach, the CCS-class battlecruiser at the end will also be affected, and now take two shots from the Onager to take down.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Combat Evolved
 * Halo 2
 * Halo 3
 * Halo Wars
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole
 * The Return
 * Halo Graphic Novel
 * Halo: Uprising
 * Halo Legends
 * The Duel
 * Origins
 * The Package