Mutan Et-pattern storm cutter

The Mutan Et-pattern storm cutter is a class of light attack ship formerly serviced by the fleet of the Covenant, now in use by its successor factions. Once manufactured by the Primary Assembly Forges of High Charity, they are primarily used for pursuit, scouting, and harassment in battle and are regarded as relentless and elusive.

Design details
The Mutan Et design pattern are small warships at 225 meters in length and with a mass of 41,000 metric tons. This places them in a similar scale and tonnage as the corvettes of the UNSC Navy, such as the, and the.

Armaments
DAS-class storm cutters are armed with four Emri Ka-pattern light plasma lances, four Enteros-pattern plasma beam emitters, and four Phot Et-pattern pulse lasers. The storm cutters are also equipped with an advanced hyperscanner that provides extremely detailed information on any object within range.

Crew and complement
Storm cutters are crewed by one Superior and fifteen Menials, alongside a small complement of ten Warriors led by a single Obedientiary.

Defenses
Protected by a hull of nanolaminate plating, these storm cutters are also equipped with energy shielding. When both shield and hull fail, like all warships of the Covenant fleet, DAS-class storm cutters rely on active jammers, deception field generators, and auto-repair systems to ensure the vessels remain combat effective.

Ships of the line

 * Divine Breath – Operated by Kig-Yar, engaged in smuggling and piracy operations over New Carthage in 2554.
 * Mark of Prophecy – Operated by Kig-Yar, engaged in smuggling and piracy operations over New Carthage in 2554.
 * Heresy's Sorrow - Formerly led by Inka 'Saham, harassed UEG and UNSC supply and trade routes.

Human-Covenant war
DAS-class storm cutters were employed by the Covenant's fleet during the Human-Covenant War. Throughout the war, these vessels served as scouts and strikecraft tenders, prowling in hunter-killer teams at the far edges of major fleet engagements. In at least one instance, Heresy's Sorrow harassed UNSC's supply lines and UEG trade routes.

Post-war
Following the Covenant's collapse in December 2552, many of these storm cutters have fallen into the hands of Kig-Yar raiders and the empire's various successor factions. In 2554, the storm cutters Divine Breath and Mark of Prophecy were employed by Kig-Yar pirates over the colony world of New Carthage, leading to an engagement with the.

Production notes
The DAS-class storm cutter was first introduced in Halo: Warfleet, with the Halo Story Bible previously containing only a handful of technical details on the class. After determining the dimensions of the storm cutter from the Story Bible's notes and Isaac Hannaford's reference render of the ship, Kenneth Peters was able to derive crew, mass, and armament details for Warfleet.

List of appearances

 * Halo Infinite