Paris-class heavy frigate

The Paris-class heavy frigate is a class of fleet escort ships in service with the UNSC Navy. Introduced during the Human-Covenant War, the Paris-class saw extensive use by the Epsilon Eridani Fleet during the invasion of Reach in August 2552. The Paris and the following ships in the class were manufactured by Sinoviet Heavy Machinery.

History
Prior to the Insurrection of the late 25th century, the concept of a "heavy" frigate was considered a gross misuse of the UNSC's funding. In the years following the coup d'etat on Eridanus II and the rebels' capture of the, there was much more support for a shake-up of the UNSC's relatively lax and ill-defended fleet. These upgrades would take effect during the disastrous Operation: TREBUCHET.

Design
The heavy frigate is essentially a more heavily-armored variant of the standard UNSC frigate, equipped with more point-defense guns to provide stronger support in battle situations. The heavy frigate lacks the small hangar present on the standard frigate, but its additional firepower means that it can easily handle Covenant fighter craft and can hold its own against small Covenant warships, as shown when the heavy frigate UNSC Savannah engaged the much larger Covenant corvette Ardent Prayer during the Fall of Reach. Heavy frigates are also capable of atmospheric maneuvering and are occasionally used by the UNSC for ground-support operations.

Ships of the line

 * (FFG-318)
 * (FFG-371)
 * (FFG-371)
 * (FFG-371)

Trivia

 * The class' name could be a reference to the city of Paris, the capital of France. Alternatively, it could be named in reference to Paris, a major figure of the Trojan War.
 * The design of the heavy frigate appears to have been closely adapted from concept art for the for Halo 3. Whereas the frigates in Halo 3 differ from the initial design in a variety of ways, including a bulkier hangar bay, the heavy frigates closely resemble the concept art for the Andraste.
 * During the development of Halo: Reach, the UNSC frigates featured in the game were known as the Stalwart class. Halo: The Essential Visual Guide reveals that the type featured in Halo: Reach is the Paris-class heavy frigate, while the Stalwart class' name was repurposed for the frigates that appear in Halo 2.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo: Reach
 * The Commissioning