Phaeton

The Z-1800 Exoatmospheric Multirole Fighter, colloquially known as the Phaeton, is a class of Forerunner weapon-ship. It is employed in a role analogous to a human VTOL gunship. These craft were encountered by UNSC forces in several engagements following the Requiem campaign.

Design details
Controlled by a single pilot, the Phaeton can teleport short distances rapidly in any direction. The Phaeton is armed with chin-mounted, twin-linked directed-energy weapons, as well as missile launcher-like weapons on both sides of the fuselage. The Phaeton has a highly mutable design pattern.

Variants

 * Phaeton Helios - Phaeton variant with increased armor and agility, and armed with homing pulse missiles in rapid-fire pods and a chin-mounted cleansing beam.

Operational history
One of the smallest classes of weapon-ship, the Phaeton was employed by the Forerunners in the billions during the war against the Flood. A single Forerunner Warrior-Servant could command thousands of Phaetons and support vessels, trusting in their Soldier pilots to self-organize into tactical phalanxes that could be thrown against the trillions of Flood combat forms and their vast fleets of corrupted Forerunner ships. Few survived to see the firing of the Halo Array, though their remains form debris rings around shattered worlds and dead fleets throughout the galaxy.

Most Guardians were assigned a modest wing of Phaetons to carry out their duties. These vessels were supplemented by newly grown craft in October 2558. Cortana's Prometheans used several Phaetons during the battles of Kamchatka, Meridian, Genesis, and Nuusra.

Trivia

 * In Greek mythology, Phaeton was the son of the god Helios.
 * The Phaeton fills a very similar gameplay niche to the AV-14 Hornet from Halo 3 and Halo 2: Anniversary.

List of appearances

 * Halo 5: Guardians