Gladius-class heavy corvette

The Gladius-class heavy corvette is a class of corvette in service with the UNSC Navy, designated with the hull code of FS. Manufactured by TanSec AB, these corvettes excel in interdiction, patrol, and security roles.

Specifications
A small, slipspace-capable warship, Gladius-class heavy corvettes are only 243 meters in length with a mass of 36,000 metric tons. The hull of this class are reinforced with Titanium-A armor. The Gladius-class are outfitted with an extensive sensor suite that uses a combination of laser and radar scanners for actively detecting and tracking targets, while monitoring surrounding space for anomalous energy sources.

These corvettes are armed with a single 20DA1C2 MAC, only two M58 Archer missile pods, and a small network of M870 Rampart point defense guns, used for defense against strikecraft and plasma torpedoes. Crewed by a total of fifteen sailors, the Gladius class carries no troops. As these corvettes are substantially outgunned by most warships, they must rely on their small size and low sensor profile to avoid unwinnable battles.

Operational service
During the Human-Covenant War, the Gladius-class heavy corvette were used by UNSC Navy battle groups assigned to the Inner Colonies. As they were substaintially outgunned by most Covenant warships, Gladius-class corvettes rarely participated in major fleet engagements. In 2554, a Gladius-class heavy corvette had a deadly encounter with two Kig-Yar s—Mark of Prophecy and Divine Breath—near New Carthage.

Known ships

 * - lead ship

Trivia
This corvette class was named after the gladius, one Latin word for sword, which served as the primary sword of the Roman army until the Third Century CE.