Chiroptera-class subprowler

The Chiroptera-class subprowler, sometimes referred to as the Chiroptera-class stealth vessel, was a subprowler employed by the Office of Naval Intelligence of the United Nations Space Command in service in the 25th century and early 26th century.

Design details
These ships were roughly 50 meters long with oddly-angled black stealth surfaces and carried advanced counter-intrusion software. Notably, the class used the smallest operational slipspace engines ever produced by the UNSC. They are described as having prominent wings that give it a decidedly bat-like appearance.

However, without a standard central controlling AI, the sensitive components tended to become unreliable. The resulting breakdowns resulted in the entire class being decommissioned around 2512. Vital components were removed, and the slipspace drive was locked down.

Ships of the line

 * Beatrice

Development history
At the time of its introduction in the 25th century, the Chiroptera represented the pinnacle in stealth ship architecture, testing then-novel design features that would later go on to inform prowler design principles for decades to come. The class was formally retired in 2512, with remaining specimens locked down by ONI censors.

Operational history
By 2552, at least one vessel of this class, belonging to Governor Jacob Jiles, was in the hands of the Eridanus rebels. This ship, the Beatrice, would later be stolen by Dr. Halsey and used to transport herself and Kelly-087 via Slipspace jump to Onyx, where it was shot down by the Onyx Sentinels.

Trivia
In biology, Chiroptera is the name of the taxonomic order that bats belong to. This refers to how the Chiroptera-class look like bats.

List of appearances

 * Halo: First Strike
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx