UNSC Forward Unto Dawn

The  (FFG-201) was a United Nations Space Command Frigate.

It was also more simply known as the "Dawn".

Second Battle of Earth
During the Second Battle of Earth, the Forward Unto Dawn was part of a formation of three UNSC frigates over the African Savannah of the Home Fleet. Combined with several squadrons of Longsword Fighters, they assaulted Truth's position.

It fired its Magnetic Accelerator Cannon at the Forerunner Dreadnaught containing the Prophet of Truth in attempts to stop him from activating the Portal to the Ark. This attempt failed, and it appeared the Dreadnaught survived unscathed.

Battle of Installation 00
The Forward Unto Dawn went through the slipspace portal along with several Covenant Separatist vessels including the Shadow of Intent of the Sangheilian Fleet.

It dropped five D77H-TCI Pelican Dropships in a zero-g drop for a landing on the Ark. Later, John-117 and a few Marines destroyed a group of Anti-Air Wraiths opening up a landing site for the Dawn. The Dawn was later docked near the control room of the Replacement Installation 04 and was used in the escape of John-117 and the Arbiter.

The Arbiter took to the bridge, accelerating in a vertical climb away from the installation as it destroyed itself while the Spartan clung to the floor panels in the still-open hangar bay. SPARTAN-117 was nearly crushed by a M808 Scorpion MBT that was falling out of the Dawn ' s hangar.

However, with Cortana willing him to hang on (recently inserted into the Forward Unto Dawn ' s computer systems), he was able to survive the acceleration forces until the Arbiter piloted the Dawn into the portal, which collapsed into itself when the Dawn was halfway through it.

Current Status
The forward half of the vessel, including the Arbiter, was able to transition to Earth and land in an unknown ocean. The Arbiter was rescued, although it is unknown if anyone else in that half survived. The latter half of the vessel fell out of Slipspace somewhere between the Ark and Earth. Or is still located somewhere near the Ark's last known position.

Cortana dropped a distress beacon while SPARTAN-117 sealed himself in one of the Dawn ' s cryogenic chambers. After an undetermined amount of time, the Dawn ' s back end was seen drifting towards an unidentified planet.

Trivia

 * It was first seen during the Halo 3 Trailer during E3 2007.

Related Articles

 * United Nations Space Command
 * UNSC Navy