UNSC Iroquois

The UNSC Iroquois  is a destroyer. It was manufactured sometime in April of 2552. Three months after manufacturing, on July 17 of 2552, it was the first ship to respond to the Covenant attack on Sigma Octanus IV. It was subsequently involved in the ensuing battle, which lasted until July 18.

The ship is outfitted with 2 MAC cannons, 26 oversized Archer Missile pods, and 3 Shiva nuclear-tipped missiles. Covered with 2 meters of Titanium-A battleplating and Vanadium Steel alloy. It also has a red warstripe painted on each side.

The ship was commanded by Commander Jacob Keyes. He happened to be near Sigma Octanus IV when the Covenant were detected there. The Iroqouis fought with four Covenant vessels: one carrier, one destroyer, and two frigates. Commander Keyes destroyed the Covenant destroyer and both Covenant frigates using a maneuver later called the Keyes Loop and a Shiva nuclear-tipped missile. The Covenant carrier deployed dropships and fled to Slipspace.

Commander Keyes received a promotion to Captain. Twenty Covenant ships dropped out of Slipspace and prepared to attack. The UNSC force was four dozen. The Iroquois , which had been severely wounded during the Keyes Loop, broke formation after the opening salvo and rammed a Covenant stealth corvette.

As the battle came to a close, the Iroquois  was tagged by a Covenant spy probe and subsequently led the Covenant to Reach.

Historical Reference
The Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee, also known as the League of Peace and Power, Five Nations, or Six Nations) is a group of First Nations/Native Americans. It was originally made up of five tribes: The Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, and the Seneca. A sixth tribe, the Tuscarora, joined after the original five nations were formed. They are also sometimes called the people of the Long house. They are often referred to as Iroquois, a term that some members of the group consider derogatory.

The Confederacy was based, at the time of the arrival of the Europeans, in the northeastern U.S. in what is now upstate New York, as well as parts of Pennsylvania, Ontario, and Quebec.

There is a real life destroyer named the Iroquois. It serves in the Canadian navy.