Strident-class heavy frigate

Template:Ship Class Infobox

The Strident-class heavy frigate is a type of frigate in service with the UNSC Navy, designated with the hull code FFG.^[1] They are used as both escort ships and swift-attack vessels.^[2]

Overview

The Strident-class is the most recent addition to the Navy's prevailing ship type, having entered service by October 2552.^[3] Up to ten of these ships are stored within the UNSC Infinity's underslung sub-vessel deployment bay. After an initial assault, they are deployed en masse to deliver a final, crushing blow and mopping up any stragglers in the process.^[2] Notably, these vessels can be equipped with energy shields, a significant development over prior UNSC vessels which had to rely on only their Titanium-A battleplate for protection,^[4] though due to a shortage of shield emitters, many Stridents lack these shields as they wait for units to become available.^[1]

Design details

575 meters in length, the ship is fairly narrow on the port-starboard axis. Like on other UNSC vessels, propulsion is provided by a deuterium fusion engine. Like other frigate classes, it possesses port and starboard "wings" and has a laterally split hull. A blister with several viewports is on the dorsal surface near the bow. At least two hangar bays are mounted on either side; these bays are sealed with energy shield doors.^[5] The ship's SOEIV deployment bays are mounted on the mid-ventral surface.^[6]

Armament

The Strident-class frigate's primary armament is its Mark IV, heavy coil - 94B1E6/Magnetic Accelerator Cannon. Rivaling the twin MACs on UNSC destroyers and light cruisers, the Strident-class is unable to carry much in the way of ammunition due to its small size; for this reason most combat operations take place near supply depots. The frigate is also armed with two M42 Archer missile pods and five Mark 55 Castor naval coilguns as its secondary ship-to-ship armaments. The Castors are designed to fire a variety of munitions, including experimental shield-piercing rounds. Three of the Castors are paired with Mark 57 Arena point defense guns in a 'quickshot' configuration, with one on each side. To protect against fighters and missiles, six M870 Rampart point defense guns are fitted. They evaluate incoming threats and switch the ammunition to either sub-caliber armor-piercing sabots or proximity detonation fragmentation shells on a target-by-target basis. Additionally, three M4093 Hyperion nuclear delivery systems are located on the frigate.^[1]

Service history

At least one of these frigates was used to deploy Orbital Drop Shock Troopers during a battle for an unknown world in October 2552.^[6] Following the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War, hundreds of Strident-class vessels, along with the Anlace-class frigate, have been commissioned and are now being produced for the new UNSC Navy above Mars. During the New Phoenix Incident in July 2557, at least three ships of this class escorted the UNSC Infinity as part of Battlegroup Dakota. They engaged the Didact's flagship, Mantle's Approach, though they could not prevent him from activating the Composer and killing millions of residents in New Phoenix, URNA.^[5]

At the onset of the Requiem Campaign, the Infinity's embarked Strident-class sub-vessels were launched to engage the Covenant fleet around Requiem.^[4] During the battle Infinity Sub-vessel 3 destroyed a CRS-class light cruiser that was sending waves of troops and vehicles at Fireteam Crimson over "Two Giants".^[7] Later, as the Infinity was stranded and ambushed at the world of Aktis IV by Jul 'Mdama's Covenant with the aid of Catherine Halsey, the flagship deployed its entire fleet of sub-vessels to ward off the attacking Covenant fleet, which they eventually succeeded in doing.^[8]

Ships of the line

UNSC Strident - The lead ship of the class.
Infinity Sub-vessel 3 - One of the internally docked frigates with the Infinity.

Production notes

Low-detail models of the Strident-class are seen in the background on the Halo 4 level Midnight.^[9] These ships are intended to appear only in the background, but exploiting a glitch allows the player to examine these vessels up close, along with two other theretofore-unseen classes. Because these ships are intended to appear only as scenery, they are rendered as brushes rather than level geometry; as such, the player can fly the Broadsword through them without harm. This model bears several structural differences to the final model seen in Spartan Ops; it is lighter in coloration, similar to the other ships of Battlegroup Dakota, and the bridge section is sleeker, shorter, and located farther aft. A Strident-class frigate in Halo: Initiation is depicted in the likeness of the lower-quality in-game model rather than the high-detail one in Spartan Ops. Curiously, a campaign-style Strident is shown alongside two canonically designed Stridents at the end of Halo: Escalation #7. It is possible that these are different models, though they may just have been mistaken for seperate ship designs.

Gallery

Concept art of the redesign of the Charon-class frigate Forward Unto Dawn that would become the design of the Strident-class heavy frigate.
Aft view of a Strident-class heavy frigate's engines.
A Strident-class heavy frigate on the map Daybreak.
Two frigates escorting the UNSC Infinity in Spartan Ops Episode 2.
The Infinity's sub-vessels clearing the corridor into Requiem.
Unidentified frigate 1.jpg

Side view of the Strident-class as depicted in Midnight.
Unidentified frigate 2.jpg

Top view of the vessel as depicted in Midnight.
Dakota 3.jpg

Three ships of this class participating in the Battle of Earth.
A Strident-class in Halo: Initiation.
Strident-class frigates alongside the Infinity over Earth. Note the two separate production models.
Infinity's flotilla of Strident-class escorts engage Jul 'Mdama's fleet in the Battle of Aktis IV.
The loading system for the Hyperion nuclear missiles, inspired by the Juliett-class submarine.