Hathway-class orbitor

"Light patrollers, worn sights that always show when you are close to shore. Remember that."

- Petty Officer Jonathan Strange

The Hathway-class orbitor was an old but widely-used model of military spacecraft that were in service throughout the early- and mid-twenty-second century. Built by the Procellarum Shipbuilding Company and Halifax Spacewerx between 2121 and 2129, it was named after Lieutenant Danny H. Hathway, an English junior officer who served aboard the first-generation Orbitor HMS Ark Royal.

Conceived from the lessons learned on the earlier Territory-class combat orbitor, the Hathway-class orbitor introduced a number of features that departed from conventional shipbuilding theory, and some of its features endured in starships decades after it entered service. Considered a swift, adaptable vessel of its day, it was seen doing everything from show-the-flag operations, to experimental weapon testing, to troop carrying. It was designed around its tailor-made hull, which could be easily modified to accommodate specialized modules while under construction, while also leaving it quick to build. To make up for a rather modest missile complement, the Hathway-class was the first warship line to enter service with naval guns, an addition that countered the light, explosive-resistant plating widely used at that time. However, its weak superstructure was recognized early on during combat exercises, which only grew more and more inadequate the longer it was kept in service.

The Hathway-class orbitor was a hugely-successful ship, used by a number of established military superpowers, United Nations Peacekeepers, and several smaller nations that previously could not afford a spacefaring force. Because of this, there were dozens of unique variations that would be created, ranging from minor modifications needed to accommodate very specific needs, to nearly unrecognizable starships that fulfilled niches that were impossible to meet in the base design. Although they would see widespread service as mainline warships, the march of time would see them unable to meet their duties in the face of younger threats, and they were slowly degraded from first-rate combat vessels to second-rate escorts and patrol ships. Despite being old, inefficient, and obsolete by 2160, the Hathway-class was able to counter insurgent raiders during the Jovian Moons Campaign, and participated in dozens of operations throughout the succeeding Interplanetary Wars. After the conflict came to a close, they enjoyed a short period of enforcing the peace, before being mothballed and scrapped by 2180.