Strident-class light destroyer

"Quick, heavy-hitting, and equipped with revolutionary energy shielding, the Strident is the proving ground for the future of the UNSC's naval superiority."

- Aerofabrique marketing spokesperson

The Strident-class light destroyer is a class of heavily-armed, short-ranged warships built for the UNSC Navy. Entering service to rapidly rebuild the depleted Navy, the Strident represents the culmination of everything learned from captured Covenant technology. Sporting the strongest MAC ever fitted onto a ship of its size, the Strident is designed to be easy to build and act as a rapid-response vessel, bringing its heavy firepower to any battlefield that requires it.

Layout
Although a destroyer by classification, the Strident-class closely apes the design of the standard frigates, with a split bow, side wings, and the command structure installed above its stern. However, it does not share their skeletal design, and instead opts for a compact, stockier frame that disregards with an external barracks segment - a typical design trait of heavy ship-to-ship combatants, which reduces its target profile and increases durability at the cost of usable volume.

At the front of the prongs are clusters of antennae and dishes for the sensor and communications package, with all the vital computer processors hidden behind the thickest amount of armor on the destroyer. These combine a passive- and active-detection RADAR, a focused LIDAR telescope, a microwave short-range transmitter and - a first for a UNSC ship - a supraluminal communications antenna. Behind the sensor processors on the top prong is the warship's primary targeting computers, which are backed up elsewhere by two other less-powerful computers. Running along the bottom prong is the ship's primary MAC, which is enhanced on both externally and internally by capacitors to store excess energy to allow for the faster firing of the MAC. While heavily-armored, if breached these energy-storage containers will explode in a spectacular fashion; as a result, UNSC safety protocols state that they must be jettisoned in an emergency to prevent them from detonating beneath the destroyer's shields. Running in parallel to it on the upper prong of the Strident is its habitation and rest-and-relaxation deck. This has gotten a number of complaints for three main reasons; it is cramped for permanent living, it is further away from the rest of the ship, and shockingly, only ten three-man escape pods are mounted in this section. Running above it is a direct-access maintenance shaft that has been hollowed-out to act as a makeshift cargo-bay.

In the center of the destroyer is an oversized fly-through hangar that usually carries two D77-TC pelicans or escorting F-41 Broadswords. The darker center section is not as well-armored as the rest of the ship, using a thinner grade of grapheel blends in an effort to keep mass to a minimum. Just forward of the hangar on top are the destroyer's complement of nuclear missiles, which are laid lengthways against the hull prior to launch. A massive observation room with a central raised platform directly overlooks the nuclear silos. Flanking this on both sides are the destroyer's six turrets of M870B Rampart point defense guns. These are poorly-placed; they can only protect the warship if the projectiles come from the vector on the sides, the stern, and the top. Paired alongside these are four of the destroyer's Mark 55 Castor naval coilguns, with the front two being outfitted with two Mark 57 Arena point defense guns on each turret to augment the Ramparts. The back pair are offset inwards to ensure they can fire directly forwards and backwards without being obstructed by the forward turrets, and are also fitted with software to prevent them from firing on any point of the superstructure.

Just slightly further-back is the destroyer's external bridge. It is divided into two levels, with two more minor floors for maintenance. The larger upper floor supporting the primary bridge and the lower one housing the independent stations which do not usually require the captain's attention, such as the tactical command center for squadrons and ground troops. The bridge is designed to mimic those on earlier frigates, although in a much more spacious area. The helmsmen and fire control still sit at the front of the bridge, with the captain sitting in a chair directly behind them. The chair has a wireless link designed to connect to the captain's authorized command neural interface, which then projects any data they desire onto their retinas for viewing. A massive holotable lies behind them, which is surrounded by rails to keep visitors out of the rest of the bridge. The one-and-a-half-meter spacing around the table is capable of comfortably accommodating a whole squad of thirteen without intruding on the rest of the bridge space. On the sides are stations for damage control, communications, sensors, countermeasures and power allocation, and electronic warfare. Thanks to the extensive automation on these ships, each officer wields an incredible amount of control that is impossible on previous ships, capable of tuning their specific field to perfection. In addition, although unlikely, the Strident 's bridge module is capable of detaching from the mothership to act as an oversized escape pod, complete with its own miniaturized Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine. Should the bridge be knocked out, a secondary emergency Combat Information Center is fitted deep within the bowels of the destroyer.

Running parallel to the bridge at the very bottom of the Strident are its forward Single Occupant Entry Insertion Pod launch bays. Arranged in two levels with a total of eight racks of five each, this can deploy forty operators and their equipment within seconds of arrival above a planet. A second launch bay located beneath the reactor can accommodate a further twenty or even thirty pods, although this is normally reserved for the deployment of weapons and vehicles.

Role
The Strident-class destroyer is designed to augment UNSC fleets and defensive clusters with heavy MAC fire support, either by directly contending with enemy warships or delivering fatal rounds from behind the front lines. They are armed well enough to supplement older destroyers such as the in some squadrons, using its energy shields to tank incoming munitions while providing fire support. Its ability to absorb weapons fire harmlessly makes it a crucial part of wolfpack formations; peers can temporarily cover themselves behind an attending Strident, opening up options that could not previously be considered. They can be used against a wide variety of enemy ships, as they have the speed to track smaller corvettes while still being capable of destroying battlecruisers in groups. This makes them well-suited to the role of general-purpose destroyer, occasionally acting as the unit's communications specialist thanks to their advanced transmission subsystems.

The Strident can also be deployed as a short-range defense ship, not unlike a heavy corvette. The Strident only has an operational range of two months travel, as it only has enough fuel for a maximum of four months of travel without resupply. To assist this, it has a sixth-generation slipspace drive which can allow it to reach up to fifteen lightyears per day, greatly increasing their range. It can use its cutting-edge sensor array to detect stealth vessels, as well as perform deep scans on freighters that may be carrying illicit goods. Similarly, despite its small troop-carrying capabilities it can act as a means of deploying an advance force on hotly-contested worlds, using its shields to tank huge amounts of fire and dropping up to sixty ODSTs to pacify hostile outposts or conduct sabotage before better-equipped transports arrive.

Weaknesses and Counter-Tactics
As evidenced by its single-mindedness to combat, the Strident is not without its faults. It exhibits a vulnerability to smaller attack craft such as corvettes, frigates, and aircraft, thanks to its weapon positioning which creates large blind-spots on the belly and aft. As it lacks a sufficient arsenal of missiles, this means that catching it off-guard from the back or the sides leaves it at a particular disadvantage as it attempts to bring its bow to bear. The two banks of point-defense guns are angled towards the front, providing great coverage on the bow and sides, but not so much in the other directions. This ensured that bombers could just stay out of their cone of fire while they unload their payload; enough casualties were taken that later blocks had several pods of Streak missiles installed to contend with such a threat.

In addition, a key weakness is its range. Whereas previous models of destroyers could patrol for almost a year at a time, the Strident must require a base to refuel and rearm from for longer journeys. As a result, they are more likely to withdraw from protracted campaigns, and during this state, they can be chased down and eliminated, or even boarded, by older warships. For these operations, they must operate alongside a fuel tanker; the destruction of this is often enough to force a battle group of these destroyers to leave the engagement area. Similarly, Stridents do suffer from a lack of sufficient ammunition storage, which furthers limits their ability to dedicate themselves to a lengthy battle.

Armament
"Those things are so powerful they make cruisers blush."

- Anonymous Insurrectionist

The Strident, in spite of its faults, is particularly highly-prized in regards of its weapon systems. Taking inspiration from some of the most celebrated ship classes of the war, these warships are based around oversized cannons, sacrificing missiles in favor of high-velocity coilguns outfitted with experimental rounds. This focus is supposed to help the destroyer to survive engagements with superior opponents, offloading a ludicrous amount of firepower long before their opponents have their own chance to do so. The lack of missiles, although criticized by conservative officers, offers an advantage by eliminating the risk that a vast amount of damage is removed by being shot down, ensuring that the only way their punishment can be reduced is purely from its weapons being destroyed or disabled.

Easily the most revered and formidable weapon on these destroyers is its solitary, power-hungry 94B1E6/Magnetic Accelerator Cannon. Running almost three quarters of the ship's length, this model is considered the apex of miniaturized MAC technology. It was envisioned to fire monstrous rounds that weigh in at 1,000 tonnes each, almost twice the size of contemporary destroyer slugs. However, resource shortages, fears regarding charging times, and the additional weight they will be carrying saw Stridents firing 850-tonne equivalents instead. When fired at full charge, the slug is accelerated up to 48 kilometers per second in optimal conditions, enough to almost take down a destroyer's shields in a single shot. This vastly outstrips the punishment dished out by the twin cannons on older destroyers and just falling short of matching the power of those mounted on light cruisers. To help reduce the time between full charge, the MAC is outfitted with an energy-recollection system pioneered from the, which can recycle up to 20% of the power spent on each shot. In addition to this, a number of massive capacitors are mounted around the main gun, which are continuously being replenished by the ship's reactors. Between these two systems, the 94B1E6/MAC is capable of firing at full charge a minimum of once every minute and a half. Unfortunately, thanks to space issues, only a maximum of sixteen slugs of various types are carried by any single destroyer - by far the lowest number of any warship. The risk of running out of viable ammunition during combat meant that most captains are only permitted to requisition the standard and subcalibre rounds, with specialized options only available if deemed necessary for mission success.
 * 1) Ferric-Tungsten Penetrator: Built with a very shallow and soft nose, and reinforced with steel, the Ferric-Tungsten Penetrator is a conventional slug which remains intact even under incredible pressure while transferring as much force as possible short of rolling or fragmenting. This translates to inflicting incredible strain at a single point on both protective barriers and the starship beneath, even punching through one target and still maintaining enough velocity to pose a threat to a trailing warship. The ease they can be manufactured makes them the most common munition for MACs.
 * 2) Depleted-Uranium Incinerator: Consisting of layers of Depleted-Uranium separated by Tungsten, the Depleted-Uranium Incinerator unleashes a powerful fireball upon impact which is funneled throughout the starship, with limited fragmentation qualities. Easily the softest round capable of being used by MACs, it is recommended to only be fired at low speeds at the underlying hull, and as such is only offered in the oversized six megaton variety.
 * 3) Ceramic Fragmentation Slug: Designed with deliberate weaknesses to allow it to easily shatter on impact, the Ceramic Fragmentation Slug is used to undermine the hull at multiple points, impaling shards across a wide area to better cripple a single target.

Dominating its secondary weapons are a wide collection of missiles, which was originally composed of just two large pods of M42 Archer anti-ship missiles, one at the front of each supplemental engine pod. Composed of six individual silos which source their ammunition from a magazine of 26 devices, the M42 is designed with a modular warhead to deliver devastating non-nuclear arsenals to enemy vessels. As standard, they use new plasma-based high explosive warheads to effortlessly cut through armor. This can be easily replaced with mission-specific payloads, such as anti-shield Hydrogen ions, fragmentation and for anti-fighter, and even sensor-jamming systems for electronic warfare purposes. However, even with upgrades, these missiles are still considered ineffective against energy shielding, requiring hundreds of devices to break through. Because of this, they are carefully launched to hit just after the MAC hits the enemy, weakening the barrier enough to make it more likely for them to punch through their shields and hit their hull. Because of their size, they are incredibly destructive, easily capable of inflicting heavy damage on much heavier opponents, which also makes them useful in a ground bombardment role. They are also exceedingly vulnerable to point defense weapons such as pulse laser turrets, as even with better avionics, an upgraded swarm AI, and better straight-line acceleration, their size and lack of maneuverability makes them far easier targets to take out. This weakness, coupled with the fact they could only fire twelve missiles per salvo, is why that very few of these missiles are able to hit their targets in practice. This fact is why many officers have criticized the lack of firing arcs on the first block of Strident-class destroyers, as the missiles are too large and too few in number to adequately cover them.

Conceding to this weakness, later Stridents were outfitted with ten pods of the smaller M58 Archer general-purpose missile. Very similar to their larger cousins despite being more than a third of their size, they are positioned towards both sides to be in an optimal position to intercept aggressors attempting to attack the destroyer's flanks. Besides being launched in support of the M42 and thus ensure more of them reach their targets, the M58 is particularly revered for its limited ability to destroy strikecraft such as fighters, dropships, and boarding craft, making it a true multi-purpose weapon. Up to 50 missiles could be fired at once, and these serve an invaluable purpose as a 'cannon fodder' screen, where they overwhelm enemy point defenses to allow heavier, more dangerous munitions to slip through.

A M4093 Hyperion nuclear delivery system is fitted onto the Strident-class destroyer, which is equipped with three nuclear missiles. Longer than most models of space fighters, the Hyperion is a heavy long-range munition that is equipped with a vacuum-enhanced plutonium warhead, which comes complete with its own reaction mass to magnify the explosion. This gives it a maximum yield of 30 megatons of TNT, with heavier californium payloads resulting in a far greater explosion. This is enough to destroy smaller models of Covenant frigates and lighter destroyers that are caught within its inner blast range, although heavier ships are able to successfully resist them. Vacuum-enhanced missiles like the Hyperion are instead primarily used for their massive electromagnetic pulses, which at medium range can cause even hardened targets to suffer power failures and therefore compromise the efficiency of their shields and weapon systems, while fighters and corvettes are left completely inert. The three missiles are stored in the upper boom of the destroyer, and are slowly raised individually out of their launch bay prior to firing. They are typically raised to the lowest possible angle that would allow them to clear the ship, with the missile turning itself towards the target before accelerating. The entire process of reloading and launching can take up to two minutes in total. To protect them from enemy fire, Hyperions are given very strong hulls and basic electronic jamming countermeasures, with the former also serving the added benefit of increasing the blast as well.

The last major weapon in its shipfighting arsenal are its five turrets of Mark 55 Castor naval coilguns. Installed on the top surface of the destroyer, the Castor is a heavy turret intended for use against Covenant cruisers and similarly-heavy warships. The mounting is very well-protected, with the exterior titanium-A3 plates being slanted all around to maximize armor thickness on the horizon without dramatically increasing weight. The turret maintains a maximum rate-of-fire of fifteen rounds per second, with a moderate tracking speed that is still quick enough to hit fast-moving opponents such as corvettes at medium range. If hit, corvettes are likely to be disabled or outright destroyed by a single shot. The slugs the Castor fires can penetrate titanium-A hulls that are a meter thick, and can be enhanced through the use of experimental rounds. This includes standard-issue homing shells with correctional thrusters for long-range opponents, ionic warhead shells for use against shields, and experimental shield-bypassing shells. The barrel can traverse as far up as 130o above the level horizon, or a maximum of 40o below it, which is when it risks hitting the hull of the destroyer itself. The coilgun's only drawback is that it is woefully reliant on the ship's own targeting computer to function, as it features no native system of its own and only has optics in the form of a laser rangefinder mounted atop the barrel.

Three Castors, the two forward turrets and the aft gun, are also outfitted with twin Mark 57 Arena 20mm point defense guns on their front face, which are linked to the main gun to allow the turrets to protect the destroyer from missiles. Fairly small by point-defense gun standards, their main benefit is that they inherit the arcs of their parent turrets. Eventually, these were upgraded with their own ball mounts and targeting computers to allow them to track and fire independently of the main barrel.

For self-defense against missiles and space fighters, six turrets of quad M870B Rampart 50mm/95 cal point defense guns are fitted on both sides of the destroyer. Sharing the same base chassis as the older M910 Rampart turret, the M870B is an entirely self-contained system, featuring its own ammunition storage, targeting system, and self-repair subsystem. The new M870B model is cheaper to produce and has a much longer barrel than its predecessors, giving it a faster rate of fire and heavier punch. These are the major improvements made to it, although a slew of small adjustments makes it slightly faster and quicker to respond over its predecessor. However, it suffers a very slight disadvantage, as unlike the original M870 guns, it inherits the M910's inability to elevate 90o vertically, a weakness that is not applicable due to their placement on the destroyer. While their placement means that anything attacking the destroyer's prow will be hit by nearly all of its anti-air defenses, and can still harass fighters coming from its top and side arcs, it is unable to hit fighters and missiles striking it from below or behind. Proposals have been put forward for installing new turrets on the bow and aft for maximized coverage.

Armour and Defenses
"We're- we aren't dead! Sam, tell me again that the Navy was lying."

- Lieutenant Bruce Campbell, during the Battle of Mars.

While the Strident 's made dozens of technological leaps, where it truly elevates itself above the other escorts at the time is in its vastly superior defensive systems. It features a winning combination of cutting-edge alloys of armor, a vastly-reinforced framework, and the inclusion of a shield generator safeguards it against enough firepower that could obliterate several similar-sized vessels, without trading on weight nor materials. Should the damage prove too catastrophic to withstand, new damage-control techniques developed during the war have been applied onto the destroyer, creating a ship that can stay in battle for longer before it must fall back due to damage.

The greatest assets available to it are the RG-913 dispersal field generators, developed by ONI's Materials Group, but manufactured by Misriah Armory. The first mass-produced shield system to offer the full defensive capabilities available to their Covenant equivalent, the RG-913 is capable of absorbing MAC rounds and plasma torpedoes with equal efficiency, without any of the impacts bleeding through onto the hull. This is a significant advantage that eliminates the crew's concern that small skirmishes could compromise its integrity in a subsequent larger engagement, as well as giving them a safety net when attempting to dodge enemy fire. The bow, aft, and belly sections are controlled by their own shield networks, which seamlessly overlay each other at the midship. Because they are based on Covenant shield systems, they inherit their inability to permit their own weapons and fighters to pass through them when active. As a result, every turret, missile pod, and hangar is surrounded by their own waveguide channel regulator, which can drop and raise the barrier when firing. If one or more networks fail, another emitter can spread its coverage across the rest of the destroyer, although it significantly reduces the barrier's durability and the risk of mechanical failure rises the longer it over-stretches itself.

The uppermost hull is applied with a refractive counter-plasma coating, a tough gel-like substance that excels at containing and dissipating thermal energy. When hit by a directed-energy weapon, it contains and spreads the heat across the entire layer, protecting the armor plates that would otherwise be compromised from a single hit. It is a self-cooling mixture, but if it reaches a certain temperature threshold, then it is engineered to suddenly vaporize into free-floating mist that can further interfere with the operation of lasers and plasma.

The framework of the first flight of Strident-class destroyers is built to simpler, slightly weaker standards for a ship of its size. Built in a box configuration, it uses more infrequent bracing and crossbars connecting the studs pillars together, and larger beams to compensate. While not particularly strong, it saves on materials and weight, and streamlines construction when fabricating the superstructure. Costs were also cut with the use of TR steel, a strong alloy that hardens when exposed to solar radiation. Unfortunately, it has been discovered that it is too weak to sustain the larger beams, which as caused portions of the frame to sag and be far more likely to break under larger impacts.

Complement
The Strident-class destroyer has a small complement for a ship of its size and calibre, with only a maximum of 150 personnel available for security, reconnaissance, and limited force-projection operations. These are supported by thirty-two men and women who participate in the logistics and command division, who are organized independently of the destroyer's naval crew and so may be deployed to assist the troops directly. Regardless, it cannot be stressed enough that the army on these ships are simply only capable of minor skirmishes and investigations, and any sustained engagements will eventually require a dedicated transport to reinforce them.

The Strident 's ground troops and vehicles are all sourced from the UNSC Marine Corps, which are divided between ship security and combat elements. The former is composed of a single platoon of standard Marine personnel, usually adding up to roughly thirty men and are led by a Marine First Lieutenant, although they could vary anywhere from twenty to fifty individuals strong. They have been trained to repel invaders should the destroyer been boarded using a variety of light and medium arms, such as assault and battle rifles. As the likelihood that many systems will likely fail during the fighting, they are prepared to fight effectively within zero-gravity and low-Oxygen environments - although few have the chance to prove it. In the case that there are no ODSTs aboard, then destroyers may embark a full Marine Shipboard Company in their place. They take their place as expeditionary infantry, usually for the purposes of reinforcing units that are already on the ground.

A squadron of twelve aging RQ-28 Clarion spy drones are stored within a dedicated drone bay, located on the belly of the destroyer. A standard-issue addition on all UNSC ships since 2483, Clarions are automated scout vehicles that combine a number of passive and active scanning systems and a low-emission ion engine within a RADAR-resistant shell. They can be tasked to follow enemy warships, scour their mothership for attached tracking systems, or simply search the local region for anomalous readings and unidentified starships. They are extraordinarily difficult to detect, with the only frequent transmission sent from a Clarion being a tight-beam alert that alerts the destroyer to any anomalies or changes in the target. Only when they detect no nearby non-UNSC spacecraft will they send a more detailed report, or when the drone controller orders it themselves. Although they are unarmed, for security reasons they have an integrated self-destruct explosive and a viral data scrambler that activates in the event of capture.

Ground Configuration
The larger combat element is ideally dominated by a highly-experienced force of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, totaling up to a maximum of a hundred men. The two platoons are commanded by a Marine Captain or senior-most First Lieutenant if unavailable, and are trained extensively for combat on both land and space. Because they are expected to operate within enemy territory in order to secure landing zones or conduct sabotage and guerrilla warfare - circumstances that usually make a conventional dropship deployment risky - they are each allocated a Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle. They are given a survival kit that allows them to remain self-sufficient for up to a week in the field, as well as the option to carry heavy weapons such as rocket launchers if necessary. Owing to their elite status and strict selection requirements, few destroyers are given a complement of ODSTs.

The armor element on the Strident-class light destroyer is devoted towards reconnaissance and force application, as the lack of space forbids it from carrying any heavier vehicles. They are specifically chosen for their ability to support any infantry carried by the destroyer through any environment, augmenting their firepower while protecting them from light enemy vehicles. There are two platoons of six vehicles each, which are supported by a single main battle tank. It totals up to the following:
 * 10 M274 Mongoose ATVs: Originally designed for scouts operating within rough terrain, Mongeese perform particularly well at guerrilla warfare, where a passenger wielding a M41 rocket launcher could bring down armored vehicles while the driver skillfully avoids Covenant fire. They are typically unarmed, although the Strident-class destroyer normally comes with enough grenade launchers to turn four Mongeese into Gungeese.
 * 2 M12 Warthog FAVs: The single-most common vehicle within the UNSC's inventory, the default M12 Warthog armed with a M41 Vulcan light anti-aircraft gun acts as an anti-air and anti-infantry truck. Fast but lightly armed, it has a large number of turret and tray configurations that allows it to be put to use into other fields, such as anti-armor, personnel carrier, and logistics.
 * 1 M808 Scorpion: The solitary Scorpion tank is a basic means of combating other enemy armor, and is widely considered to have the ideal mix of speed, durability, versatility, and firepower. Although it can be driven by a single tanker, they are most often manned by a crew of three in order to speed up any in-field repairs and maintenance work that needs to be conducted.

The hangar bay can accommodate only a single D77-TC Pelican, with up to three others being attached to docking hardpoints on the destroyer's hull. It can deliver up to twenty Marines and a single light or heavy vehicle, such as a Warthog or Scorpion, at a given landing zone and suppress any attackers with coordinated fire from its 40mm autocannon. If needed, the troop bay can be reconfigured to carry two Mongeese, or be extended further to carry an additional fifteen passengers at the cost of a vehicle. While the flight crew has access to Pelicans stored on the hull, they must land in the hangar in order to embark their troops.

Space Configuration
"I maintain that we only made it out because of the pilots of Alpha Flight. If they weren't there to stop those Cerastes, our ship would have surely been gutted."

- Anonymous bridge officer

Rather than being outfitted with an ODST combat element, many Strident-class destroyers had their barracks and vehicle bays retooled to support a limited number of space fighters and drones from the UNSC Naval Aviation. This was due to the worrying reports which proved that many bomber runs were often successful, mainly thanks to the Strident 's anti-fighter weapon placement which left holes in its defense grid. In light of this, as well as the fact the hangar is too small to accommodate some larger gunships and bombers, the embarked fighters are specialized towards dogfighting and interception, while also offering some capabilities for reconnaissance and assisting in aiming the Strident 's weapons.