Howler missile

Howler missiles were a type of anti-shipping missile originally developed by the Colonial Military Authority, and later adopted into UNSC service. They were manufactured by the

Description
Entering service in 2483 as the UNSC-CMA Cold War intensified, the Howler missile system was an early model of what would become the general-purpose missile. It came about as a result of a reassessment of the CMA's arsenal during the 2470s, when it became clear that the only missile capable of adequately penetrating Titanium-A battleplate was the Ares missile. Although powerful, the substantial size and expense meant that it was concerned that the Ares may prove vulnerable to interceptors and point defence systems. As a result, the CMA Navy began investing in a dedicated weapon for this purpose.

Considered a counterpart to the later M58 Archer, the Howlers were somewhat smaller munitions, being roughly three-quarters of the size. They also carried substantially less powerful warheads, good enough to breach light applications of armour but thoroughly unsuitable for use against anything approaching the main protection. Indeed, the CMA didn't view these as effective anti-shipping missiles at all. Instead, they were intended as specialist "crippling" munitions to weaken an enemy opponent with a thousand cuts before the CMA finishes them off with Ares missiles. In light of this, Howlers were incredibly fast and agile, with oversized engines and generous reaction mass storage. They would be launched in their dozens if not hundreds in order to overwhelm enemy point defence screens, and use sensitive RADAR detectors and surgical guidance computers to home in on their assigned targets. These all involved exposed systems that couldn't be put behind thick armour belts, such as the point defence guns, sensor arrays, and command bridges.

Ultimately, the light construction and weak warhead of the Howler meant that it was considered an ineffective missile against Covenant energy shielding. This, coupled with the size-restricted warhead options, meant that by 2537 the UNSC had phased out the Howler line in favour of the M58 Archer. Small orders were, however, still made by multiple planetary defence forces who either preferred the system or had acquired ex-CMA warships during the organisation's downfall.

The missile pods used by the Howlers were the specifically-designed Mark 72 missile pod. Arranged in a circular formation, it had six silos and usually came with an 18-missile magazine, although this varied greatly. What's unique about the system was that it used the same dimensions as the Mark 71 Ares missile silo, which allowed for easy conversion of ships between Ares and Howler arsenals, at least while under construction in the shipyards.

M95 Howler
The initial production model, the M95 Howler was a somewhat longer missile that possessed superior range but inferior performance. They were also notably lightly-built, and had a rupture their reaction mass tanks if beaten around while in storage. Although effective during their heyday, the elderly RADAR receivers used for the missile's targeting could be easily spoofed by newer countermeasures.

M96 Howler
The standard model during the Insurrection, the M96 Howler rectified the problems found in the M95 model, and was a shorter overall system with superior agility, durability, and was far more precise in its targeting.