Autumn-class cruiser

The Autumn-class cruiser (hull classification symbol: C) is a general-purpose capital ship manufactured by SinoViet Heavy Machinery for the UNSC Navy.

Development and construction
The Autumn-class cruiser was a co-project initiated when SinoViet Heavy Machinery's Reach branch was given the contract to refit the aging Halcyon-class cruiser, the UNSC Pillar of Autumn, with the necessary capabilities to undertake Operation: RED FLAG. The goal was to create a comprehensive layout of the ships, which would allow not only for other surviving vessels to receive the same improvements at some point, but also to document many of the Reyes-McLees Corporation's trade secrets present in its design. A copy of the design was then experimented with and improved by SinoViet engineers based on feedback from the refit program, and previous experience with work on the second generation of Halcyon-class cruisers. By 2552, the ship known in-house as the Flight IV Halcyon bore little to its peers, with its hull being completely refurbished and streamlined to ease fabrication.

Following the ceasefire of March 2553, SinoViet submitted the modified design to the UNSC Department of Naval Construction as a candidate for a new classification of cruiser, and would be first company to submit any design for a new line of warships. Initially, they found the submitted plans wanting, disappointed that it did not integrate any of the technologies they wished to move forward with - for example, counter-plasma countermeasures, Series-VI CODENs for slipspace drives, and reversed-engineered Covenant components. Rather than abandon it, SinoViet's suggestion to use the ships as a stopgap model that would bolster the UNSC's fleet prior to the deployment of next-generation cruisers was taken into consideration. This would be accepted, as analysts predicted even the first of the new submissions developed by Reyes-McLees could not enter service until 2565 at the earliest; meanwhile, SinoViet claimed that their new cruisers, christened the Autumn-class, could be commissioned by 2556. This ensured that the UNSC would have brand-new ships launched immediately after the last entered service.

One of the more controversial elements was SinoViet's decision to scrap the Halcyon-class cruisers and build the new Autumn-class from scratch. This process bypassed the expensive partial-disassembly and gutting process that was required to refit massive changes such as new reactors and power distribution network. It also allowed all new ships to be built near-identically to one-another, allowing the entire line to be upgraded with the exact same improvements using the same installation techniques; indeed, a number of cruisers were refitted immediately after being commissioned. Certain components and structural bracing was recycled for the Autumn-class, but these were not included in the first four ships.

Configurations
Unlike the Halcyon-class cruisers that preceded it, the Autumn-class cruiser is built with a somewhat less-durable but more modular design. All across the starship are a large number of empty storerooms, maintenance airlocks, and power distribution sockets that are organised in a standardised orientation, which allows SinoViet to quickly and easily fit the infrastructure for extended components. New weapon systems, self-defence arrays, and even mission-specific hardware can be effortlessly installed and reconfigured at any given naval base. Because of this, the Autumn-class has a number of specialised configurations that differ in firepower, carrying capacity, and supportive abilities.


 * Orbital assault/strike: Widely considered the 'vanilla' configuration, the orbital assault/strike set-up is designed to maximise the cruiser's forward firepower and deploy a fast, hard-hitting ground element. The four Mark 40 Spitfires are positioned directly in front of the secondary fusion drives in pairs, which allows them to collectively target a single ship, but restricts their field of fire. The hangar has been retooled to support the launch of ten D82-EST Darters and up to twelve gunships, as well as allocating space for additional blast-protected munitions for both its ODSTs and aerial wing. The micro-satellite and reconnaissance drone complement has also doubled.
 * Escort: Another common sight, these cruisers are used when they are likely to confront massed hostiles or better protect a nearby ally. The Spitfires are better spaced around the ship to provide better firing arcs, and a total of twenty-four M870 Rampart point defence guns are there to protect the mothership from missiles. Two squadrons of C712 Longsword, as well as an assortment of other space fighters, are typically carried at the cost of its ground complement.
 * Attack: Based upon the original specifications for the Pillar of Autumn, the attack version is designed to vastly augment the cruiser's firepower. Four more Spitfires, eighteen M910 Ramparts and cells for heavy missiles such as Bident missiles are installed. To protect itself, two shield generators and an assortment of Universal Countermeasure and Decoy Launchers can be activated at a moment's notice. The MAC may be upgraded with additional slug storage and multi-shot capability, although both of these will cut into its hangar storage.