Standard fleetship program

The Standard fleetship program (SFP) is a special shipbuilding project conducted by SinoViet Heavy Machinery that resulted in four classes of frigates and two classes of destroyers for the UNSC Navy and the now-defunct CMA Navy. First ordered in 2489, the vessels spawned by the program would result in some of the most widespread and successful warship lines in human history, with over 3,500 vessels built and commissioned between 2496 and 2553. Ship classes spawned by the program would initially be known as a Standard-Type Warship or simply Standard Frigate, although over time this nickname saw less and less use as they replaced all other models of frigate in the UNSC Navy.

The standard fleetship program is an evolution of naval doctrine, which sought to homogenize the humanity's medium-tonnage vessels. By encouraging conformity in terms of rough capabilities, specifications, and operational requirements, a mixed flotilla of standard-type warships would be cheaper and faster to build, have a lower upkeep, and able to concentrate their strength into more types of missions than a conventional flotilla of preexisting ship designs. In addition, the shared parts would grant the option for the unit to donate non-essential or redundant systems to their damaged peers, either to repair them ahead of another battle or to allow the starship to make it back to a naval base for repairs. Variations in terms of shape, size, and offensive and defensive systems are allowed, which ensured that specialization could still be applied to individual ship classes, although these tended to be somewhat less effective in their niches when compared to 'unrestricted' vessels. All ships affected by this doctrine are universally upgraded during a single generational refit, although incremental improvements have been outfitted to various vessels the later they were constructed.

First-Generation
The First-Generation of standard-type warships, commissioned between 2494 and 2498 was generally regarded as a being the loosest in terms of overall conformity. As many of these were ordered as test ships, the shipwrights were given considerable freedom with modifying the designs to their own whims, with the parts being ordered by the local SinoViet branch office. This was somewhat encouraged by two factors: firstly, SinoViet were still deciding on the exact components and weapon systems that they would move forward with, and secondly, the company planned for the frigates to be 'mission-fitted' with ordnance pods that consisted of entire new extensions to the hull. The latter would utilize a series of unified hardpoints to allow for even an aging ship to be specialized with the latest ordnance pods at any shipyard, with the process being quick and easy enough to allow the UNSC to build their tactics around the system. By the turn of the new century, however, all of the key details were locked in.

The most immediate change compared to later warships is the complete lack of the twin booms that would later be iconic to these ships, with long flat spaces in their place. This was where the ordnance pods were supposed to be fitted, although issues with storage, development, and the UNSC's slow adoption would see most ships never being installed with such a system. Most other requirements were more technical, which consisted of the following:
 * Standardized cruising speed.
 * Internal components were encouraged to be shared between classes, although no requirements were set.
 * Atmospheric thrusters for atmospheric operations, with parity in performance.
 * Crew limit of 250 sailors.
 * Accommodations for at least a company of UNSC Marines, as well as additional room for their dropships and vehicles.

Both armament and active defense systems were not addressed, as the spike in weapons development meant that there were a wide variety of models available for their choosing. Of the two classes developed, only the Charon-class frigate was armed with the M58 Archer missile system that would be adopted by the rest of the UNSC fleet. Similarly, older combat jamming systems were proving to be increasingly ineffective against the latest guided missiles, with the increasingly-potent naval coilguns likely making such systems effectively obsolete. As a result, SinoViet wisely chose to leave such requirements for the second generation of standard-type vessels, waiting until the UNSC's own tests yielded results on the best weapons they wanted to use.

Second-Generation
The Second-Generation of fleetships were commissioned between late-2498 and 2519, and was the first phase where all previous and newly-built starships were required to be built with a set of required components. It was originally intended to be unveiled exactly ten years since the program first began, although the launch of the and pressure from the UNSC Navy forced it to be implemented years before it was ready. Vessels built during this phase were slower than their predecessors, although they carried such significantly more powerful and capable weaponry that they outgunned many older destroyers, which led to the UNSC classifying all ships built as heavy frigates at their introduction. While the components used were notably primitive thanks to their rushed development, which would be rectified later on into their lifespan, they would eventually evolve into systems found in widespread use decades later. Thanks to the stress-testing of their manufacturing plants in the previous phase, 680 frigates would be mass-produced by SinoViet's drydocks, which would replace the obsolete First Generation and many contemporary frigates of the time.

The common characteristics consisted of the following, on top of the previous:
 * All ships were armed with a single Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, with the infrastructure attached in place of the unsuccessful mission pods. Unlike later vessels, these used a lighter but faster 150-ton slug as ammunition.
 * M58 Archer missiles were the main armament, although these were organized into cells with up to 10 missiles each.
 * Power was supplied by Naoto Technologies' V3/L fusion reactors. In addition, they must use 70% of their rated power output or less at introduction.
 * Standards for turning radius were enforced.
 * 30% of all components were to be shared between ship classes.

List of Second-Generation ship classes

 * Flight II

Third-Generation
Introduced in 2520, this project would be the last time that the ships would be updated en-masse prior to the Covenant War, and bring all affected vessels up to their most common specifications. It followed a massive period of naval modernization and expansion, largely thanks to 'cold' fusion reactors being adopted by all military shipbuilding companies. Unlike previous projects, this phase would modify the affected vessels with systems now widely adopted by the rest of the UNSC. Third-Generation vessels would be built between 2520 and 2537, with their commissioning overlapping somewhat with Fourth-Generation craft.

Characteristics common to this group include:
 * MACs were updated to fire projectiles exceeding 600-tons in mass.
 * Power was supplied by Naoto Technologies' V4/L fusion reactors.
 * M58 Archer missiles were organized into pods of 30 missiles, with 5 launch cells per pod.
 * All warships would utilize Mark 371 Universal Countermeasure and Decoy Launchers as part of their active defense system.
 * Framework standards would be implemented, which ensured that the same TR steel supports could be used across all affected classes.

List of Third-Generation ship classes

 * Flight III and IV
 * Flight II and III
 * Flight II and III

Fourth-Generation
Commissioned between 2535 and 2548, the Fourth-Generation of fleetships incorporated a huge suite of changes that were directly informed by lessons learned in the war. The unprecedented loss in naval vessels - far exceeding even ONI's worst predictions at the conflict's beginning - meant that it was clear that ships would be lost. As a result, these ships prioritized production speed and resilience to damage, not with armor but by adding more damage-control systems and redundant systems. Mid-war advancements were incorporated in hopes of increasing their effectiveness, although this only had marginal success.

This order was partially hated by naval personnel, and cemented the bad reputation the classes would embody. Although sailor's tales of frigates being put together with pieces of mismatching ships were highly exaggerated, it was true that many shipyards did not build these ships to specifications. Usually this led to the ships being crudely finished, with paintwork often left incomplete and the interior panels having burrs and marks from industrial equipment. However, there were cases where shipwrights excluded vital structural supports, or used laminated armor plating that offered far inferior protection. So poorly built were they that it was not uncommon for a frigate to fail even the dangerously-short UNSC trials, and had to be taken back into dock for additional strengthening.

Characteristics common to this group include:
 * Mark IV MACs made up their primary armament.
 * Titanium-A2 battleplate formed the primary protection.
 * Spaceframes, hull plates, and interior spaces were simplified, requiring fewer superstructural blocks, less precise techniques to build, and used cheaper and more abundant materials.
 * Power was supplied by Naoto Technologies' V5/L fusion reactors.
 * Propulsion was provided by OKB Karman 56K fusion drives.
 * Damage-control systems were greatly expanded.
 * Automation was drastically increased, dropping manpower requirements down to 250 men.

List of Fourth-Generation ship classes

 * Flight V
 * Flight II
 * Flight IV
 * Flight I
 * Flight I