Covenant fleet

Fleets were a mainstay element of the Covenant's interstellar presence. Particularly large fleets or combined fleets were called armadas. Rather than being organized under one naval organization, the Covenant's mainline fleets were spread out under various ministries. Fleets were also regularly operated by regional governments, clans, holy orders, guilds, and other organizations that existed within the Covenant, though few rivaled the power of the ministerial fleets.

This page lists Covenant fleets of some relevance.

Types

 * Ministerial fleets
 * Battle groups - unceremoniously called that by the UNSC but could have an original name
 * Flotillas/smaller-scale formations?
 * Mainline fleets
 * Select fleets
 * Combined fleets


 * Others
 * Commercial / trade fleets
 * Migratory / Peripate fleets (or "caravans")

Numbered fleets
Unlike the fleet organisation employed by the UNSC Navy, the Covenant do not place as clear a distinction in nomenclature between numbered and named fleets. As such, names such as the Second Fleet of Solemn Accord or Third Fleet of Glorious Consequence may be assigned - to an extent - somewhat arbitrarily for various reasons. In general, numbered fleets are named as such as a mark of honour and respect - and can often indicate the fleet has a strong history or legacy.

The Covenant traditionally records in detail, the actions of crews, ships and fleets. Over time, these records become vast traditions and legacies held by a given fleet, detailing in depth the heroics and battles the ships under its grouping took part in. As long as a fleet remains active, these deeds will be added to the record and contribute to its overall history. However, when a fleet is wiped out in war or retired as part of standard demilitarisation practices, the fleet is considered no longer active, though still preserved in the records.

When new conflicts emerge and ships must be built, or old vestiges reactivated, these older fleet names are often chosen for the new units where possible. In such cases, a reactivated fleet will generally inherit the name of its predecessor, and be granted a numeric prefix denoting which iteration the fleet is on. The Third Fleet of Glorious Consequence, for example, has been through two such periods of retirement and reactivation - and has a vast combined legacy dating back many centuries.

This process is never clean-cut, and can often be subject to internal politics within High Charity. Where possible, a newly-activated fleet's name will be dependent on factors such as if the unit contains ships or personnel from older fleets; and whether the older naval traditions of physical infrastructure can be passed down. Failing that, if an upcoming fleet commander descends from the same family line, naval war college or apprenticeship as a commander of old then they may be able to apply for consideration to continue the legacy of an older no-longer-active fleet.

As such, like most things within the empire, fleet naming and assignments are subject to much of the internal petty politics of High Charity. The names of formally dishonoured fleets may be bestowed under the command of particularly unfavourable officers - usually in similarly low-status postings. In more extreme cases, a commander petitioning to reactive the fleet of his ancestors may see their petitioned ships assigned to a fleet predominantly commanded by a rival household or ministry, though such cases are relatively exceptional in Covenant history.

Due to this waxing and waning of fleet units within the Covenant, the oldest fleets may have seen dozens of iterations over the empire's lifespan, with the oldest units in the Covenant's core territory reaching double digit numeration; the highest-known is the Thirty-Second Fleet of Glorious Confluence, which has historically kept watch over Sanghelios and the Sunlit Worlds - though this number is disputed by Sangheili naval historians, depending on which count is used.

Combined fleets
Combined fleets are large armadas formed from multiple separate fleets, formed at the High Council's express orders. This often happens on a temporary basis such as for the duration of a large-scale campaign out of the need to coordinate operations in a given theater. However, combined fleets can also endure semi-permanently or permanently when assigned under the leadership of high-ranking commanders, such as Imperial Admirals. Combined fleets' component elements retain some degree of autonomy and are often given specific tasks. This is especially useful with combined fleets of a multi-ministerial composition, though it was also known to lead to communication difficulties between fleet- and shipmasters due to the Covenant's known issues with internal feuds and rivalries.

Combined Fleet of Righteous Purpose
Commanded by Imperial Admiral Xytan Jar 'Wattinree, tasked to defend the Holy Ecumene's inner spinward marches. Performed various logistical duties during the Human-Covenant War. Annihilated by NOVA bomb in November 2552.

Combined Fleet of Boundless Obeisance
Commanded by Imperial Admiral Gervul Jar 'Shaol, tasked to secure the Covenant's trailing quarter. Led a remote campaign at the time of the Great Schism, later reformed as the navy of a Concord splinter polity.

Combined Fleet of Resplendent Immolation
Organized for the invasion of Reach. Commanded by Supreme Commander Pharil 'Suranee.

Combined Fleet of Igneous Ablution
Organized by the High Prophet of Truth for the invasion of Earth and the preparation for his arrival. First combined fleet to be exclusively led and staffed by Jiralhanae.

Combined Fleet of Virtuous Ascendancy
Organized by the High Council in 2526, following Operation: SILENT STORM and the destruction of Zhoist. This fleet was commanded by Imperial Admiral 'Wattinree prior to 2540, when he was re-assigned to Righteous Purpose. At this time, the Combined Fleet of Virtuous Ascendancy was disbanded and the various Ministerial elements given authorisation to resume the ongoing war as they saw fit.