Phoenix-class colony ship

From Halo: Daybreak

Phoenix-class
HaloWars-SOF-Space.jpg
Production information

Naval architect:

VADM Shauna Glasgow

Manufacturer:

  • Halifax Spacewerx, Luna
  • Jovian Superheavy Drydock, Jupiter

Role:

Transportation of terraforming equipment and colonists

Class before:

Odyssey-class colony ship

Class after:

Jormungandr-class arkship

Subclasses:

Illiad-class superfreighter

Hull classification symbol:

MVC: civilian colony ship

Technical specifications

Type:

Colony ship

Length:

2,500 meters (8,200 ft)

Width:

800 meters (2,600 ft)

Height:

689 meters (2,260 ft)

Mass:

30 million metric tons

Atmosphere rated:

Zenostium antigravity plating

Power plant:

Fusion reactor

Engine(s):

6 PGM's Mammoth-XIX fusion drives

Slipspace drive:

OKB Karman 11E SFTE (CODEN-III)

Slipspace speed:

1.1 lightyears/day

Hull:

Heat-resistant ceramic plating

Embarked force:

  • 10 D20 Herons
  • Colony-starter units
  • Prefabricated buildings
  • 1,000 security personnel

Complement:

3,500

Passengers:

6,500

Other system(s):

  • 1 Traxus' SBF-9981/m factory unit
  • 1 Traxus' SBR-412/m deuterium fuel refinery
Chronological and affiliation

Era:

Building range:

2421-2482

Service range:

2425-2557

Affiliation:

UEG

 
"The end of an age. Almost 140 years after they were first laid down, the last of the pre-war colony ships has finally been retired from service. The venerable Triskelion was an enduring icon of the Pax Humana, seeding nearly a dozen distinct worlds and establishing hundreds of habitation stations throughout space. Her databanks still contain entries that reference the brightest - and the darkest - years of our spacefaring history."
— Newsanchor Julita Ryba, reporting on the announced scrapping of the UNSC Triskelion.

The Phoenix-class colony ship was a classification of colony ships that were operated by both the United Earth Government and the Colonial Administration Authority. It was the most successful class of its type since the launch of the Odyssey-class in the 24th century.

Specifications[edit | edit source]

The Phoenix-class colony ship was one of the first large starship lines to incorporate zenostium paragravity plating, which provided true artificial gravity to its passengers and crew. This had huge ramifications on its overall design, such as orienting its decks lengthways rather than aligned with its direction of thrust, and early examples required a larger fusion reactor to sustain their operation for extended periods. Initially, these plates were only installed in major passageways, workstations, and some of the cargo-bays where they were deemed to be useful, so all other rooms needed to take into account zero-G movement. As the cost decreased, they were eventually applied to the entire ship, and were organized into primary, secondary, and tertiary networks for power-saving purposes.

Variants[edit | edit source]

Iliad-class superfreighter[edit | edit source]

SotP-Iliad-heavyCarrier.png

The Iliad-class superfreighters were extremely-large container ships that reused many components and hull structures found on the Phoenix-class. Measuring between 2.8 to 3 kilometers in length, their design was one that maximized internal space, with a bloated keel and continuous spine. As their purpose is so single-minded, a crew as small as 300 people is enough for optimal operation, which varies depending on the requirements and operating procedures of their owner. However, they lacked antigravity plates and so were restricted to spatial travel.

Introduced in 2461, the Iliad-class has been adopted by both private shipping companies and government-owned organizations, moving between major trade centers that can accommodate their immense size. Those owned by the UEG or CAA have large databanks installed to carry messages and cultural articles throughout Human Space. Although fairly cheap considering their tonnage, by the dawn of the 26th century they were considered slow with high operating costs, thanks to their use of old, inefficient fusion reactors. Enough remained that by the start of the Human-Covenant War, they were pressed into service with the UNSC Navy. The majority were refitted into heavy carriers or troop transports, and received standardized upgrades that gave them 350mm of armor and armed them with two light MACs, 24 quad turrets of M112 Viper naval coilguns, 24 pods of M42 Archer missiles, and 20 M810 Helix point defense guns. These ships also received distinctive shield plates at the front to protect the bridge and vulnerable sensor and communications equipment. The last Iliad was destroyed in 2539, rendering the class extinct.

Military refits[edit | edit source]

A number of Phoenix-class colony ships, reclassified as Phoenix-class support ships and given the hull classification symbol of "CFV", were procured for military service in the UNSC Navy during the Insurrection. They were all unique ships even within their own class, with each being modified to specialize into an urgently-needed role. Each ship was phased out as soon as a purpose-built replacement entered service, though this practice ceased with the beginning of the Human-Covenant War.

Designated as Phoenix-class support ships, all of these vessels received a number of standardized upgrades that better improved them for military service. They were protected to basic levels, with titanium-A1 battleplate fitted that varied in thickness between 350 and 900 millimeters, and a battery of obsolete M800 Rampart 40mm point defense guns mounted in quad turrets could fight off both missiles and light fighters. A small network of anti-ship missile pods, using one of the Archer models or M280 Ares, gave them a minimal ability to fend off enemy warships. A suite of active countermeasures, composed of Mark 371 Universal Countermeasure and Decoy Launchers and emergency thrusters, was also fitted. While the reactor and engines were usually left untouched at first, an auxiliary fusion reactor provided power for all the new electrical systems. Minor improvements usually included an enhanced communications array, the installation of a command-and-control deck used for coordinating fighters and ground troops, and modifications to the factory and refinery units so they could operate while the ship was underway. Later in the Human-Covenant War, all remaining vessels would receive a MAC to give them some sort of protection against Covenant ships.

History[edit | edit source]

Known ships[edit | edit source]

Name Hull Classification Symbol Commissioned Destroyed Notes
Phoenix-class
CAA Phoenix MVC-148 September 9, 2425 January 1, 2449 Lead ship of the class.
CAA First Reverie MVC-157 2427 2461 Part of the first batch of colony ships.
CAA Skidbladnir MVC-185 2431 2468 Dismantled to colonize Harvest.
UNSC Spirit of Fire CFV-88 2473 February 10, 2534 Purchased and refitted by the UNSC Navy in 2520, disappeared following the Battle of Arcadia in 2531. Announced missing in action in 2534.
UNSC Treskelion CFV-91 May 19, 2481 N/A Sole Phoenix-class colony ship to survive the Human-Covenant War, initially sold for scrapping, but later sold to various owners as a mobile habitat and freighter.
Iliad-class
CAA Iliad MSV-8102 July 22, 2461 2486 Lead ship of the class, scrapped.