Valiant-class super-heavy cruiser is here!

What is that ship?

The Valiant-class super-heavy cruiser (sometimes referred to as the Valiant-class battlecruiser[1]) is a capital warship classification in the UNSC Navy.[5] Among the most powerful vessels in the UNSC fleet, one of their primary uses is fleet command and coordination.[2]

Operational history

The Valiant-class super-heavy cruiser was originally drafted by the UNSC Navy as a compromise between a battleship and heavy cruiser.[3][7] However, the class went through years of feasibility studies and redesigns before UNSC Valiant was commissioned and released from her Martian shipyard in 2493. Though the Valiant showed promise during initial testing and evaluation, the high costs and delays in incorporating next-generation fusion drives seemingly doomed further manufacturing of the class. Less than two years later, all commissioned ships of the Valiant class were stricken from the UNSC Navy rolls and partially scrapped. However, the escalating Insurrection ultimately prevented the Valiant class from being a mere footnote in Navy history when it was discovered that the Colonial Military Authority had been infiltrated by Insurrectionist sympathizers in 2497. Converted into fleet command ships, the Valiant class was deployed in expeditionary engagements in the Insurrection, using its tonnage and firepower to augment Navy battle groups.[3]

Vice Admiral Preston Cole commanded the Valiant-class super-heavy cruiser UNSC Everest as his flagship, beginning with the Battle of Harvest in 2526. Over the course of the Human-Covenant War, most notably prior to his last stand at the Battle of Psi Serpentis in 2543, Cole made several modifications to the ship's armament and armor.[5] UNSC Valiant was later attached to the Epsilon Eridani Fleet by the beginning of the Fall of Reach in summer 2552.

After the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War, surviving examples of the Valiant-class cruisers remain actively engaged with humanity's enemies, among them the Banished both during and after the Created uprising. One such vessel was the UNSC Victory of Samothrace, which by 2559 had come under the command of Captain Abigail Cole, the daughter of the fallen Admiral. Under Cole's command, the Samothrace fought with distinction against the Banished who moved in on Earth that same year. Soon after this engagement, the Samothrace led Battle Group Omega during the Battle of Boundary, emerging triumphant but with heavy casualties sustained by her crew. Despite the heavily-damaged ship crashing on Boundary, the UNSC planned to salvage and repair it.[citation needed]

A few words about it design

Despite its designation as a cruiser, the Valiant also bears similarities to a battleship[7] - sacrificing the firepower and armour protection of a full battleship to retain more multi-mission capabilities. In this manner, the Valiant may sometimes be referred to as a battlecruiser.[1]

The Valiant class features fusion drives that were considered next generation at the time of the class' inception, though there were delays in incorporating them.[3] As one of the most powerful warships in the UNSC Navy, these cruisers are capable of holding their own against most opponents.[7] The Valiant class has the tonnage and firepower to augment battle groups composed of smaller warships on patrols, as well as the space to install flag bridge facilities to be commanded by admirals.[3] These flag bridges can be enormous, with two dozen bridge stations used not only to control the ship and its systems, but also to coordinate the activities of the entire battle group. They also have large view screens that stretch from the floor to the ceiling.[5] However, due to resource and crew shortages during the Operation: TREBUCHET[1] and Human-Covenant War, plans to give all Valiant-class cruisers a complete suite of command upgrades were abandoned.[3]

The command versions featured the same armament, but had increased armor and replace most of the troop and smaller craft areas with specialized and command equipment like slipspace communication probe launchers and umbilicals to unload couriers.[1]

The Valiant class continued to see service in the post-Covenant war years with the UNSC Victory of Samothrace incorporating more than 300 improvements on the classic design. This included the most powerful Magnetic Accelerator Cannon configuration ever constructed. The SARISSA-class weapons system was literally designed to be a point-to-point ship killer. Aside from the UNSC Infinity, Valiant class cruisers were the only vessels large enough to carry this type of MAC.[6]