Strident-class heavy frigate

"Quick, heavy-hitting, and equipped with revolutionary energy shielding, the Strident is the proving ground for the future of the UNSC's naval superiority."

- Aerofabrique marketing spokesperson

The Strident-class light destroyer (: DDL), sometimes misidentified as the Strident-class heavy frigate due to its profile, is a class of heavily-armed, short-ranged warships built for the. Entering service in to rapidly rebuild the depleted, the Strident represents the culmination of everything learned from captured  technology. Sporting the strongest ever fitted onto a ship of its size, the Strident is designed to be easy to build and act as a rapid-response vessel, bringing its heavy firepower to any battlefield that requires it.

The Strident first entered service just before the Siege of Sol, when not even a month after christening the prototypes were pressed into combat above and. Proving that humanity had finally created a line warship capable of matching the capabilities of their equivalents, the Strident would quickly enter mass-production once the war was over. Its raw power overshadowed its design issues, and within a few years would become one of the most common ships in the revitalised UNSC fleet. Its success would inspire an entire line of post-war designs, with the Deliverance-class assault frigate acting as it's troop-carrier variant, the Pikeman-class light frigate developed for fleet support, and the for general patrol duties.

Development
The Strident-class light destroyer was originally developed in a two year period between and. It was designed alongside the LONGBOW program, which was their attempt to miniaturise and improve upon MAC technology, and the  Project AEGIS, which attempted to reverse-engineer the Covenant's energy shielding. Both programs were backed by Aerofabrique in an attempt to guarantee first access to whatever they produce. New concepts were directly integrated into the destroyer over the course of its development, with support and changes occurring even after the first Stridents were launched.

The design team was led by Doctor Anders Duibhshíthe, a middle-aged designer who had historically struggled in the field of starship design. After studying previous models of frigates, Duibhshíthe came to the conclusion that they suffered three primary weaknesses:
 * 1) Durability: Every model of frigate currently in service had less than a metre thickness of hull plating. It has been observed that their armour is vulnerable to even some models of Covenant . This made it useless against even the lightest ship-to-ship weapons employed by the Covenant, made worse with their superstructure being unable to take hits.
 * 2) Existing weapons: Excluding their MACs, the primary weapons used by frigates - and indeed nearly every model of human warships - were missiles. Their continued use even after being proven to be highly-ineffective against Covenant countermeasures means that a huge amount of firepower is being wasted.
 * Age: With the exception of the, all classes of frigates were over thirty years in age and were not at all optimised for fighting a superior enemy. This led to a shockingly-low survival rate.

As a result of this study, Duibhshíthe stressed that the new frigate had to place as little emphasis on missiles as possible, replacing it instead with a larger MAC and more powerful naval coilguns. Endurance was stripped as the reactor was tuned to provide as much power as possible, and automation was added to reduce crew capacity where possible. Unfortunately, when news of new  - a direct competitor to Aerofabrique's new product - had begun production in  they pressured Duibhshíthe to finish up development so it can be unveiled to the UNSC. When he declined, he was hastily sacked and his second-in-command Josip Aaltink was put in charge. Although brilliant, Aaltink was inexperienced and untested. As a result, many of the UNSC Strident 's issues - it's over-reliance on oversized weaponry, vulnerability to smaller attack craft and issues with construction - could be directly blamed on him. However, as humanity was desperate, it was allowed to be sent off to the UNSC for approval.

The lead ship alongside a small number of sister-ships were ordered by the UNSC Navy for testing, who desired any edge they could get over the Covenant. While undergoing construction at Aerofabrique's drydock between and  in mid-, issues arose when fabricating the frigate's Sapphire-Graphene frame, which was difficult to hammer into shape. As a result, it was substituted with traditional where possible. This exchange saw the first light destroyer, the UNSC Strident, being launched in January 2552, about a month earlier than what was scheduled.

Siege of Sol
Despite being launched almost a year before the, the UNSC Strident and her sisters were still undergoing their rigorous space trials by the time of the. With discovery now imminent, the UNSC Admiralty looked to accelerate the development of all assets they had. Every warship currently undergoing testing had the procedure accelerated to the point where the officers commissioned vessels that could fly and shoot. This lead to the UNSC Strident being formally commissioned on, more than half a year before their planned date. Other ships had it worse - the UNSC Audacity was launched and commissioned within a single month, entering the only battle it participated in while its paint was drying and shields were calibrating. Despite these efforts, between ten to seventeen warships were deployed when the entered the Sol system.

Layout
"It looks like a frigate, and it's built like a frigate, but it ain't no frigate - we finally have something crossed the border into destroyer territory."

- Anonymous naval assessor.

Despite borrowing many design elements from previous models of frigates, including the dual forward prongs, external bridge, and engines protected by flanking armour shields, the Strident deviates enough that it no longer qualifies as a frigate. Specifications-wise, it shares more with destroyers than any class of frigate, and even structurally resembles destroyers much more with its contracted superstructure - a design trait that minimises target profile and maximises durability at the cost of volume.

At the front of the prongs are clusters of antennae and dishes for the sensor and communications package, with all the vital computer processors hidden behind the thickest amount of armour on the destroyer. These combine a passive- and active-detection RADAR, a focused LIDAR electro-telescope, a microwave short-range transmitter and - a first for a UNSC ship - a supraluminal communications antenna. Behind the sensor processors on the top prong is the warship's primary targeting computers, which are backed up elsewhere by two other less-powerful computers. Running along the bottom prong is the ship's primary MAC, which is enhanced on both externally and internally by capacitors to store excess energy to allow for the faster firing of the MAC. Running in parallel to it on the opposite side of the Strident is its habitation and rest-and-relaxation deck. This has gotten a number of complaints for three main reasons; it is cramped for permanent living, it is further away from the rest of the ship, and shockingly, only ten three-man escape pods are mounted in this section. These are being addressed in the Strident 's second block. Running above it is a direct-access maintenance shaft that has been hollowed-out to act as a makeshift cargo-bay.

On the bottom in the centre of the Strident is the ship's SOEIV launch tubes, which is arranged in four rows of thirteen. Each silo is double-stacked with pods, equalling up to fifty-two pods that are usually carried, with all capable of being launched at once. In the centre of the destroyer is an oversized fly-through hangar that usually carries two or escorting. The darker centre section isn't as well-armoured as the rest of the ship in an effort to keep mass to a minimum. Just forward of the hangar on top are the destroyer's complement of nuclear missiles, which are laid lengthways against the hull prior to launch. A massive observation room with a central raised platform directly overlooks the nuclear silos. Flanking this on both sides are the destroyer's six. These are poorly-placed; they can only protect the warship if the projectiles come from the vector on the sides or the top. Paired alongside these are four of the destroyer's, with the front two being outfitted with two on each turret to augment the Ramparts. The back pair are offset inwards to ensure they can fire directly forwards and backwards without being obstructed by the forward turrets, and are also fitted with software to prevent them from firing on any point of the superstructure.

Just slightly further-back is the destroyer's external bridge. It is divided into two levels, with two more minor ones for maintenance. The larger upper floor supporting the primary bridge and the lower one housing the independent stations which do not usually require the captain's attention, such as the tactical command centre for squadrons and ground troops. The bridge is designed to mimic those on earlier frigates and destroyers, although in a much more spacious area. The helmsmen and fire control still sit at the front of the bridge, with the captain sitting in a chair directly behind them. The chair has a wireless link designed to connect to the captain's authorised, which then projects any data they desire onto their retinas for viewing. A massive holotable lies behind them, which is surrounded by rails to keep visitors out of the rest of the bridge. The one-and-a-half-metre spacing around the table is capable of comfortably accommodating a whole squad of thirteen without intruding on the rest of the bridge space. On the sides are stations for damage control, communications, sensors, countermeasures and power allocation, and electronic warfare. Thanks to the extensive automation on these ships, each officer wields an incredible amount of control that is impossible on previous ships, capable of tuning their specific field to perfection. In addition, although unlikely, the Strident 's bridge module is capable of detaching from the mothership to act as an oversized escape pod, complete with its own miniaturised. Should the bridge be knocked out, a secondary emergency CIC is fitted deep within the bowels of the destroyer.

Running parallel to the bridge at the very bottom of the Strident is its forward launch bays. Arranged in two levels with a total of eight racks of five each, this can deploy forty operators and their equipment within seconds of arrival above a planet. A second launch bay located beneath the reactor can accommodate a further twenty or even thirty pods, although this is normally reserved for the deployment of weapons and vehicles.

Role
The Strident-class destroyer is designed to augment UNSC fleets and defensive clusters with heavy MAC fire support, either by directly contending with enemy warships or delivering fatal rounds from behind the front lines. Its comparatively-thin hull is outweighed by its energy shielding, making it more resilient to damage. The shielding is so effective that some commanders order these destroyers to intercept plasma torpedoes and missiles heading for the fleet's valuable cruiser without any fear that they may be damaged at all. Their heavy MACs make for excellent weapons against even larger battlecruisers, while their superior speed makes them effective counters against other frigates when at range. Their superior armour, thicker than any other model of frigate, means that even without shields they are still a viable threat to most aggressors. However, their lack of resilience without shields means that it's advised that they fall back to take up a fire support role.

The Strident can also be deployed as a short-range defence ship, not unlike a heavy corvette. The Strident only has an operational range of two months travel, as it only has enough fuel for a maximum of four months of travel without resupply. To assist this, it has an advanced slipspace drive which can allow it to reach hundreds of lightyears per day, greatly increasing their range. It can use its cutting-edge sensor array to detect stealth vessels, as well as perform deep scans on freighters that may be carrying illicit goods. Similarly, despite its small troop-carrying capabilities it can act as a means of deploying an advance force on hotly-contested worlds, using its shields to tank huge amounts of fire and dropping up to sixty or  to pacify hostile outposts or conduct sabotage before better-equipped transports arrive.

Weaknesses and Counter-Tactics
As evidenced by its single-mindedness to combat, the Strident is not without its faults. It exhibits a vulnerability to smaller attack craft such as corvettes, frigates, and aircraft, thanks to its weapon positioning which creates a weapons blind-spot on the belly and aft. As it lacks a sufficient arsenal of missiles, this means that catching it off-guard from the back or the sides leaves it at a particular disadvantage as it attempts to bring its bow to bear. The two banks of point-defence guns are angled towards the front, provide great coverage on the bow and sides, but not so much in the other directions. This ensured that bombers could just stay out of their cone of fire while they unload their payload; enough casualties were taken that later blocks had several pods of Streak missiles installed to contend with such a threat.

In addition, a key weakness is its range. Whereas previous models of frigates could patrol for almost a year at a time, the Strident must require a base to refuel from for longer journeys. As a result, they are more likely to withdraw from protracted campaigns, and during this state, they can be chased down and eliminated, or even boarded, by older warships. For these operations, they must operate alongside a fuel tanker; the destruction of this is often enough to force a battlegroup of these destroyers to leave the engagement area. Similarly, Stridents do suffer from a lack of sufficient ammunition storage, which furthers limits their ability to dedicate themselves to a lengthy battle.

Columbia-class destroyer leader
The Columbia subclass was designed to serve as a flagship for flotillas composed of other destroyer-grade vessels. The redesign included additional armour and completely redesigned decks, storage areas, and crew dwellings, made possible through the removal of unnecessary structures and design elements. This redesign allowed for additional storage of vehicles, cargo, and men, allowing for up to three platoons of Marines, two platoons of ODSTs, and a single Spartan fireteam. There is only currently one destroyer with the Columbia-configuration, the.

First Revision: 2558
Occurring more than six years after the Strident 's introduction into service, the first revision aimed to fix several serious flaws with the class, mainly regarding its vulnerability in direct combat against smaller opponents and fragility when its shields are down.
 * Armament is augmented with ten pods of M58 "Archer" general-purpose missiles and twenty-four pods of M340A4 "Streak" anti-aircraft missiles. Missile capacity is increased to 642 from 52.
 * Mark 57 Arena targeting computers are upgraded to allow each individual turret to fire independently.
 * The frame is modified to utilise the original Sapphire-Graphene columns rather than TR steel for the destroyer's beam, increasing strength. In addition, superstructural supports have been tweaked to more efficiently increase durability.