User:SPARTAN 119/Bombard-class Heavy Guided Missile Cruiser

The is a large aquatic missile platform used by the UNSC "Wet Navy" from the 2499 to the 2560s. In fact, the Bombard-class was larger than the Japanese Yamato-class battleships of the Second World War. The vessel was designed in the line of the [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirov_class_battlecruiser] of the late 20th and early 21st century, as a large surface combatant armed with 325 missiles of various types designed to engage a variety of targets, including aircraft, "wet" naval vessels, land installations, and even orbiting spacecraft. In spite of its large size, the Bombard-class could be transported from planet to planet by a UNSC spaceborne cruiser, though in a dismantled state.

Insurrection
The Bombard-class first saw action in 2502, when, after gaining control of a coastal dry dock on a URF-controlled planet, a Bombard-class vessel was delivered by a UNSC Halcyon-class cruiser and deployed as part of a "shock and awe" campaign against the rebels.

Human-Covenant War
During the battle of Harvest, three Bombard-class cruisers proved effective against attack Covenant aircraft, including Banshees, Spirits, Vampires, Phantoms, and even Seraph fighters due to the sheer number of surface-to-air missiles that could be deployed from the ship. The Bombard-classes also proved admirable in a ground strike role, however, the conventional anti-capital ship missiles, similar to Archer missiles, proved to be of little value against shielded Covenant spacecraft. Nuclear surface-to-orbit missiles were capable of disabling shields and destroying unshielded vessels, however, the Bombard-class and other wet naval surface vessels were easy targets for Covenant glassing attacks, meaning that most successful sea-to-orbit missile attacks were attributed to Tigershark-class Ballistic Missile Submarines.

The Bombard-class did, however, proved to be somewhat effective in the battles of Reach and Earth, where large Covenant ground forces were deployed and, in the case of Earth, the Covenant avoided using glassing attacks. Cruise missile strikes from Bombard-class vessels were used against Covenant ground forces in battles around Reach, including the Battles of Viery and New Alexandria. During the Battle of Earth, Bombard-class vessels participated in a numerous engagements, including the battles for North America, Europe, and East Asia, most notably in Japan.

Ships of the Line
UNSC Bombard UNSC Carronade UNSC Culverin UNSC Howitzer UNSC Gustav UNSC Hwatcha UNSC Katyusha UNSC Steel Rain UNSC Uragan