Hyperion-class destroyer

"They're the perfect wolfpack ship - fast enough to keep up with scouting corvettes, modular enough to quickly respond to new threats, and deadly enough to overwhelm any threat they encounter."

- Anonymous UNSC crewman.

The Hyperion-class destroyer, later dubbed by sailors as the pocket destroyer because of it's small size, is a next-generation destroyer utilised by the  in the last decade of the. Introduced as a cheaper, more effective warship to relieve the UNSC's aging fleet, the Hyperion is a response to the combat data of its predecessor, the. Possessing heavier armaments and more advanced technologies, the Hyperion is capable of being easily built at any shipyard rated for building frigates. While it's true they are not as durable and lack the endurance displayed by previous destroyers, they make up for this with a modular design that allows them to be quickly refitted to counter new threats. As a result, it was not uncommon for these ships to also be serving in anti-starfighter and support roles as well as supplementing existing destroyers in escort roles.

Key to the Hyperion 's success lies mainly in two fields; it's size and larger-than-average. By shedding off some of the armour and redundant superstructure of its predecessor, the Hyperion is able to reduce it's weight by nearly five hundred thousand tonnes and correspondingly reduce its target profile. This already increases its speed by a large margin, which is further enhanced by three massive fusion reactors. These allow it to support not only more powerful propulsion systems, but also allow it to utilise more than previously thought possible. These two strengths ensured that a battlegroup of Hyperions could evade more shots and dish out more damage at range than even larger ships.

First deployed in, the Hyperion would see some early action, yet issues with it's streamlined supports and power output would limit production until after. Constructed alongside other 'frankenships' - warships which are hastily outfitted with any available starship component - they would serve in only a number of campaigns centred around human colonies thanks to their short operational range. However, continued development would see the Hyperion reach and surpass all areas of the Halberd, and would become the main destroyer of the UNSC after 2576.