The C701 Razor-class Interceptor was the first iteration of the highly renowed C7 starfighter series, which includes the C709 Longsword, C710 Broadsword-class Heavy Starfighter, and C711 Cutlass Fighter. The C701 was created in 2159, and was deployed for the first time in 2160, during the Jovian Moons Campaign. The Razor was highly effective, outstripping the Frieden fightercraft, earning itself a permanent nitch in the UN fighter corps. Two years later, in 2162, the Razor was deployed again in the Rainforest wars as air support for UN troops on the ground, but this time as the main fightercraft of the UN. After performance levels increased with Mk. 2 upgrades, it kept it's role as primary fighter craft of the UN. In 2163, the UN used the Razor during the Argyre Planitia Campaign, and no other fightercraft were used. The Frieden and Koslovic fighters still could not keep up with these lighting fast and hard to take down fighters. As a result, the UN fighter pilots had a ratio of 1:6; for every single UN pilot taken down, six Koslovic or Frieden fighters were destroyed. This led to unprecedented air supiorority in favor of the UN. The Razor remained in active service until 2179, when it was replaced by the C702 Kris fighter. By this time, the UN, now the UNSC, had created a contract with the makers of the C7 series. This agreed to UNSC use of the C7s for two hundred years.
The C701 was armed with a 65mm Eight Barrelled Rotary Cannon; light by comparison to the Longsword or Broadsword, which use 110mms and 180mms, respectively, but for the time, it was high. It also carried twelve ASGM-3 Missiles, standard issue fighter explosives that were powerful for the time. In addition, it was optional for the C701 to carry two Scimitar tactical Nuclear weapons, relatively clean bombs that were the first warheads able to be used in vacuum. Unlike most fighters of its time, the C701 excelled in vacuum combat, which made it a better all around ship. Many pilots found the cockpit of the C701 to be cramped and uncomfortable, but this was largely discounted by the UN, who looked at the statistics and decided it wasn't worth it to interfere.
