SDV-class heavy corvette

Covenant corvette

A Covenant corvette is a light capital warship classification in the Covenant Navy.

Design details
Larger than UNSC Frigates but relatively weak compared to most Covenant ships, Corvettes are usually sent in advance of larger fleets. They are streamlined, with a vaguely oblong hull shape not following the reaccuring hull design common in all other Covenant Warships (consisting of several bulbous sections-normally three-and very streamlined laterally). Their "double-hull" assembly is unique among Covenant vessels encountered so far. The outer "hull" could possible house the lateral plasma conduit which supply the ship power and the weaponry of the ship ammunition.

Armaments
The Covenant corvette is armed with multiple weapons for a variety of purposes. On either side of the ship are plasma batteries, each having three manually controlled plasma turrets which appear to be used as a primary ship to ship engagement weapon. Located in four batteries, two on each side, with two in each, are eight plasma autocannons for use against fighter craft. On the underside of the corvette is a launch bay that can hold at least ten Type-27 XMFs for use in combat situations. The hangar bay also carries six Seraphs and with additional room to carry one or more gunboats for additional combat support. The dorsal landing pad could also carry extra fighters, though it is not regularly outfitted for such a role.

Operational history
Several Covenant corvettes were present during the Fall of Reach. At least one of these corvettes, Ardent Prayer, was in the planet's orbit when Operation: UPPERCUT commenced. As the vessel's communications were being jammed by the UNSC, it was engaged by the, which was assisted by several Sabre fighters, including one piloted by SPARTAN-B312 and Jorge-052. The corvette was destroyed by the Slipspace Bomb and took the Supercarrier Long Night of Solace with it thanks to the trap. Another corvette attacked Sword Base but retreated when its forces were driven off or destroyed. As it left, the corvette was blasted through the middle with a MAC round and sank in a nearby lake. These first two corvettes were part of a small advance force sent ahead to Reach that seemed to be made up of at least the three corvettes and the Covenant supercarrier Long Night of Solace. It is unclear if there were any more corvettes or other ship-types involved, but it doesn't seem likely.

Other Covenant corvettes took part in the ground battle on the planet. At least three such corvettes were present during the occupation and destruction of the city of New Alexandria. One took part in the destruction of civilian transports, but was heavily damaged by missile batteries, apparently disabling its weapons and allowing the other transports to escape.

Since Corvettes lack in Energy Shielding, they are relativly weak. A single UNSC Frigate could easily bring down to Covenant Corvettes. By putting a MAC-round through the first one and then bombard then other one with Archer-missiles, the Corvettes ship-to-ship weapons would have been useless due to the Frigates great speed and manueverability.

Trivia

 * The Firefight map Corvette, as well as the multiplayer map Zealot, takes place within the Covenant corvette Ardent Prayer.
 * The Covenant corvette is the only known Covenanat starship that possesses no energy shields.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo:flood