UNSC Ironside

The UNSC Ironside (C-167), formerly the CMA Ironside, was a Halcyon-class light cruiser in service to the Colonial Military Administration then the United Nations Space Command during the Human-Covenant War.
It famously served as the flagship of Rear Admiral George Elliot for much of his wartime career. The ship and its commander both became legends in the Outer Colonies, participating in dozens of battles against the Covenant and saving millions of colonists from being glassed. It survived impossible odds until it was finally destroyed in 2531.
==History==
The Ironside was constructed by the Reyes-McLees Shipyards on Mars in 2510. It served in the until its takeover in 2525. 
When the Human-Covenant War began, CENTCOM ordered Battlegroup Yankee-7, the Ironside's unit, to be stationed at New Gettysburg to protect its industry from attack. 
At some point in 2526 the Battlegroup's commanding officer, then-Captain George Elliot, a former CMA officer, was able to convince the colonial government of New Gettysburg to allow them to use their shipyard facilities to refit their under-gunned ships. 
==== Battle of New Gettysburg ====
A few months later the ship got its first taste of action when the Covenant attacked New Gettysburg. Seven Halcyon-class cruisers went up against three Covenant heavy destroyers. Under Elliot's leadership they were able to destroy the three Covenant ships but at the cost of five of their own. Elliot had to ram his own ship into the last Covenant ship in order to destroy it. Out of seven ships the Ironside and Redwall were the only vessels to survive. 
After the battle Captain Elliot took assumed command of the Ironside and made it his flagship. 
==== Battle of the Zephyr Asteroid Field ====
== Hull Design ==
The Ironside was originally a regular Halcyon-class cruiser armed with one MAC cannon and six Archer missile pods. To bring the ship to modern naval standards the ship was refitted a few months before the Battle of New Gettysburg where it received upgrades to its arsenal and power plant. 
Its three under-powered Mk II Hanley-Messer reactors were replaced with Mark VIII Orosco-Mikoyan reactors which provided modern engine output. The ship's primary armament, its single MAC cannon, would be upgraded with a newer and more effective model several times over the course of its life. Its arsenal of six Archer missile pods was increased to a hundred and a network of eighteen M910 point defenses guns was installed.
After Rear Admiral Elliot took command he made several more modifications to the ship, including the installation of flag bridge facilities and equipping it with three Shiva-class nuclear missiles.
Category:Cruisers
Category:Individual UNSC Ships