Watchkeeper-class cruiser

The Watchkeeper-class heavy cruisers entered service with the 
Colonial Military Administration in 2375 and the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) in 2377. Built to complement the Courageous-class colonial cruisers, the Watchkeeper cruisers were primarily intended for CMA service, with a number of modified ships going to the UNSC. The outbreak of the Inner Colony Wars in the late 2380s eventually overwhelmed the CMA's resources and necessitated the involvement of the UNSC, and several Watchkeeper cruisers were transferred to the larger organization. The Watchkeeper heavy cruisers remained in service with both organizations in diminishing quantities into the 2430s: the UNSC decommissioned their last active Watchkeeper cruisers in 2434, and the last of the CMA cruisers were sold in 2438. Eight disarmed Watchkeeper cruisers ended up in colonial defense forces in various roles. The last of the former cruisers were destroyed by Covenant Forces during the Human-Covenant War, with the final ship lost in 2551. 
The Watchkeeper-class heavy cruisers were the inheritors of longstanding naval traditions and expectations. They were fast, heavily armed, made use of Titanium plate armor, and could outfight anything but a battleship. While the smaller Courageous-class colonial cruisers entered service earlier in 2372, Watchkeeper cruisers carried the firepower their smaller counterparts did not: each Watchkeeper sported a magnetic accelerator cannon and usually more than a dozen slugs. The big gun was complemented with eighteen Aegis anti-ship missiles, twenty M19 Deterrent missile pods, and a dozen M188 Cyclone point defense guns. 
==History==
===Development and construction===
Notably, the CMA developed a light corvette class to accompany the Watchkeeper cruisers, with two Shortfin-class corvettes entering service alongside each Watchkeeper. 
===Service===
==Design==
==Ships in class==
Ship Name 	Commission	Struck	Details
Watchkeeper 	2375 	2429 	The CMA Watchkeeper was commissioned in 2375 and was decommissioned in 2429.
Warrior 	2375 	2417 	The CMA Warrior was commissioned in 2375 and was decommissioned in 2417.
Defender 	2376 	2438 	The CMA Defender was commissioned in 2376 and was decommissioned in 2438.
Guardian 	2376 	2416 	The CMA Guardian was commissioned in 2376 and was decommissioned in 2416.
Champion 	2377 	2431 	The CMA Champion was commissioned in 2377 and was decommissioned in 2431.
Firekeeper 	2377 	2415 	The UNSC Firekeeper was commissioned in 2377 and was decommissioned in 2415.
Peacekeeper 	2377 	2415 	The CMA Peacekeeper was commissioned in 2377 and was decommissioned in 2415.
Sentinel † 	2378 	2551 	The CMA Sentinel was commissioned in 2378 and was partially disarmed and transferred to the Lusitanian Defense Force as the Sentinel of Lusitania in 2437. The ex-cruiser was destroyed by Covenant forces in 2551 during the Lusitania Campaign.
Captain 	2379 	2426 	The CMA Captain was commissioned in 2379 and was decommissioned in 2426.
Fidelity † 	2380 	2546 	Fidelity was commissioned by the CMA in 2380. In 2438, the heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to the Kaiser Security Forces. The ex-cruiser remained an element of the Kaiser Defense Fleet until its destruction in 2546 during the Kaiser Campaign.
Forthright 	2380 	2432 	Forthright was commissioned by the CMA in 2380. In 2397, the CMA transferred the heavy cruiser to the UNSC due to manpower shortages during the Inner Colony Wars. Forthright remained in UNSC service until it was decommissioned and scrapped in 2432.
Powerful 	2381 	2429 	Powerful was commissioned by the CMA in 2381. In 2395, the CMA transferred the heavy cruiser to the UNSC due to manpower shortages during the Inner Colony Wars. Powerful remained in UNSC service until it was decommissioned and scrapped in 2429.
Garrison 	2382 	2421 	Garrison was commissioned by the UNSC in 2382 as an expeditionary cruiser. Garrison was decommissioned and scrapped in 2421.
Thunderbolt 	2382 	2428 	Thunderbolt was a CMA heavy cruiser for its entire career. Thunderbolt was decommissioned and scrapped in 2428.
Venerable 	2383 	2426 	Venerable was a CMA heavy cruiser for its entire career. Venerable was decommissioned and scrapped in 2426.
Viceroy 	2383 	2427 	Viceroy was commissioned by the CMA in 2383. In 2394, the CMA transferred the heavy cruiser to the UNSC due to manpower shortages during the Inner Colony Wars. Viceroy remained in UNSC service until it was decommissioned and scrapped in 2427.
Chevalier 	2384 	2427 	Chevalier was commissioned by the CMA in 2384. In 2396, the CMA transferred the heavy cruiser to the UNSC due to manpower shortages during the Inner Colony Wars. Chevalier remained in UNSC service until it was decommissioned and scrapped in 2427.
Harbinger † 	2385 	2546 	Harbinger was commissioned by the CMA in 2385. In 2436, the heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to the Kaiser Security Forces. The ex-cruiser remained an element of the Kaiser Defense Fleet until its destruction in 2546 during the Kaiser Campaign.
Spitfire 	2386 	2524 	Spitfire was commissioned by the CMA in 2386. In 2433, the heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to the Lusitanian Defense Force. Spitfire remained in Lusitanian service until it was damaged by Insurrectionist forces in 2524, and was subsequently withdrawn from service and scrapped.
Stalwart † 	2386 	2448 	Stalwart was commissioned by the CMA in 2386. In 2435, the heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to the Paris IV Guard. The ex-cruiser remained an element of the Paris defense fleet until its destruction in 2548 during the Paris Campaign.
Phalanx 	2387 	2422 	Phalanx was commissioned by the CMA in 2387. In 2393, the CMA transferred the heavy cruiser to the UNSC due to manpower shortages during the Inner Colony Wars. Phalanx remained in UNSC service until it was decommissioned and scrapped in 2422.
Midnight Sentinel	2388 	2425 	Midnight Sentinel was commissioned by the UNSC in 2388 as an experimental cruiser. Midnight Sentinel was crippled in an accidental explosion in 2425 and was subsequently scrapped.
Legionary 	2388 	2424 	Legionary was commissioned by the CMA in 2388. In 2394, the CMA transferred the heavy cruiser to the UNSC due to manpower shortages during the Inner Colony Wars. Legionary remained in UNSC service until it was decommissioned and scrapped in 2424.
Archer 	2389 	2476 	Archer was commissioned by the CMA in 2389. In 2433, the heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to the Halcyon Colonial Forces. The ex-cruiser was retired and scrapped in 2476.
Knight 	2389 	2437 	Knight was a CMA heavy cruiser for its entire career. Knight was decommissioned and scrapped in 2437.
Honorbound † 	2390 	2547 	Honorbound was commissioned by the CMA in 2390. In 2433, the heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to the Ctesiphon Colonial Corps. Honorbound was destroyed by Covenant forces in 2547 during the Battle of Ctesiphon.
Resolution 	2390 	2481 	Resolution was commissioned by the CMA in 2390. In 2437, the heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to the Troy Security Command. The ex-cruiser was retired and scrapped in 2481.
Stronghold 	2391 	2432 	Stronghold was commissioned by the CMA in 2391. In 2396, the CMA transferred the heavy cruiser to the UNSC due to manpower shortages during the Inner Colony Wars. Stronghold remained in UNSC service until it was decommissioned and scrapped in 2432.
===CMA Watchkeeper===
The CMA Watchkeeper was commissioned in 2375. The heavy cruiser saw action during the Inner Colony Wars and was decommissioned and scrapped in 2429. 
===CMA Warrior===
The CMA Warrior was commissioned in 2375. The heavy cruiser saw action during the Inner Colony Wars and was decommissioned and scrapped in 2417. 
===CMA Defender===
The CMA Defender was commissioned in 2376. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned and scrapped in 2438. 
===CMA Guardian===
The CMA Guardian was commissioned in 2376. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned and scrapped in 2416. 
===CMA Champion===
The CMA Champion was commissioned in 2377. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned and scrapped in 2431. 
===UNSC Firekeeper===
The UNSC Firekeeper was commissioned in 2377. The first of three modified Watchkeeper cruisers built for the UNSC, the Firekeeper was designated as an interstellar command cruiser: it was the serve as a local headquarters ship in the event that a crisis demanded the presence of UNSC forces beyond the limit of the Sol System. While the UNSC Firekeeper undertook a number of tours of the colonies in the 2380s, it was only the outbreak of the Inner Colony Wars that required the cruiser to fulfill its intended role at last in 2393. The Firekeeper was decommissioned and scrapped in 2415; its helm is on display in the "History of the UNSC" section of the Moltke Military Museum on Kaiser. 
===CMA Peacekeeper===
The CMA Peacekeeper was commissioned in 2377. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned and scrapped in 2415. 
===CMA Sentinel===
The CMA Sentinel was commissioned in 2378. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to Lusitania in 2437; the Lusitanian Defense Force christened the ship the Sentinel of Lusitania. The colonial defense fleet flagship was eventually repurposed as a cadet training ship. The ex-cruiser was destroyed by Covenant forces in 2551 during the Lusitania Campaign. 
===CMA Captain===
The CMA Captain was commissioned in 2379. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned and scrapped in 2426.
===CMA Fidelity===
The CMA Fidelity was commissioned in 2380. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to Kaiser in 2438. The ex-cruiser was part of the Kaiser Defense Fleet until it was destroyed by Covenant forces in 2456 during the Kaiser Campaign. 
===CMA Forthright===
The CMA Forthright was commissioned in 2380. The heavy cruiser was transferred to UNSC service in 2397 due to CMA manpower shortages during the Inner Colony wars. UNSC Forthright remained in service until it was scrapped in 2432. 
===CMA Powerful===
The CMA Powerful was commission in 2381. The heavy cruiser was transferred to UNSC service in 2395 due to CMA manpower shortages during the Inner Colony wars. UNSC Powerful remained in service until it was scrapped in 2429. 
===UNSC Garrison===
The UNSC Garrison was commissioned in 2382. The second modified Watchkeeper built for the UNSC, the Garrison was the first expeditionary cruiser to enter service. Reducing its arsenal and enlarging its cargo and troop sections, the Garrison was able to transport a fully equipped battalion of marines on interstellar voyages. Garrison likewise carried more dropships than normal, enabling it to deploy the troops it carried more easily. The utility of the expeditionary cruiser during the Inner Colony Wars was underwhelming, as transports and carriers ferried troops and equipment with far greater efficiency. Nevertheless, the experimental service of the Garrison laid the foundation for subsequent cruisers, and later destroyers and frigates, to serve as troop transports during the Insurrection and Human-Covenant War. Garrison was decommissioned and scrapped in 2421. 
===CMA Thunderbolt===
The CMA Thunderbolt was commissioned in 2382. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned and scrapped in 2428. 
===CMA Venerable===
The CMA Venerable was commissioned in 2383. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned and scrapped in 2426. 
===CMA Viceroy===
The CMA Viceroy was commissioned in 2383. The heavy cruiser was transferred to UNSC service in 2394 due to CMA manpower shortages during the Inner Colony wars. UNSC Viceroy remained in service until it was scrapped in 2427. 
===CMA Chevalier===
The CMA Chevalier was commissioned in 2384. The heavy cruiser was transferred to UNSC service in 2396 due to CMA manpower shortages during the Inner Colony wars. UNSC Chevalier remained in service until it was scrapped in 2427.
===CMA Harbinger===
The CMA Harbinger was commissioned in 2385. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to Kaiser in 2436. Harbinger remained part of the Kaiser Defense Fleet until the ex-cruiser was destroyed by Covenant forces in 2546 during the Kaiser Campaign. 
===CMA Spitfire===
The CMA Spitfire was commissioned in 2386. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to Lusitania in 2433. Spitfire remained part of the Lusitanian Defense Force until it was bombed and damaged by Insurrectionist forces in 2524; the ex-cruiser was withdrawn from service and scrapped. 
===CMA Stalwart===
The CMA Stalwart was commissioned in 2386. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to Paris IV in 2435. Stalwart remained part of the Paris IV Guard until the ex-cruiser was destroyed by Covenant forces in 2548 during the Paris Campaign.
===CMA Phalanx===
The CMA Phalanx was commissioned in 2387. The heavy cruiser was transferred to UNSC service in 2393 due to CMA manpower shortages during the Inner Colony wars. UNSC Phalanx remained in service until it was scrapped in 2422. 
===UNSC Midnight Sentinel===
The UNSC Midnight Sentinel was commissioned in 2388. The last modified Watchkeeper to be completed for UNSC service, the Midnight Sentinel was built as an experimental cruiser. From its commission in 2388 to its retirement in 2425, Midnight Sentinel remained consistently bizarre. In that time, the cruiser was retooled for communications relay service; lost, regained, and swapped out its main gun; field tested prototype equipment (including a laser battery, a radar jammer, long-range sensor systems, anti-ship missiles, MAC slugs, and a stealth field system); and was still somehow available for service during the Inner Colony Wars and also for anti-piracy operations, distinguishing itself among newer and faster cruisers. The cruiser had been intended to remain in service into the 2450s, but an accident ended its career in 2425. During yet another experimental weapons test in the Beta Eridani system, a catastrophic misfire of the main gun blew the cruiser's bow off without loss of life. Repairs were deemed uneconomical when it was determined that the cruiser had suffered structural damage throughout and that the main gun system was entirely destroyed. With the integrity of the cruiser's SFTE in question due to the disaster, the Midnight Sentinel was decommissioned and scrapped in-system. A three-meter-long sliver from the destroyed magnetic accelerator cannon was displayed in the atrium of the Excalibur Station in the Beta Eridani system from 2448 to 2552 but was lost when the station was destroyed by Covenant forces. 
===CMA Legionary===
The CMA Legionary was commissioned in 2388. The heavy cruiser was transferred to UNSC service in 2394 due to CMA manpower shortages during the Inner Colony wars. UNSC Legionary remained in service until it was scrapped in 2424. 
===CMA Archer===
The CMA Archer was commissioned in 2389. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to Halcyon in 2433. Archer served in the Halcyon Colonial Forces until it was retired and scrapped in 2476. 
===CMA Knight===
The CMA Knight was commissioned in 2389. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned and scrapped in 2437. 
===CMA Honorbound===
The CMA Honorbound was commissioned in 2390. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to Ctesiphon in 2433. Honorbound served in the Ctesiphon Colonial Corps until the ex-cruiser was destroyed by Covenant forces in 2546 during the Battle of Ctesiphon. 
===CMA Resolution===
The CMA Resolution was commissioned in 2390. The heavy cruiser was decommissioned, disarmed, and sold to Troy in 2437. Resolution served the Troy Security Command unitl it was scrapped in 2481. 
===CMA Stronghold===
The CMA Stronghold was commissioned in 2391. The heavy cruiser was transferred to UNSC service in 2396 due to CMA manpower shortages during the Inner Colony wars. UNSC Stronghold remained in service until it was scrapped in 2432. 
Category:Cruiser classes
Category:UNSC Ship Classes