GA-TL1 Longsword-class Interceptor

The GA-TL1 Longsword-class Interceptor is the main single ship of the United Nations Space Command Defense Force, and is a mainstay starfighter, filling a variety of roles simultaneously. 
==Class History==
The starfighter has been in service as early as 2517.Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, Pariah, page ??
==Design==
===Structure===
The inside of the Longsword presents a small corridor leading to the rear, stairs, and a higher corridor to the cockpit.Halo: Combat Evolved - Level: The Maw In the two corridors, there are several equipment lockers, along with two secondary crew stations. The cockpit consists of two pilots' chairs and two auxiliary crew stations. With a known total crew complement of four, along with the equipment and weapon lockers, the ship presents itself as less of a fighter-bomber and more of a dedicated bomber and close-support attack craft.
The cockpit design stayed the same between Halo CE and Halo 2 but was changed in Halo 3 and Halo: Reach. Previously, the cockpit had four windows (two on each side, but none in the front) and a view screen. In Halo 3 and Halo: Reach the Longsword is seen to have windows wrapping around the cockpit similarly to traditional aircraft. Other aesthetic changes were made between Halo 2 to Halo 3. The first version in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 had diamond-shaped intakes. These intakes were made smaller and became flush with the hull instead of jutting out in Halo 3 and Halo: Reach. It may be noted that all the Longswords seen in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 are used entirely in space combat, while those seen in Halo 3 are primarily used in an atmospheric fighter-bomber role,Halo 3 - Level: The Storm in addition to space combat.Halo 3 - Level: The Ark
===Propulsion===
The Longsword utilizes two main fusion engines which are discernible on the exterior of the craft. Their precise nature is not known, but they are able to function in space and they are strong enough to reach Earth's and Installation 04's escape velocity. They are fueled by conventional fuel. There are multiple RCS points for maneuvering. Like all other engines, the Longsword's engine will begin to overheat if pushed beyond the regular usage of the craft. This could include either going too fast, or sustaining high speed for a prolonged amount of time, as shown in the final cutscene of Halo: Combat Evolved.
===Armaments===
The Longsword's main weapons are 110mm rotary cannons, as well as 120mm ventral guns, for dog-fighting Seraph fighters in space and are great for strafing ground targets when the need arises. This versatile fighter can be armed with an assortment of secondary weapons systems including ASGM-10 Missiles, bombs, Moray space mines, Scorpion missiles, and can even heft a single Shiva-class Nuclear Missile. It can also be remotely piloted, carrying a single Shiva nuclear warhead, as was the case when Captain Jacob Keyes destroyed a Covenant supercruiser.Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 322-324
===Role===
Described as both a fighter and an interceptor, the Longsword is intended to engage enemy fighters, dropships, and intrusion vehicles that are en route to attack UNSC capital ships. The Longsword has been seen performing a variety of roles, making for an extremely versatile craft, and is relatively inexpensive to produce. They are capable of holding their own even against the technologically superior Seraph-class fighters used by the Covenant. The Longsword is also used to escort UNSC dropships as they deliver their passengers and cargo to planet surfaces or to larger ships.Halo: First Strike, page 6Halo 2 - Level: Cairo Station The Longsword is also used in attack runs against Covenant capital ships, delivering high-yield missiles, Shiva-class nuclear warheads,Halo: The Fall of Reach, page ?? or even free-floating Moray space mines to or near their targets. They can also be used in planetary environments by functioning as fighter-bombers, destroying ground targets from the air,Halo 2 E3 DemoHalo 3 - Level: Floodgate as well as escorting capital ships.Halo: Combat Evolved - Level: The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)
==Variants==
There are three known variants to the Longsword. Each are differently designed. There are the C708, C709, and C712 variants.Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary - Feature: Library
==Ships/Units of the Line==
*7-89
*Knife 26
*Longsword 91-002
*Longsword Squadron Delta
==Trivia==
*The Longsword is one of the few known UNSC vehicle and craft that are not named or modeled after animals. The others are the Shortsword, the Sabre, the Cyclops, the Broadsword and the Gremlin. It does, however, follow the theme that exo-atmospheric fighters are named after bladed weapons.
*The Longsword fighter underwent many design iterations, as seen in The Art of Halo.
*It is disputed whether the Longsword is black or gray. It looks gray in the final level of Halo: Combat Evolved, but when it is seen in space and at all times in Halo 3, it looks darker. This may be due to lighting or graphical enhancement or indicative of different paint schemes, similar to those of modern-day jet fighters. It may also have been a new variant of the Longsword.
*Longswords may or may not have working gravity. At the end of Halo: Combat Evolved, John-117 gets out of his seat and walks to the side screen to witness the destruction of Installation 04. However, in Halo: First Strike, the Spartan "floats" to the weapons locker at the back of the Longsword, and that when he picks up the remaining Marines, they too float about. This might be because the Longsword (or its artificial gravity) was powered down at the time, but it could simply be creative licence.
*The Longsword in Halo: Reach appears to be less sharp than its appearances in the Halo trilogy. The edges of the wings and tail are more blunt than sharp and the tail itself is shaped more like a diamond than a triangle.
*In Halo: Glasslands, Vaz claims that "MJOLNIR costs as much as a Longsword."  This was probably hyperbole, as MJOLNIR is incredibly expensive.
*While the Longswords in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 are 64 meters long, the ones in Halo: Reach only 30 meters. The reduction in scale is probably due to the them being endoatmospheric versions instead of exoatmospheric.
*In Halo: Reachs Firefight mode, a Longsword drops the ordnance pods in the open-air maps.
*In Halo: Reachs Invasion map Boneyard, when the Spartans succeed in defending the objective, Longswords will make a bombing run and destroy the Phantom above the battlefield.
==Gallery==
===Halo: Combat Evolved===
Longsword.jpg|A formation of Longswords.
Longsword Fighter.jpg|A formation of Longswords near Installation 04's atmosphere.
HCE_Cutscene_Longsword-EngineCritical.jpg|The Ga-TL1 giving a engine overheating warning.
HCE_Cutscene_Longsword-Front.jpg|John-117 inside the cockpit of a GA-TL1.
===Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary===
HCEA Longsword Cockpit.png|The cockpit of a Longsword.
HCEA Longsword Takeoff.png|A Longsword in the .
===Halo 2===
LongswordBattle2.jpg|Longswords chasing after a Seraph-class Starfighter in the Battle of Earth.
===Halo 2: Anniversary===
H2A Terminal Longsword.png|Master Chief's Longsword in the Halo debris field.
H2A_CinematicRender_Longsword1.jpg|Cinematic render of the GA-TL1 Longsword.
H2A_CinematicRender_Longsword2.jpg
H2A_CinematicRender_Longsword3.jpg
H2A_CinematicRender_Longsword4.jpg
H2A_CinematicRender_Longsword5.jpg
===Halo 3===
H3 E3 Shootdown.jpg|A Longsword being neutralized by a Covenant Type-27 Anti-Aircraft Cannon in the Halo 3 Announcement Trailer.
H3 E3 Longsword 3.jpg|Three Longswords assaulting the Forerunner dreadnought in the Battle of Tsavo during the Halo 3 Announcement Trailer.
Longsword down.jpg|Close up on a Longsword.
Longsword flying.jpg|Longsword flying above Voi.
DownedLongsword-large.jpg|A longsword is shot down over Voi.
halo3_123877556_Full.jpg|A crashed Longsword on The Ark.
===Halo: Reach===
reach 650311 Medium.jpg|Three Longswords launch an air strike on a UNSC ship decommissioning site.
HaloReach - InvasionLongswords.jpg|A squadron of Longswords fly in formation.
Reach 5016743 Full.jpg|A Longsword at the Battle of Viery.
reach_9455894_Medium.jpg|Longswords over Reach.
reach_9455906_Medium.jpg|Longswords from above.
Longsword_AAO4.jpg|The underside of the Longsword, clearly showing the ordinance bay hatch.
Longsword_AAO.jpg|The Longsword from above.
reach_25501265_Full.jpg|A Longsword flying over New Alexandria.
HR_Tempest_Longsword.jpg|A crashed Longsword on Tempest.
==Appearances==
==Sources==
==Links==
===Internal===
*Sabre - An experimental UNSC starfighter.
*Seraph-class Starfighter - The Covenant equivalent of the Longsword.
*AV-19 SkyHawk - the UNSC's dedicated atmospheric strike fighter.
* - presumably a similar Covenant fighter.
*Broadsword - UNSC Interceptor
*Shortsword - UNSC Bomber
===External===
*A tour of the Longsword interceptor
fr:C709 la Longsword-classe Starfighter
ru:ГА-ТЛ1_"Длинный_Меч"
Category:Single Pilot Craft
Category:Human Aircraft
Category:Human Spacecraft Classifications