United Nations Space Command Vehicle and Starship Weaponry

==Starship weaponry==
===Missiles===
The RSM-131C Archer missile, thoroughly modernized, is now a much more capable weapon, using a boosting warhead of nine explosively pumped flux compression generators, who unleash a burst of EMP upon impact, with the EMP yield increased greatly by the transformer like aluminium coils around them, with the rest of the warhead coated in a TRIDENT composite metal with a primary warhead of a forged fragment ring for penetrating the hull. After that the third warhead, containing a number of penetrating rods. These punch through several decks of the ship, causing serious damage. While the head is solid EXCALIBUR, the sides consist of forged fragmentation EXCALIBUR, designed to fragment and cause much more perforation of the ships internal systems when the explosive filler goes off. At the tail of the penetrating rod is a large metal augmented charge, designed to explode inside the ship and create intense over pressure waves and heat, causing immense damage, snuffing out the oxygen inside and setting fire to the super structure. The Archer is now upgraded with a number of systems to help it bypass ship defence system, such as jet coolant systems, drastically reducing its heat signature, advanced armour, mostly focusing on heat resistance, using heat resistant polymers and a titanium-aluminide heat matrix and a set of second stage boosters for a sudden burst of speed upon terminal approach. The missile is fitted with a rudimentary AI that communicates between other missiles, whether they are Archer missiles or otherwise, and guide one another in for maximum impact against the target. For those systems that jam Archer missiles, cutting them off from the ships that launched them, they now have infra-red sensors and millimetre wave RADAR, allowing it to home in without the launcher's assistance or use superhetreodyne receiver aerials let it lock onto EM emissions of the target. The Missile has several sub motors for manoeuvring on launch, and for additional terminal guidance. The missile is hot launched from the armoured and cooled tubes, reducing the infra-red glare of their launch.
The RSM-248 Warhammer missile is a newly deployed missile for short-medium range engagements. Similar in size and use to the Archer, it's higher unit cost restricts deployment until a later date. The missile uses much of the same technology as the Archer, but what differs is the newly developed warhead. The main warhead is a rare sight in the UNSC arsenal. It uses a compacted plasma charge, using highly compacted ionised gas as the main charge. Upon impact with the target, the main charge initiates a magnetic containment lock, that causes that chilled ionised gas to deflagrate on a massive scale, creating a sun-hot orb of fire that melts through armour. Fearsome beyond belief, these warheads cut through armour and shielding with impunity, and are designed to detonate after the warhead has penetrated. The magnetic confinement of the warhead massively compresses and superheats it, then directs it forward, like a HEAT warhead.)
The RSM-67 Emperor Short Range Attack Missile (SHRAM) is a short range attack missile used to augment starships for 'knife fight' engagements. Not standard armament on most warships, it is instead installed on a as-need basis using self-sufficient pods attached by electrostatic couplers. The RSM-67 Emperor is ruthlessly simple, and is designed for short ranged, near bore-sight targets. Used principally for targeting way above their weight, it allows smaller vessels to pack a surprising punch. Usually arranged into cells of 4, or 8, they link to the ship's own sensors to pick out a target. Each missile is stored in a sealed tube, filled with an inert gas mixture, held at a high pressure. When the missiles fire, its cold launched by suddenly depressurising the launch tube, firing the missile clear of the ship before it's main motor starts. Rather than the multi-stage rocket motors and advanced stealth features of others, it uses a high-impulse motor. It's main sensor is clustered visual sensor dependent on tracking a target through ultra-violet and infra-red radiation, and using corrections through short-range communication systems from the ship. To protect itself against sensor jamming, it has a trio of antennae to help it resist jamming and triangulate the source. The missile uses a unique warhead, using a nuclear warhead adapted from existing UNSC stocks. The warhead is converted into a temporary generator, being used to generate and excite plasma charge contained inside the warhead. Once the plasma is excited and superheated, the nuclear charge detonates, and is channelled forward by the lithium triteride baseplate and channels, creating an electromagnetic tunnel, which empowers and directs the combined plasma/nuclear charge. The end result is a lance of plasma capable of cutting deep into the heaviest armour. Only cruisers and Destroyers have these missiles in built-in cells.
The RSM-48 Fury is a close-quarters rapid fire missile, intended not to overwhelm the enemy through sheer force, but through coordinated swarming. Given their small size, and excellent agility, they can be packed on quite small vessels. What makes them really deadly is their sensory network, that links all missiles in the barrage, to coordinate their attack for maximum damage against the enemy ship, overcoming point-defences. Each missile has a jam-resistant AESA RADAR and a sensor node using a collection of rounded sensors, forming a compound eye with excellent visual acuity. Each missile has a high power antennae that links to ever other missile in the barrage, sharing sensory data, attack patterns, and target analysis. This makes each missile more accurate, ans they create patterns designed to swarm enemy defences and overwhelm point defence weapons. The missiles feature a high power motor, designed to burn fast and burn hot, numerous control surfaces, and micro motors. It's warhead consists of a tandem HEAT warhead, using a metallic alloy designed to maximise the effectiveness of the anti-armour punch. The tandem warhead allows it to penetrate the upper armour layer and punch into the more delicate layers beneath, punching a hole deep enough to cause significant damage. By using multiple missiles, they massively increase their effectiveness, hitting in waves to weaken armour for follow up waves. Fury missiles are used on smaller vessels, such as corvette-class ships. Heavier classifications also use bolt on Fury missile pods to defend against agile capital ships in close quarters combat. The Fury can also be mounted on an MITV pod as a launch platform, extending the range and allowing a swarm of missiles to be released closer to the target.
The RSM-294 Widow Stand-Off Cruise Missile (SOCM) is one of the most long ranged missile weapons in the UNSC's possession, short of it's nuclear arsenal. A massive brute of a missile, it's sophisticated, difficult to detect, and possesses a long range, designed to attack enemy starships and installations from far beyond visual range. Instead of a conventional rocket motor, the Widow actually uses a Fusion Drive, a scaled down version of the fusion drives often seen on starships. This Fusion Drive uses reaction between Deuterium Atoms to create nuclear fusion, then generates, and directs plasma into the exhaust. This fusion drive only winds up after its launched, initially ramping up to cruising speed, coasting with minor adjustments, then burning as much fuel as it can to initial a redline sprint speed. It's main sensor is a telescopic thermal sensor, its ultra-high resolution allowing it to detect distant targets. It uses its own on-board data link to receive telemetery updates through other ships, drones, and spotting craft. For the final approach, it switches to a cluster of optical sensors, and a targeting RADAR. The missile's warhead is a repurposed nuclear warhead, that has been converted to work as a nuclear pumped X-Ray laser. This warhead use the detonation of the warhead to provide the energy for pumping the laser, which generates an X-Ray laser with exceedingly high energy yields. This weapon is fired usually 200-300 metres from the enemy ship, generating a beam capable of cutting through shields and armour. The beam carves a hole through the outer armour, and into the inner decks. The beam powers off once the missile reaches terminal impact, wherein the remaining fissionable material, in both the warhead and the fusion drive, detonate into a follow up explosion, causing increased damaged. While substantially less in yield than a traditional nuclear warhead, the damage is still severe from the detonation alone. The result is a deep gouge cut into the ship, and it is further exacerbated by the follow up impact. The missile has a number of stealth features, such as a sleek design, sensor resistant materials, and exhaust coolants, meaning its difficult to detect until it's too late. Even on final approach, it can deploy decoys to confuse point defence systems, and has enough bulk to hit the target without interception. The missile is so large it cannot be feasibly hot launched from a silo, so it uses a ring of thrusters around it's neck to launch itself up, and manoeuvre itself, before the main motor kicks in. These large missiles only find themselves on fleet warships, such as carriers, battlecruisers, battleships, so on.
The RSM-667 Bogatyr Drone Missile is an autonomous kill vehicle launched by Frigates and Destroyers. The missile is designed to be launched from a magnetic accelerator, skipping the need for hot or cold launching, and allowing the missile to reach maximum speed without rocket motors. Using thrusters to adjust the flight path, built in sensors, and guidance link from the launching platform, the missile strikes it's target at hyper velocity. The missile uses a heavy duty tungsten piercing warhead, and a high-yield plasma charge, intended to produce a ball of sunfire within the target, melting armour with ease. The missile only has limited bore accuracy due to the high speed, but it causes horrendous damage on impact, and is more accurate than comparable MAC rounds.
The RSM-809 Acheron Drone Missile is an autonomous kill vehicle launched by Cruisers. The missile is designed to be launched from a magnetic accelerator, skipping the need for hot or cold launching, and allowing the missile to reach maximum speed without rocket motors. Using thrusters to adjust the flight path, built in sensors, and guidance link from the launching platform, the missile strikes it's target at hyper velocity. The missile uses a heavy duty tungsten piercing warhead, and a high-yield plasma charge, intended to produce a ball of sunfire within the target, melting armour with ease. The missile only has limited bore accuracy due to the high speed, but it causes horrendous damage on impact, and is more accurate than comparable MAC rounds.
The RSM-850 Samson Drone Missile is an autonomous kill vehicle launched by Cruisers. The missile is designed to be launched from a magnetic accelerator, skipping the need for hot or cold launching, and allowing the missile to reach maximum speed without rocket motors. Using thrusters to adjust the flight path, built in sensors, and guidance link from the launching platform, the missile strikes it's target at hyper velocity. The missile uses an explosively-pumped X-ray laser to melt straight through armour plating, melting armour faster than the speed of sound, causing an explosion like effect. This is lethal to most ships, with the beam being capable of targetting reactors, or sub-systems. The missile only has limited bore accuracy due to the high speed, but it causes horrendous damage on impact, and is more accurate than comparable MAC rounds.
The RSM-909 Airgetlam MIRV Missile is an autonomous kill vehicle launched by larger vessels. The missile is designed to be launched from a magnetic accelerator, skipping the need for hot or cold launching, and allowing the missile to reach maximum speed without rocket motors. Using thrusters to adjust the flight path, built in sensors, and guidance link from the launching platform, the missile strikes it's target at hyper velocity. Roughly midway into the flight path, it breaks open to reveal seven smaller warheads These missiles are effectively identical to the RSM-667 Bogatyr. The missile only has limited bore accuracy due to the high speed, but it causes horrendous damage on impact, and is more accurate than comparable MAC rounds.
The RSM-990 Brahmastra Drone Missile is an autonomous kill vehicle launched by only the largest vessels. The missile is designed to be launched from a magnetic accelerator, skipping the need for hot or cold launching, and allowing the missile to reach maximum speed without rocket motors. Using thrusters to adjust the flight path, built in sensors, and guidance link from the launching platform, the missile strikes it's target at hyper velocity. The missile uses a heavy duty tungsten piercing warhead, and a high-yield plasma charge, intended to produce a ball of sunfire within the target, melting armour with ease. The missile only has limited bore accuracy due to the high speed, but it causes horrendous damage on impact, and is more accurate than comparable MAC rounds. It's lethality is such that it can knock out even heavy vessels with ease.
RIM-13 Thorn is a ship launched anti starcraft missile. It uses dual optical and active RADAR to seek out targets, with three stage rockets. The first is the primary launch booster, the next is the cruiser booster and finally the hyper velocity booster, accelerating it to hyper velocity. Much like the Archer it is coated in ablative resin to hide its presence and jet coolants to hide it during the second stage of 'cruising'. If need be, it can home in on jamming systems, destroying enemy jamming systems. Upon nearing the target (1000 metres), it releases a spray of 13 independently powered, steerable flechettes at about twice the speed of the original missile, in a five metre spread, to ensure the target is crippled or destroyed. Each flechette is rocket powered, steerable by 10 control surfaces and filled with a explosive/metal augmented payload so it fragments within it's target. The delayed fuse is designed so it explodes within the opposing fighter, or deploys all of it's explosive firepower against a enemy shield. The warhead has sensor fusing that deploys the flechettes in the optimum attack pattern to destroy it's target. The sub-munitions are guided by short range telemetry information provided by the launching missile. The missile is highly agile and is cold launched from the weapons platform. The missile is capable of shutting off and restarting it's motors, allowing it to gently cruise and preform gradual course realignment during it's cruise, allowing it to act as a floating mine around the launching warship.
The RGM-145 Marksman missile is a spacecraft-launched air/space-to-ground missile for accurate orbital strikes. The missile's target is designated by the launch platform or forward observation units, utilising a variety of assets and can maintain a hardened data link through out flight, allowing them to track and adjust the missile mid flight. The warhead options include a dual warhead with a penetrating warhead, fused explosive then a metal augmented charge, for anti tank and anti-bunker usage, a thermobaric warhead for flattening buildings, a solid fragmenting explosive payload for engaging large amounts of light vehicles, infantry or soft buildings, incendiary flechette dispersing munitions for engaging multiple material, light vehicle or personnel targets, severely damaging or destroying even hardened equipment, a warhead of TRIDENT encased explosively pumped-flux compressors, a charged particle burst EMP warhead later in the war, a AZRAEL style warhead utilising five magnetic slugs contained in a anti-gravity field which are accelerated to a fraction of the speed of light, an airbursting charge that deploys several cluster bomblets containing sensor fused munitions, anti-cluster munitions that use have tungsten warheads and fragmenting explosives to penetrate and destroy the runway, a W709 RETRIBUTION nuclear warhead, a W910 Cataclysm anti-matter warhead, binary or unitary chemical weapon aerosol dispensers in airburst or contact detonation and biological weapon dispensers, with airbursting or contact detonation options. The missile is cold launched from the multi-shot silo, using a catapult launch system. Its maximum range is 1500 kilometres.
RSM-103 Wayfarer is a Tactical Weapon Platform, designed to take a variety of warheads, including nuclear, anti-matter and MIDAS warheads. The choice of warheads include W700 AVENGER, W705 VENGEANCE, W905 APOCALYPSE and W1001 APOSTASY MIDAS warheads. The missile utilises a hardened data link to the launch platform to provide most of its guidance, but in the event that data link is jammed, or comes under attack, the missile switches to its own guidance, using a mixture of AESA RADAR, LIDAR, optical telescope and infra-red to home in upon it's target. The missile is set to point detonation or airburst before launch. The commander of the launch platform first requires the Universal Detonation Key to okay a launch, and these are distributed prior to operations based on possible danger. The commander requires clearance from the battlegroup commander, who in turn requires clearance from theatre commander. However, should communication be improbable, the launch platform commander can override this and authorize a launch. The missile boosts away from the launch platform and orientates it, winding up to the full speed of the missile, before ejecting that stage of the missile then activating the one shot impulse drive. This drive accelerates the missile to high speeds, allow it to reach distant targets in minutes. After this, the engines shut down aside from the minute manoeuvring thruster and the missile essential 'goes dark'. The missile glides towards its target, making small adjustments, and utilises its RADAR absorbing paints and infra-red absorbing paints. Once on terminal approach, it detonates the final 'sprint engine' and fires a number of decoys, completely masking its position.
RSM-107 Vagrant is a Tactical Weapon Platform that utilises the same design as the Wayfarer however it mounts a small slipspace drive to activates shortly after it has cleared the launch platform. The missile glides, invisible to sensors until it comes out of slipspace, usually in the middle of a fleet, or within metres of a starship, maybe even inside larger starships and stations, should they be stationary and have sufficient internal room. The missile has an exceedingly high price increase, limiting it to only special use, usually by Prowlers and the Office of Naval Intelligence.
RSM-405 Jupiter is a Strategic Weapon Platform that takes a choice of three warheads for use against enemy targets. It can engage both atmospheric and spacial targets and has a choice of loading a W712 RETALIATION MIRV, W907 ARMAGEDDON, W766 NOVA, W1007 DEFIANCE MIRV or W1111 PANDORA'S BOX. IT shares all capabilities with the Wayfarer
RSM-408 Saturn is a slipspace enabled variation of the Jupiter Strategic Weapon Platform. 
===Main Gun===
Most UNSC warships are built around a 'main gun', a powerful weapon intended to cause damage at range. Usually a Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, examples also include Laser and Ion weaponry. 
====Magnetic Accelerator Cannon====
The Magnetic Accelerator Cannons are the main armament of most UNSC warships warships. A typical ship-based MAC fires slugs of either ferric Tungsten or depleted uranium at a fraction of the speed of light. The high muzzle speed gives the slug the kinetic energy and momentum necessary to damage a target and partially mitigates the unguided nature of the slug and its lack of manoeuvrability. Like all newer generation magnetic accelerator technology, it utilises a larger number of capacitors and power recycling, to conserve power and decrease charge times for follow up shots. This combined with newer reactors give much higher speeds with lower recharge times.
The size of a Magnetic Accelerator Cannon is such that it is normally an integral component of a warship's structure. The integration of the MAC to its hull means the entire warship or station must manoeuvre to aim the weapon. With the latest generation of 'Smart AI's', and advances in sensors, MAC weapons are becoming much more accurate. 
Several kinds of ammunition exist, including Kinetic Core Penetrator Rounds (Tungsten Carbide), which are heavy duty, jack-of-all-trades rounds, KCP (Depleted Uranium) slugs, Kinetic Warhead Penetrator, designed to breach armour on warships, Kinetic Splinter Munition, which produces a wide, shotgun-blast style effect, damaging multiple ships or crippling a single one, Kinetic Penetrator Incendiary slugs, which penetrate armour then turn into a conflaguration of plasma, setting the ship alight from the inside, or High Explosive Penetrator (HEP) which explode, producing deadly explosions within ships, or producing a wide blast against multiple warships. 
There are many variants of the MAC cannon, usually unique to the ship it is mounted on. 
*Mark 14, Light Coil, Ultra Light: utilised by the Reckoning-class Attack Prowler, it is intended to damage enemy stealth vessels. 
*Mark 19, Light Coil, Light: Found on the Romulus-class Heavy Corvette and the Nemesis-class Sloop, it is inteded to be able to fire off snap shots at short-medium range. 
*Mark 7, Light Coil, Light: A standard in MAC weaponry, this simple cannon is capable of lobbing 600-ton slugs to remarkable speeds. It is universally referred to as the Light Mac. 
*Mark 7B, Light Coil, Light, Special Load: All purpose MAC found on the Heimdall-class Frigate. Meant to perform both combat and support roles, it can fire probes and sensors as well. 
* Mark 7C, Heavy Coil, Light: A heavier MAC variant, intended to make use of overflowing power to allow it to fire above it's weight. It is mainly used by the Helios-class heavy frigate.
*Mark 7D, Heavy Coil, Light, Special Load: A heavy variant of the Light Mac, it can fire high-power rounds, and deliver special probes and drones, so it is usually found on support destroyers. 
*Mark 8, Heavy Coil, Heavy: Commonly referred to as the 'Heavy MAC', the Mark 8 fires a heavy power shell, intended to cripple or destroy enemy warships. It is most commonly seen on the Thermopylae-class Cruiser. 
*Mark 8B, Heavy Coil, Heavy, Special Load: A sepcial variant of the Heavy MAC, it can fire probes and sensors as well as the normal supply of slugs. It is favoured by cruisers like the Andraste-class. 
*Mark 8D, Heavy Coil, Heavy, Heavy Load: The specialised heavy load variant, it can not only fire slugs, but also drones, probes, and some kinds of space craft, allowing the ship to rapidly deploy fighters and dropships, conserving their fuel. 
*Mark 8F, Fast Coil, Heavy: A specialised variant of the Heavy MAC, it is capable of rapid fire, off-setting concerns of power management. These kind of guns are seen on the Victoria-class Heavy Cruiser. 
Mark 8FA, Fast Coil, Heavy, Heavy Load: The heavy load variant of the fast firing Heavy Mac, it can rapidly discharge, allowing it to deploy drones and fighters at high speed. It is used by some models of carrier. 
*Mark 9, Heavy Coil, Super Heavy: While the basic model of the Super MAC, the Mark 9 is not considered standard, and is instead used only strictly-combat vessels, such as battleships. 
*Mark 9B, Light Coil, Super Heavy: The Super Heavy MAC, commonly contracted to Super MAC, is amongst the most powerful cannons in the UNSC arsenal. A single one of these can snap a Covenant Battlecruiser in half from several light-seconds away, firing a 3000-ton slug at near-relativistic speed. This is most commonly seen on the Talion-class Battlecruiser. 
*Mark 9B, Heavy Coil, Super Heavy, Heavy Load: Amongst the largest MACs, but not necessarily the most powerful. The massive size of these guns allow it to also fire special packages of unusual size, like cargo, and the largest craft possible. It is used on Super Carriers, and Command Carriers. 
*Mark 9C, Heavy Coil, Super Heavy, Special Load: Considered standard amongst the Super MAC category, this gun can fire slugs to high velocities, but can also deploy special packages. While utilised by orbital defence platforms, the gun is also used by the Bishamonten-class. 
*Mark 10, Heavy Coil, Ultra Heavy: The largest, and deadliest MAC cannon yet devised, the Ultra Heavy MAC, most commonly referred to as the Ultra MAC, is a cannon that is capable of causing horrendous damage to any prey caught in it's sights. Even Assault Carriers, and CSO-class Super Carriers are not safe. So impractical they cannot be used by defence stations, the Ultra MAC is only seen on Dreadnoughts. 
====Energy Weapons====
The UNSC has begun to deploy energy weapons in place of MACs in increasing amounts, allowing ships to deploy new and deadly weapons. 
=====Ion Cannon=====
A massive energy weapon, the Ion Canon uses a stream of ionised hydrogen, accelerated to near light speed, giving a highly accurate beam weapon. The Ion cannon causes significant damage on impact, the beam carrying significant kinetic energy, but also causes an electromagnetic fallout. While their ship to ship lethality is lesser than a similarly sized MAC, it'S electromagnetic effects are highly prized against starship shielding. Most of them are comparable to the MAC classifications in size. 
*Light - Weapon/Anti-Ship Model 21 Directed Ion Cannon 'Carnwennan’
*Medium - Weapon/Anti-Ship Model 21B Directed Ion Cannon 'Gae Bolg’
*Heavy - Weapon/Anti-Ship Model 21C Directed Ion Cannon 'Claíomh Solais’
*Ultra Heavy - Weapon/Anti-Ship Model 21D Directed Ion Cannon 'Rhongomyniad’ 
=====Laser=====
The UNSC's largest, most powerful weapon. Such a weapon can accurately bisect even Assault Carriers from beyond their effective range. Carried only by some Orbital Defence Platforms and a number of high tonnage ships. This LASER uses a particle accelerator to adjust the beam wavelength, allowing for optimum attack against both shielding and armour regardless of conditions. The deadly beam produces hypervelocity vaporisation in all known forms of armour, generating a HEAT warhead style explosion from the ship's own armour, creating dangerous explosions within the ship than cause severe damage and blow out numerous compartments. This means a single Laser is capable of knocking out a Covenant Assault Carrier. Such weapons are usually rightfully feared by the Covenant, who have few warships capable of standing against it.
*Weapon/Anti-Ship Model 13 Grindell/Galileian Nonlinear Cannon 'Caladbolg': Carried by battlecruisers and super carriers, the Caladbolg is considered a land mark advancement in energy weapons.
*Weapon/Anti-Ship Model 14 Grindell/Galileian Nonlinear Cannon 'Excalibur': Only a few examples of this weapon exist, such as on some experimental Dreadnought platforms. Each is a massive undertaking for the UNSC, and is protected zealously.
=====Other Weapons=====
The UNSC is currently experimenting with a number of new weapons, hoping to gain further advantages over the Covenant. Though few have left the testing stage and moved to operational stage. 
*High Density Lightspeed Plasma Beam 'Kusanagi': An experimental plasma beam weapon, plasma is accelerated to lightspeed creating a lance of burning hot plasma capable of incinerating warships with frightening ease. Largely experimental, most of the weapon is reverse engineered from the results of Project: ARC DREAM. It is power hungry, and requires significant power and maintenance. In parts, the weapon is still poorly understood, and still has many unknowns factors. At this early stage, it is at a fraction of its true capability, and as more of the technology is unlocked, it will only grow in strength.
*Self-Focusing Electrolaser, X-ray (SFELX) 'Fragarach': An experimental weapon, it uses the principle of Electrolaser technology to create a lethal weapon. It fires a laser that forms a laser-induced plasma channel. This conductive channel is then subjected to a high voltage charge, creating directed lightning. This weapon is accurate, but possesses a limited range. It is highly effective against shielding, and produces secondary lethal effects against ships, melting armour plating, damaging more delicate systems, and even killing crew.
===Energy Weapons===
====XEV11-Firebreak Nonlinear Pulse Cannons====
A rare weapon normally only used on Prowler-class vessels, the Pulse Cannon is used to support Prowler operations. The Firebreak Pulse Cannon is precise and deadly, being capable of rapidly adjusting it's power output, allowing it to disable a station with a electromagnetic pulse, or punch holes through a frigate. The beams burn hot, allowing them to rapidly fire in a hail of white-hot energy, but as they fire, the magnetic sheaths begin to deform and accuracy drops. This means they can fire faster, with more powerful beams, at the cost of the weapon becoming non-usable after a few salvoes. Likewise, it can operate for a long period of time by choosing low-power blasts.
====XEV18-Minotaur Nonlinear Pulse Cannon====
A heavy duty variant of the Firebreak, this scaled up Pulse Cannon was developed for use by destroyers and cruisers for short ranged fire fights. The cannon possesses lethal precision, and is utterly lethal against enemy systems, allowing it to knock out weapons, sensors, and shielding. The power output of the cannon can be modified, allowing it to create a more powerful beam that can cause heavy damage, it can keep on a lower beam, but functions better for a longer period. Such cannons are used to give an extra edge during short term fire fights, ideal for hunter-killer formations.
====M54 Lancer Naval Support Energy Weapon====
The M54 Lancer NSEW is centred around a HYPERION 12,000 megawatt Free Electron Laser (FEL), which causes severe thermal and kinetic damage on impact. They are highly accurate and especially destructive in fire against enemy outboard systems (weapons, engines, hangar bays, bridges, sensors) and effective and cripple the enemy's ability to fight, at range. The laser produces impact shock on contact with armour, vaporising armour at speeds in excess of the speed of sound, blowing up armour sections and producing lethal shrapnel from the armour. The laser is highly powerful in support of regular batteries, allowing it to increase the damage caused in a broadside significantly.
====Mark 58 Archon Heavy Naval Directed Energy Cannon====
A large energy weapon, the Archon uses a single high power FEL to produce devastating beams capable of incredible power, with accuracy over long range. Usually used by high-tonnage vessels, this beam weapon is often used to terrible effect during the early stages of a military operation, where it can be fired several times before it overheats. Once the battle enters the 'knife fight' stages in closer quarters, the weapons lengthy charge time, and tendency to suffer beam degradation after repeated shots, results in it being less effective up close. 
====Mark 31 Duchess Heavy Naval Directed Energy Cannon====
The UNSC suffered many hard earned lessons during the Great War, but weapons like this show they grew stronger for it. A high power plasma weapon, the Duchess can fire a incredibly powerful plasma munition. Using technologies seized from the Covenant, the UNSC developed the Duchess, among other weapons. While externally similar to a gauss cannon, the magnetic motors on the Duchess are built to much high heat tolerances. It is loaded with a inert plasma core, which when fed into the firing system is superheated, almost instantly turning it to white-hot plasma, and is then fired. It can rapidly fire unguided shots, creating a lethal salvo up close, or can fire a more lethal guided shot at range, which can be directed by magnetic forces, to home in, and hit its target. 
====Mark 56 Secace Experimental Directed Energy Cannon====
A highly experimental particle cannon weapon, it is a devastating weapon with both accuracy and lethality. A charge beam capable of shredding shielding and armour, this has been reverse engineered from the results of Project: ARC DREAM. More lethal that previously designed laser and plasma weaponry, but at greater costs in terms of energy usage, and material construction, the weapon is currently experimental, thus not in wide deployment yet. 
====Mark 81 Castle Heavy Directed Energy Cannon====
Seen only on the heaviest warships, the Castle is a variant of the Carnwennan ion cannon, designed to be used as a turret, instead of as the main cannon. It's power is such that it can easily cripple smaller warships in a single hit, and in concentrated fire it can render larger ships defenceless, leaving them vulnerable to a follow up attack. 
====Mark 84 Drake Heavy Directed Energy Cannon====
A deadly weapon, intended for protecting warships, is a far heavier variant of the Castle, based on the Gae Bolg pattern ion cannon. Usually teamed with a powerful Mac cannon, or escorts, the Drake can draw out vulnerabilities in heavier capital ships, allowing smaller vessels to exploit this and deal heavy damage.
===Cannons===
====Mark 71 Rampage Light Naval Coilgun Battery====
The smallest ship-to-ship Cannon in the UNSC arsenal, the Rampage LNG is a cannon mounting dual 90mm guns. Carried by light ships, such as Corvettes, Frigates, and Destroyers, the Rampage provides a high rate of fire, though lacks the punch of larger calibre weapons. Capable of rapidly laying down salvoes of fire, its often use to quickly pulverise the shield of an enemy in knife fight ranges.
====Mark 61 Pollux Naval Coilgun Battery====
The Pollux is a small dual purpose cannon, carrying a single 120mm gauss cannon, and two smaller 40mm gauss cannons. This gives it substantial punch against warships, and allows it to engage in a point defence role without sacrificing it's main ammunition. While the single cannon drops the overall rate of fire, the increase in calibre makes up for it. 
====Mark 18 Judge Naval Coilgun Battery====
A mid-scale weapon, the Mk 18 Judge uses two 120mm coil guns, intended to pulverise small ships to capital ships in a hail of gauss fire. Heavy duty cannons, they can form the secondary armament of smaller ships, or 
====Mark 2555 Naval Coilgun====
A Mark 2555 155mm gauss cannon, this high power cannon is often used as a lethal means of stopping the enemy. It is featured on a variety of ships, and while it lacks the rate of fire of railguns, it has greater range, and lethality. 
====Mark 41 Monarch Naval Coilgun Battery====
M41 Monarch NSGs are large, twin barrelled 150mm MACs that supplement Archer pods for close range fights. Where the main gun of the ship is unable to fire, such as close range broadside engagements, the M41 can be deployed from their recess positions to deliver heavy fire to the enemy warship. Though relatively small, especially compared to the mighty main gun of UNSC warships, the M41 can deliver high amounts of fire in a short period of time, causing severe surface damage to enemy ships or shields which can open the way for Archer missiles or can be used to 'snipe' enemy systems, such as weapons, unlaunched ordnance, hanger bays or act as 'counter fire', being able to react and make use of the enemy dropping their shields to fire and disable the weapon or hanger being used. The weapon can also be used in close support of ground operations, being as devastating as a 2000 pound bunker buster bomb Concentrated fire from a collection of turrets can tear apart, with successive slugs being capable of wounding enemy ships. The M41 accelerates it's slugs at hyper-velocity. The turret uses high charge capacitors to attain multiple shots from a single charge.
====Mark 2559 Renegade Heavy Naval Coilgun====
A heavier, and larger variant of the Mark 2555, it fires the larger 250mm slug. Slow to charge, but hard hitting, the weapon is powerful enough to severely damage escorts, and wound capital ships. It's size and power requirements relegate it to only larger vessels like cruisers and carriers. 
====Mark 57 Zeus Heavy Naval Coilgun Battery====
Considered a standard secondary gun for heavy warships, the Zeus replaces the older Spitfire. It uses two 250mm coilguns, capable of quickly unloading a salvo of slugs against targets. The rapid fire turrets are lethal in an engagement, and capable of pulverising the shields and armour of most threats, making them indispensable in most engagements. 
====Mark 19 Tidal Super Heavy Naval Coilgun Battery====
A turreted MAC weapon carried only heavy warships. The weapon is a triple barrelled gun with a 350mm calibre cannon, capable of accelerating a destructive metal slug to hypervelocity. The cannon is primarily used in support of broadside batteries or the main armament, causing significant damage to unprotected targets, and causing significant damage to shielded targets. The gun is also found is massed numbers of the heaviest warships, giving a barrage that can disable lighter warships in a single volley. These replace older Breakwater cannons. 
====Mark 12 Victor Super Heavy Naval Coilgun Battery====
A heavy duty 350mm cannon, the Mark 12 Victory is intended to shatter enemy escorts and light capital ships, providing significant bite in close quarters warfare, or even a lethal threat at range. Often seen as a secondary armament on cruisers, or carriers, these cannons require significant power to operate, relegating them only to larger vessels. 
====Mark 67 Archangel Heavy Naval Coilgun==== 
A turret version of the Mk. VII Light Coil MAC, it is used on the heaviest warships as a close-ranged defence, or as a support gun, designed to help slower ships defend themselves from faster warships.
====Mark 77 Retribution Heavy Naval Coilgun==== 
The heaviest turret in the UNSC, this massive cannon mounts and massive Heavy MAC cannon, usually seen as the main gun on cruisers. Only seen on the largest of starships, the Retribution is used to fend off escorts and cruisers attempting to expose the flanks on larger ships.
===Close-in Weapon Systems===
====Mark 820 Sweeper Close-in Weapon System====
The Sweeper is a 6 barrel cannon, that uses magnetic acceleration to fire 20mm rounds at high speed. Utilising volume of fire over individual lethality, it provides adequate flak cover for smaller warships, but lacks ranged accuracy. using built in sensors, and the ship's own sensor network, it coordinates with other defences to create a hail of fire. To augment their defensive power, they also use a single point defence laser. 
====Mark 44 Menace Close-in Weapon System====
The baseline point defence weapon for most ships, the Menace is a quad 40mm rapid fire coilgun, intended to destroy enemy missiles, ordnance, and starcraft. Using it's own built in sensor mount, and the ship's defensive systems, these guns coordinate with one another to create a blanket of fire around it, firing a mixture of airburst or armour piercing rounds. In addition, it has a point defence laser intended to provide more accurate fire against ordnance.
====Mark 49 Firestorm Close-in Weapon System====
The UNSC's primary point defence system, the Firestorm provides all round defence protection for UNSC ships. it uses two 50mm rapid charge coilguns on a single turret, with the addition of a point defence LASER. These guns can produce a tremendous hail of fire that can annihilate fighters at closer ranges. The guns are arranged into batteries to maximise their firing arcs. These guns carry both kinetic penetrator rounds, and air bursting rounds. 
====Mark 56 Palisade Close-in Weapon System====
Usually seen on larger warships, such as cruisers, the Palisade is a twin 70mm cannon to shred enemy fighter constellations. Using rapid fire coilguns, it can quickly create a blanket of fire, capable of annihilating most threats, and even threatening escort vessels. Such weapons are almost a necessity to protect vessels from enemy fighter attacks. 
====Mark 51 Exile Close In Weapon System====
A heavier variant of the Firestorm, the Exile is a CIWS meant foe heavy suppressing fire against fighter and bomber constellations. Using four 70mm coilguns, it can very rapidly lay down fire capable of shredding enemy fighters to pieces. Like it’s smaller cousin, it also has a secondary laser weapon for interception. These weapons are used on dedicated escorts and larger warships. 
====Mark 445 Gatehouse Close-in Weapon System====
A ball mounted 70mm rapid fire coilgun, it is usually used for station defence. Having a greater field of fire, and manoeuvrability than a regular turret, this is better suited for station defence, allowing one of these guns to quickly acquire, and destroy a target. In addition, they use two point defence lasers, one stationed on each side of the gun, and free of the ball mount, for additional point defence. 
==Autocannons==
===M11 Light Automatic Cannon===
The M11 is a simple weapon, often deployed as a tripod mounted squad support/defensive weapon, that uses 25mm shells. It is gas operated and belt fed, drawing ammo in from an attached tin, drum or belt. Though less capable of the armor penetration possible with the 90mm AT gun on the Scorpion, or the M68 Gauss Gun found on the M12G1 LAAV, it does have effective light anti armour and anti infantry properties, being able to kill even shielded Covenant units in a shot. The M11 has a wide number of shells that provide extra versatility to an already effective gun: an HE Shell (used in anti-infantry operations), an Incendiary Shell (used in anti infantry, anti vehicle (open) and anti infantry in wooded or forested area operations), an AP Shell (used in anti vehicle operations), a Sabot Discarding (used in anti vehicle operations), and an AP-HE Shell (a commonly used dual purpose shell)
===M638 Automatic Cannon===
The M638 Autocannon is a self-loading, 20mm chaingun. It is used as the nose gun on the Falcon, and supporting weapon on some vehicles.
===M1024 Automatic Cannon===
The M1024 Autocannon, also called the Misriah Gun, is a self-loading, 30mm chaingun. It is usually found on light and medium vehicles which is used in a anti-infantry or engaging light vehicles.
===M309 Automatic Cannon===
The M309 Autocannon is a self-loading, 40mm autocannon chaingun, used as a anti-aircraft gun, or as the main weapon of heavy transports.
===M891 Heavy Automatic Cannon===
The M891 Automatic Cannon is a 70mm chaingun, the largest chaingun used by the UNSC.
==Vehicle Mounted Machine Guns==
===M780B Machine Gun===
The M780 MG is a multi-barrelled 6.8mm minigun that utilises caseless rounds.
===AIE-486I Heavy Machine Gun===
The AIE-486I HMG is a 7.62mm multi-barrelled machine gun used to engage infantry, light armour and aircraft. 
===M343B Minigunn===
The M343B Minigun is a improved version of the M343A2. A heavy duty 12.7mm machine gun, its five barrels allow it to rapidly fire. Used in both anti-personnel and anti-air roles, it is frequently carried on the back of the Warthog, and in other vehicle based mounts. 
===M247C General Purpose Machine Gun===
A 7.62 GPMG, the M247C is often used as a coaxial, or pintle-mounted machine gun on vehicles. It is capable of laying down infantry-shredding fire. 
===M247H2 Heavy Machine Gun===
The M247H2 HMG is a heavy duty machine gun, used as a co-axial mount or pintle-mount, and can cause significant harm to infantry, and even light vehicles.
==Gauss Guns==
===M555 Electromagnetic Launcher===
The M555 gauss gun is a high powered Gauss cannon used on Warthogs, or static installations. It fires 25mm slugs at hyper velocity, making it lethal against enemy armour.
===M76 Asynchronous Linear-Induction Motor===
The M76 Gauss Gun uses 30mm slugs and a high velocity gun that greatly increases its armour penetration. It is loaded in clips of three slugs and it uses a advance plasma core, frictionless barrel lining and cryogenic cooling system to maintain maximum operation power. This is normally used on armoured vehicles.
===M85 Asynchronous Linear-Induction Motor===
The M85 Gauss Gun uses 90mm slugs that greatly increases its armour penetration. It is capable of penetrating most tank armour and is breech loaded. It uses a advance plasma core, frictionless barrel lining and cryogenic gas cooling system to maintain maximum operation power. 
===M94 Gauss Gun===
The M94 Gauss Gun is a massive weapon mounted only on the Mako-class Frigate and the M1000 Tiger Heavy Battle Tank. The M94 is a breech loaded Gauss Gun that fires 120mm slugs capable of penetrating all but the very heaviest armour and fortification. It uses a advance plasma core, frictionless barrel lining and cryogenic cooling system to maintain maximum operation power. This was replaced by the M94A ALIM.
==Machine-linked Autocannons==
===M9109 ASW/AC 50mm===
A heavy duty coilgun carried by Katana fighters, and other similarly sized vehicles, it is used to shoot down opposing fighters. 
===M8545 ASW/AC 40mm===
powerful cannons, they are used for interceptors and similar vehicles for punishing fire, and also by the Auriga-class Light Prowler.
===M1075 ASW/AC 35mm===
Carried by the Broadsword, the cannon focuses on rate of fire over velocity, resulting in a faster firing cannon that is effective at a shorter range. 
===M1024 ASW/AC 30mm===
A high accuracy cannon, it is used on the Sabre interceptor, and is capable of firing for prolonged periods.
==Cannons==
===M512 Smooth Bore High Velocity Cannon===
The M512 Smooth Bore High Velocity Cannon 90mm cannon is the standard of the UNSC, with it being the primary cannon of the Scorpion MBT. It is a powerful smoothbore high velocity cannon.
===M567 Smooth Bore High Velocity Cannon===
The M567 SBHV Cannon is a enlarged and longer vesion of the 90mm cannon for anti tank duty. 
===M588 Smooth Bore High Velocity Cannon===
The M588 SBHV Cannon is a 120mm gun that replaced the 105mm gun in service.
===M234 Howitzer===
The M234 Howitzer is a 155mm Cannon that is used as an artillery gun, both standalone and on armoured chassis.
==Special Vehicle Mounted Weapons==
===M579 Canister Gun===
The Canister gun is a 150mm cannon utilising multi-purpose canister shells for a wide variety of purposes, against armour, infantry and buildings. 
===M689 Rocket Mortar===
The Rocket mortar uses a 350mm rocket propelled mortar to cause severe damage against a single hardened obstacle or multiple exposed infantry units or light armour. 
==Rotary Cannons==
===M45 Rotary Cannon===
The M45 is a caseless 20mm, six barrelled automatic cannon used on a variety of vehicles and aircraft.
===M701 Rotary Cannon===
The M701 is a caseless 30mm, six barrelled automatic cannon used as both an anti-infantry and anti-armour weapon.