Falchion-class Frigate - History: The vessel itself is a product of the Voss Forge World and was designed to fulfill a similar role as the Sword-class Frigate. It is an escort ship and as such is individually weak and therefore operates paired with three or four other escorts; sometimes up to six starships are grouped together in a single squadron.The Falchion has a small weapons battery and a single torpedo tube. It also has a void shield generator and turret array for protection.The Falchion design began with a set of plans that were stolen by Chaos Traitors from the Imperial orbital shipyards at the world of Monsk. While this design would appear among the Chaos Warfleets as the Infidel-class Raider, the Navis Imperialis' attempt to reconstitute the data in the stolen plans would result in the development of the Falchion-class.The pattern's operational successes have tended to be in a defensive, rather than offensive, role where it is used to clear ordnance threats to the more ponderous capital ships. However, in a stand-up fight it simply cannot compete with the damage potential of the much more widespread Sword-class Frigates that are found in most Navis Imperialis fleets.Nevertheless, when guided by an able commander, the Falchion can be a surprisingly effective warship. During the Chaos invasion of the world of Adumbria in 938.M41, a pair of Falchions were the only Imperial vessels on station when the Ravagers armada of a dozen or more vessels emerged from the Warp.Though unable to stop the Chaos forces from landing their troops on-planet, both vessels were able to slip into the null-fire zone to the aft of the Chaos starships, destroying two with torpedo volleys and a third with their weapons batteries before the Chaos forces returned fire. Again, their superior speed and maneuverability allowed the Falchions to disengage without taking significant damage. Seven solar months later, vessels of the Falchion-class would confront their erstwhile "sister" class, warships of the Infidel-class, for the first time in the Sabatine System.The Falchion is considered a new class, having only been first laid down in 261.M41. Given the Navis Imperialis' deference towards the truly ancient voidships in its arsenal, the class (given its mere 550 standard years of service) is regarded as an untried and untested pretender to the throne of more established ships like the venerable Sword-class Frigate.As such, it has engendered some undisguised and unfair hostility from the more hidebound and traditional sections of the Battlefleet Calixis officer class. This is a pity, for the Falchion, like all warships produced in the orbital shipyards of the Forge World of Voss, is a thoroughly well-constructed and innovative design. It is more flexible than many frigates, having, unusually, the capacity to carry torpedoes.This has led to the class being used in a more aggressive capacity than perhaps suits it, more reactionary officers tending to treat it as an upgunned heavy destroyer. This ignores its abilities as an escort vessel for larger craft, its original purpose.Battlefleet Calixis currently has only one squadron of these ships, the three-vessel Broadsword Squadron patrolling a long loop around the Scintilla/Iocanthus/Sepheris Secundus triangular trade route. There is, however, talk of diverting the squadron to conduct long-range scouting patrols into the Halo Stars.Rogue Traders, being freethinking innovators, are less likely to adopt the Navy's unsympathetic approach to the new class, and it is not surprising that some Falchions have already been sighted within the Koronus Expanse.