[REWRITE, STRIP OUT NON-ALLIANCE HUMAN SHIPS AND ALL REFRANCES TO THEM]
DREADNOUGHTS: The ultimate arbiters of space combat, Dreadnoughts are massive warships of millions of tons each with spinally mounted Mass Accelerators running most of the ship's length. The first Hierarchy Dreadnoughts were built during the Hierarchy military buildup before its intervention in the Unification War.
Alliance Dreadnoughts were initially designed as massive Monitors but were changed into long-range warships midway through design.
The Treaty of Farixen was created in the aftermath of the Krogan Rebellion to restrict the number of Dreadnoughts in existence, first to 25 Dreadnoughts for the Hierarchy, 15 for the Council Races, and 5 for the Associate Races. After the Geth War, the Hierarchy was able to lobby for an increase in the Dreadnought count allowed by the treaty, permitting the Hierarchy to control 40 Dreadnoughts, with 24 for the Council Races and 8 for the Associates. In the centuries since the Geth War, high costs, the need for patrol vessels, and their minimal use in a peacetime environment led to the Hierarchy lowering the amount of Dreadnoughts in active service to 32, reducing the Hierarchy's Dreadnought Squadrons from 4 Dreadnought units to 3 Dreadnought units.
Ironically, considering the Alliance's use of the term Dreadnought), the word for these vessels in Cipritiness (the primary language used by the Hierarchy military), Vergauntus, directly translates to "Battleship" (it is a compound word combining Ver, meaning "Ship," with Gauntus, meaning "Battle" or "Conflict").
The Alliance only operates two Dreadnoughts as of 2157, the Everest and the Fuji, both of the Everest class.
Alliance Dreadnoughts are named after mountains, while Hierarchy Dreadnoughts are named for adjectives (resilient, defiant, etc.).
The EVEREST class was first conceived as a type of super-heavy Monitor for use by the Alliance as a Relay defense ship, more a mobile weapons platform for the Type 49-800x75-1 Mass Accelerator than a warship of its own. The plan for the class changed mid-construction, with the vessel being redesigned into a full warship, though lacking the range of the Cruisers in the Alliance fleet. This change was caused by a shift in ideology within the Alliance, moving away from the static defenses favored prior towards a more aggressive response to attack. The high cost of the Everest led to it being redesigned instead of scraped. The Everest proved itself during the Joint Naval Exercise of 2154, where it gained several simulated kills and was not destroyed even over all 23 days of the event. The exercise results led the Alliance to order another Everest class Dreadnought, the Fuji, slated to be completed in June 2157. At 888 meters long and 3.2 million tons, the Everest class is relatively tiny compared to modern Dreadnoughts within Council Space, but compared to the Vigilant class, the first class of Hierarchy Dreadnought, it is vastly larger.
The DEFENDER class is the oldest class of Dreadnought still in use by the Hierarchy. First built in 2048, the class is currently being decommissioned, with the three oldest of the class, the Defender, Valiant, and Vigilant, already being decommissioned. At 920 meters and 3.6 million tons, the Defender class is small compared to modern Hierarchy Dreadnoughts.
The WARRIOR class is the main class of Dreadnought used by the Hierarchy. First starting construction around the turn of the century for humanity, construction of the class has halted in favor of the newer Guardian class. With the expected 100-year service life for Hierarchy Dreadnoughts, the first ship of the class, the HWS Warrior, finished in 2098, is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2198. The class is the first to use the new 80cm L900 Mass Accelerator, leading to it being a bit narrow compared to most Hierarchy Dreadnoughts, at 1000 meters and 3.8 million tons
The GUARDIAN class is the successor to the old Defender class. With a relatively unchanged design from the Warrior class, the most notable improvements are the integration of a new ablative armor material, giving notably more protection from lasers, and an increase in broadside armament. The class is 1000 meters long and 4 million tons in mass.
CARRIERS: A purely human invention, the Carrier is less a warship and more a mobile Space Station. When the Eintien was first built, it was never meant to participate in combat; it was only when the Joint Naval Exercise showed the extreme effectiveness of Fighters that the idea of using the Carrier in combat was seriously considered.
The Hierarchy, and all other groups, don't have Carriers as humanity uses them.
Alliance Carriers are named after important humans from history.
The EINSTEIN class was built to spearhead Alliance exploration and colonization efforts. The class can carry the foundations of an entire colony or the supplies and manufacturing facilities for an extensive exploration expedition. The Einstien class can also carry Fighters and commonly does to ward off pirates. The class is 720 meters long and masses 2.5 million tons.
CRUISERS: The backbone of most military operations, Cruisers are the most economical warships in use, capable of operating as a patrol ship, force projection tool, or even flagship. Cruisers have far longer operational ranges than any other warship type. The Hierarchy did not build the first Turian Cruisers; instead, they were created by the pre-unification factions before the Unification War as a method of long-range patrol and force projection. The nation of Earth have operated Cruisers since before the discovery of the Mars Ruins.
Cruisers, alongside their Battlecruiser variant, are the largest vessels that any Earth nation will usually operate.
Battlecruisers, while holding the name of the 20th-century warship type, have little in common with it. Instead of being capital ships built like Cruisers, with the firepower of the former and speed of the latter, Battlecruisers are instead the size of Cruisers but designed similarly to Dreadnoughts. They are relatively common in the Terminus Systems and Attican Traverse, as smaller governments wish for vessels with similar roles to Dreadnoughts but lacking the high costs.
The Alliance operates a Cruiser force of 50 vessels: 29 of the Geneva class, 10 of the Annapolis class, 5 of the Salamis class, and 6 of other classes. Combined, the nations of Earth operate a Cruiser force of 42 vessels.
The Hierarchy splits its Cruiser fleet into two types: Patrol, or Light, Cruiser and Treaty, or Heavy, Cruisers. Light Cruisers fulfill the vast patrol needs of the Hierarchy without bankrupting the government. Far smaller than Heavy Cruisers, these vessels have equal range and sensors as their older siblings, yet lack their firepower or protection. Nevertheless, the Hierarchy considers them acceptable for routine patrols and hunting minor pirate groups, though Heavy Cruisers are brought in if fighting against other Cruisers is expected. Heavy Cruisers are built up to the limit stipulated in the Treaty of Farixen as the dividing line between Cruisers and Dreadnoughts, around 1.2 million tons (100,000 Urulics, an Asari unit of measure equal to about 12.075 Tons). These vessels are the primary ships used in Turian Battle Fleets alongside Destroyers and the few Dreadnoughts in service.
The Hierarchy operates a far larger Cruiser force than the Alliance, with 342 Heavy Cruisers and 1200 Light Cruisers.
Alliance Cruisers are named after cities, while Hierarchy Cruisers are named after war heroes.
The ANNAPOLIS class was one of the earliest eezo-equipped Cruiser classes in service. When the Mars Ruins were first discovered, there was a race between the nations of Earth to build warships equipped with eezo and the new technologies from the ruins. One of the first designs completed was the UNAS's Annapolis class, based on the pre-eezo Halifax class. When the Alliance was formed, it had no warships to its name, and designing them would take months at the least, so it simply ordered Annapolis class vessels as a stopgap measure. The class is nearly obsolete as of 2157, and its early design has many restrictions; though some have been refitted to improve their capabilities, they will never match second-generation designs. The class is 520 meters long and masses 600,000 tons. The Alliance currently has 10 of these vessels in service.
The GENEVA class is the first and only Alliance-designed Cruiser class. First introduced in 2153, the Geneva class was the first second-generation Cruiser design to be fielded in human space and included several improvements over the first-generation vessels. Tragedy struck when the SSV Nairobi, a Geneve class Cruiser, was destroyed alongside the Acheron Gateway Station when the vessel's antimatter containment failed. This event caused all antimatter-equipped vessels to be forced back into dock to check for faults in their containment and led to all Geneva-class Cruisers having to go through a minor refit. After the events of the Joint Naval Exercise, the Alliance approved an increase in Geneva production of 40% for the next batch. It approved the creation of the Geneva Flight IA variant based on lessons learned in the Exercise, starting with the Genevas under construction in 2154. The Alliance currently operates 29 Geneva-class Cruisers, 10 of Flight I standard design, 19 of Flight IA design, and an additional 7 Flight IA vessels are under construction. A few national navies operate Geneva-class Cruisers, with 7 in service and two under construction. The class is 550 meters long with a mass of 800,000 tons, though the Flight IAs have an increased mass of 820,000 tons.
The SALAMIS class would have been an entirely unremarkable design if not for its opportune timing. The class was built for the Hellenic Navy by Ming Fleetworks as its flagship. The class is one of the cheapest second-generation designs, built to a budget and only affordable due to the eezo found under the Aegean Sea. However, it retained a surprising amount of combat ability. The class would have been a one-off design, never replicated, if not for the panic following the Joint Naval Exercise of 2154. With most governments wishing to increase their naval power after their poor showing in the exercise, the orders for new Cruisers were being made. The Salamis class was the most modern Cruiser design in human space at that time, an important thing considering the breakneck pace of development in the 2150s; with its newness, low cost, and rapid build time, it was an appealing vessel for multiple navies. Thus, the class became one of the most numerous Cruiser classes in human space, with 22 in service between a dozen nations and five more under construction. The Alliance operates 5 Salamis class Cruisers, vessels inherited from the navies of later Alliance nations. The Salamis carries many torpedoes to compensate for its small size and comparatively weak main guns with munitions. This armament is viable because the class is designed to fight in the relatively close ranges of Earth orbit or Relay actions. The class is 450 meters long with a mass of 350,000 tons.
The PALISIS class, named after the commander of the 79th Guard Flotilla during the Siege of Digeris, is the Hierarchy's primary Light Cruiser, being used to patrol Council Space. The HWS Maulin is scheduled to patrol the Da Ling Liu System and check on Relay 314 on April 4th, 2157. The class is 500 meters long and 450,000 tons.
The QUINION class, named for the Hierarchy's chief of naval operations during the Red Fleet Crisis of 1455, is the Hierarchy's main Heavy Cruiser class, operating as the primary force projection vessel of the Hierarchy. The Heavy Cruiser Victotion acts as the flagship of the 92nd Patrol Flotilla. The class is 700 meters long and 1.2 million tons.
DESTROYERS: While humanity has its Carriers, what it lacks are Destroyers, which are vital units in any fleet engagement. Destroyers first appeared in the later days of the Krogan Rebellion as a force amplifier, escort, and colonial defense unit. Smaller than Cruisers but far larger than Frigates, Destroyers are equipped with torpedoes and quick-firing, fast-tracking guns and Guardian Lasers. Destroyers are used during fleet battles to counter fast attack craft like Corvettes, Frigates, and Fighters during the early stages. As the range closes, Destroyers harass larger vessels and strike them down with torpedoes. Humanity has no Destroyers in its forces. Hierarchy Destroyers are named for cities and towns.
The VORUNAE class is the current Destroyer of the Hierarchy. At 360 meters long and 335,000 tons, the class is average for a Destroyer. In 2144, a secessionist group, the Wings of Freedom, stole a dozen Vorunae class Destroyers from a Hierarchy shipyard and broke for the Terminus Systems. They only managed to make it two relays before being caught by the 11th Fleet, leading to the Battle of the Relay 129, where the Destroyers were recaptured, though a few had to be destroyed.
FRIGATES: Frigates fill a vital role in most militaries across the galaxy, that of a forward scout and light skirmisher. Humanity's first interaction with Frigates was the vessel known as Mars Gamma, a Prothean Frigate found in the Mars Ruins. Humanity copied the vessel's purpose as best it could, giving rise to the first human Frigates.
The Hierarchy does not consider frigates to be warships. This is a result of the history of the development of Hierarchy frigates. During the years after Turian expansion into the galaxy, as the colonies were dividing themselves, they began needing scout ships for reconnaissance. One of the most common methods for gaining these vessels was to refit Heavy Lift Shuttles. These crafts already carried large eezo cores to lower transport costs to orbit. They had large cargo areas that could be converted to store fuel or replaced with more advanced sensors, and they were ubiquitous, making procurement not an issue. These vessels proved invaluable, and even after the practice was discontinued, and as Turian Frigates increased in size, they remained not being considered warships.
Frigates are used for scouting, pursuit, and rapid attacks on vulnerable targets. During battle, Frigates operate in groups of four to six to allow them to engage larger vessels like Destroyers and Crusers. Frigates strike at Cruisers that have been damaged or lost their barriers, swooping down like vultures to finish them off. Human Frigates are also designed to carry Disruptor Torpedoes to increase their firepower further.
The Hierarchy operates a force of 1056 Frigates. The Alliance has a force of 128 Frigates, 72 of Heartbreak Ridge class and 56 of Hastings class.
Alliance Frigates are named after battles, while Hierarchy Frigates are only designated based on their Squadron (i.e., Frigate 42-2-3 for the third Frigate of the second Division of the 42nd Squadron).
The HEARTBREAK RIDGE class was the first Frigate class used by the Alliance. Based on the Chinese Type 02 class Frigate, the design was altered to increase range and include some of the new technologies discovered from the Mars Ruins over the months between the construction of both designs. The class was built in large numbers, originally meant as the primary patrol ship of the Alliance; that fantasy died quickly as the Alliance began to understand the scale of their task, which made the idea of Patrol Frigates untenable. Nevertheless, the class found good use as pursuit ships hunting down the endless swarm of Skiffs that plague human space. The class lacks antiproton drives in its standard configuration; this was rectified in the Flight IA design that came out in August 2150, though it was not perfect, so the Hastings class was created as a replacement. The class also lacks a spinal mount, a problem when chasing Skiffs. The Flight IA included a relatively light underslung Mass Accelerator, solving the problem with Skiffs, though it proved useless against anything more significant. The class is usually 154 meters long, though the addition of the underslung gun increased the length to 160 meters, and it has a mass of 12,500 tons, 13,000 for Flight IA.
The HASTINGS class was the first class of Frigate created solely by the Alliance. Introduced in 2152, it includes a pair of large spinally mounted guns, giving it far more conventional firepower, though at the cost of much of the Ridge's torpedo armament. This proved beneficial during the Joint Naval Exercise, as those Frigates that closed in to use torpedoes were commonly destroyed. Production of the class is far more limited than that of its predecessor, being built on the understanding that they would never be used as the standard patrol ship of the Alliance. The Hastings is 160 meters long and masses 14,000 tons.
[Next is a reference I put in while I was writing for hierarchy fleet numbers]
Hierarchy Fleet:
Patrol Flotilla: 8 Light Cruiser, 1 Heavy Cruiser
Division: 3 to 6 ships
Cruiser Squadron (18 ships): 1 Heavy Cruisers Division, 2 Frigate Divisions (6 Heavy Cruisers, 12 Frigates)
Destroyer Squadron: 3 Destroyer Divisions (12 Destroyers)
Corvette Squadron: 4 Corvette Divisions (24 Corvettes)
Scout Squadron: 2 Frigate Divisions (12 Frigates)
Dreadnought Squadron (39 ships): 1 Dreadnought Division, 6 Frigate Divisions (3 Dreadnoughts, 36 Frigates)
Guard Flotilla (60 ships): 1 Destroyer Squadron, 2 Corvette Squadrons (12 Destroyers, 48 Corvettes)
Expeditionary Fleet (54): 1 Cruiser Squadron, 2 Destroyer Squdrons, 1 Scout Squadron (6 Heavy Cruisers, 24 Destroyers, 24 Frigates)
Battle Fleet (105 ships): 1 Dreadnought Squadron, 1 Cruiser Squadron, 3 Destroyer Squadrons, 1 Scout Squadron (3 Dreadnoughts, 6 Heavy Cruisers, 36 Destroyers, 60 Frigates)
Guard Command (60 to 600 ships): 1 to 5 Guard Flotillas (12 to 60 Destroyers, 48 to 240 Corvettes)
Sector Fleet Command (104 to 282 ships): 1 to 3 Expeditionary Fleets, 10 to 20 Patrol Flotillas (16 to 38 Heavy Cruisers, 80 to 160 Light Cruisers, 24 to 72 Destroyers, 12 to 36 Frigates)
Hierarchy Navy (4388 ships baring Corvettes): 8 Battle Fleets, 24 Expeditionary Fleets, 150 Patrol Flotillas, 200 Guard Flotillas (32 Dreadnoughts, 342 Heavy Cruisers, 1200 Light Cruisers, 3264 Destroyers, 9600 Corvettes)