Archer missile (Earth-5875)

The Archer missile is the standard ship-to-ship missile issued by the UNSC Navy.

History
The Archer missile was created during the Secession as a formidable weapon used against Insurrectionist-led ships. When the First Contact War started, the UNSC Navy discovered its Archer missiles were largely ineffective against the vastly technologically superior Covenant warships, its shielding technology destroying legions of Archers upon impact. Ships such as the DAV-class light corvette, featured their own jamming mechanisms that made it impossible for the Archer missiles be guided towards them.

Tactics were soon developed by the Navy to counterattack, such as the use of the more expensive, but more effective Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, which, while slow, could tear a Covenant ship apart. Archers were then re-purposed to only combat smaller Covenant ships in space.

Overview
UNSC ships carry hundreds of Archer missile pods that complement their Magnetic Accelerator Cannons. The pods themselves carry two dozen missiles which are vulnerable against point-defense weapons. Their numbers, however, make them important assets in swarm tactics. The Covenant's energy shielding technology easily depletes the missiles, but small, unprotected ships can still fall to their firepower.