UNS Vanguard — lead ship of the first UN battleship class, designated the Vanguard class, disclosed to the public only after its first combat engagement on 22 November 2141, when it destroyed seven Belt piracy vessels. Hull and armor derived from Dome 1 xenomaterials research; propulsion by Dome 5’s Direct Fusion Drive (aneutronic D-He3 field-reversed configuration, generating both thrust and onboard power from a single core) — described as a substantially improved lineage descendant of the Kuzmin Drive. Twelve battleship-class hulls total are under construction at Luna, with escort tonnage outsourced to Deimos. The program’s existence, timeline, and total cost were not disclosed in any public registry prior to the engagement.
By 2165, Vanguard serves as flagship of First Fleet under the UN Strategic Fleet Command, formed at the commissioning of UNS Citadel — one of ten battleships in the fleet’s authorized ninety-one-hull strength. A sister ship of the class, UNS Vigilant, ended the 2168 Demeter raid.