The Ashforth-class Frigate was a light-tonnage warship employed by United Nations Space Command forces during and after the Human-Covenant War. Often referred to as expensive cannon fodder, ships of the line were highly vulnerable to hostile space forces, also they proved to be much more efficient when supporting forces on the ground. The first ship of the class, the UNSC Ashforth, was launched alongside six sister vessels in 2529, and the final vessels of the class were either reallocated or scrapped in the early to mid-2580's.