Commissioned in 2411, the Herald-class colonial support ships are among the longest-serving ships still in use in the UNSC Navy. Originally intended for use as colony ships, transporting colonists and terraforming gear, a number were appropriated by the Navy for conversion into troop transports, freighters and carriers. Today, only seven Herald-class ships remain in service serving as carriers, troop ships or orbital support craft, the last of their kind.