United Nations Space Command

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The United Nations Space Command is an organization that features in Halo.

Contents

History

Origin

The United Nations Space Command (UNSC) was formed as the result of a series of brutal wars across the Solar System between 2160 and 2164, most prominently among them conflicts called the Jovian Moons Campaign and the Rain Forest Wars, as well as a series of battles on Mars. These conflicts were centered on United Nations clashes with several dissident political movements. Lasting over four years, these destructive wars raged across the Earth and its numerous off-world colonies. The brutal three-way war between the United Nations, Communist and Fascist forces sparked a massive buildup of arms and troops within the member states of the United Nations. Utilizing aggressive space-based Marine drops, the United Nations defeated Communist forces on Mars, which paved the way for the future incorporation of United Nations Marine Corps units as primary ground combat elements. It was at this point that the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) was first created to oversee United Nations deployments across the Solar System. The UNSC proceeded to use its overwhelming military might to crush all remaining enemy holdouts across the system, ending with a single Unified Earth Government under the auspices of the UNSC.

Massive overpopulation and a huge military with no enemy to fight in the decades following the defeat of rebel forces presented immediate problems for the postwar United Nations Space Command. Utilizing the newly developed Shaw-Fujikawa Slipspace Drive, in 2310 the UNSC deployed a vast line of colony starships to colonize the nearest planets and star systems, giving birth to the Inner Colonies. Vast numbers of citizens and soldiers travelled to these new colonies, stabilizing the overpopulation problem on Earth and giving the UNSC military new tasks to handle. As the first colonists were stringently selected, the Inner Colonies eventually formed an "elite" society of the best physical and mental human specimens. By 2490 the UNSC had colonized over eight hundred worlds in the Orion Arm of the galaxy. These colony worlds ranged from fairly well-tamed planetary strongholds to tiny, sparsely inhabited frontier settlements. Outward human expansion continued, and the Inner Colonies became a political and economic stronghold, though they relied heavily on raw materials supplied by the Outer Colonies.

During this period, the planet Reach in the Epsilon Eridani System, right on Earth's metaphorical doorstep, became the UNSC's primary naval fleet yard and training academy. Reach was a major producer of warships and interstellar colony vessels, as well as a training ground for covert operatives and UNSC Special Forces. However, this expansion did not come without cost, as ideological and political causes resulted in many of the Outer Colonies engaging in open rebellion against the UNSC. A series of brushfire wars across UNSC space sprang up, with hundreds more colonies threatening to erupt in rebellion as well. By 2517, UNSC estimates put massive, overwhelming and uncontrollable rebellion across human space at less than twenty years away. This resulted in the impetus for the start of the Spartan-II program, to create a powerful corps of human supersoldiers to quickly and quietly deal with colonial insurrections without incurring massive civilian casualties.

Covenant War

In 2525, the UNSC loses contact with the Outer Colony Harvest. A scout ship sent to the scene never reports back. A UNSC battle group consisting of one destroyer, Heracles, and two frigates, the Arabia and the Vostok, enter the Harvest System. They discover that everything on the planet Harvest has been completely incinerated with the surface melted down to glass. In orbit around the remains of the colony world is a single alien ship, which proceeded to attack the battle group, destroying both frigates and badly damaging the Heracles. Intercepted communications identified the enemy as The Covenant. The message "Your destruction is the will of the Gods... and we are their instrument" was broadcast in English, a result of much study of humanity by the Covenant. Mobilizing the largest fleet action in human history Vice-Admiral Preston Cole leads UNSC forces to retake the Harvest system and destroy the alien fleet stationed there. The result was a victory; however, despite tactical brilliance and strong leadership, Cole lost two-thirds of his fleet to an enemy force one-third the size. The advanced defensive and offensive technologies of the Covenant were years ahead of the UNSC; the aliens had enormous firepower, greater speed and maneuverability, and extremely powerful defensive shielding - only a last-minute tactical inspiration allowed Cole to snatch victory from the jaws of death.

Soon other outer colonies fell under attack. The UNSC go from one planet to another, but are woefully mismatched compared to the advanced technology of the alien invaders. The Cole Protocol is enacted in an effort to stave off the discovery of the Inner Colonies, as well as Earth. Despite this measure, by 2552, UNSC estimates for how long they can hold off the Covenant from Earth has dwindled to months. The UNSC plans a bold move; a team of SPARTAN-IIs will board a Covenant ship, find the Covenant homeworld and capture a Prophet, in an effort to barter a truce with the aliens. Before the plan can begin, Reach is attacked. Despite a sizable effort, Reach's MAC guns are taken offline, and the colony falls. The Covenant take massive casualties losing hundreds of vessels and an untold amount of ground troops. A lone ship, the Pillar of Autumn, escapes with the last known SPARTAN-II alive, the Master Chief.<ref name=manualstory>Template:Cite book</ref>

Surprisingly, the Autumn discovers a massive ringworld of Forerunner origin, which the Covenant call "Halo". The ring has massive religious significance to the Covenant, who see the ring as some sort of weapon.<ref>Cortana: One moment Sir. Accessing Covenant battlenet. (Pause) According to the data in their networks, the ring has some kind of deep religious significance. If I'm analyzing this correctly...they believe that Halo is some kind of weapon. One with vast, unimaginable power. / Keyes: Well...that's true. The Covenant kept saying, "Whoever controls Halo controls the fate of the universe." - Template:Cite video game</ref> Desperate for an edge over the Covenant, the surviving UNSC forces race to claim Halo's secrets for themselves. However, the AI Cortana makes a horrifying discovery; the Halos' weapons would actually destroy all sentient life in the galaxy in order to prevent the spread of the Flood,<ref>Cortana: You have no idea how this ring works, do you? Why the forerunners built it? Halo doesn't kill flood, it kills their food. Humans, covenant, whatever. We're all equally edible. The only way to stop the flood is to starve them to death. And that's exactly what Halo is designed to do; wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life.- Template:Cite video game</ref> a deadly parasite that the Covenant accidentally release on the ring. The Master Chief and Cortana singlehandedly rig the crashed Autumn's fusion engines to explode, which will cause the destruction of both Halo and the Flood infestation.<ref>Cortana: According to my analyses of the available data, I believe the best course of action is somewhat... risky. An explosion of sufficient size will help destabilize the ring, and will cut through a number of primary systems. We need to trigger a detonation on a large scale, however. A starship's fusion reactors going critical would do the job. - Template:Cite video game</ref> The plan works, stopping the Flood and destroying a massive Covenant arsenal, however only the Master Chief, Cortana, Sergeant Avery Johnson and three other UNSC soldiers escape the destruction. The team hijacks a Covenant ship, the Ascendant Justice, and flies to Reach, picking up survivors from the planet. The Justice is destroyed, as is the Covenant fleet around the station Unyielding Heirophant, in a massive explosion which the SPARTAN-II soldiers plan in order to annihilate a massive Covenant armada massing to attack Earth.<ref name=fs336>Template:Cite book</ref> Two crises averted, the last survivors of Reach and Halo speed back to Earth to report.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Despite the destruction of the armada, a much smaller Covenant fleet arrives at Earth soon after, during the events of Halo 2. Covenant ground forces invade and take control of New Mombasa, Kenya. Miranda Keyes and her ship, In Amber Clad, pursue a fleeing Prophet Hierarch from Earth and discover another Halo ring. There UNSC forces and Covenant once again clash in dueling efforts to recover the key to activating Halo. Despite the release of the Flood, with the help of the Covenant Elite Arbiter, Keyes and Sergeant Johnson prevent the firing of Halo, although the unexpected shutdown of the Halo system triggers a fail-safe; all the Halos can now be activated from the "Ark"; at the moment of this discovery, the Master Chief arrives at a besieged Earth aboard a Forerunner ship.

Prior to the siege of Earth, The Covenant was nearly torn apart by a civil war that led to the secession of the Elites, and their subsequent alliance with the UNSC. The Master Chief links back up with the UNSC forces in the area to lead a last ditch attack on a massive Forerunner structure the Covenant uncovered. However, in mid attack, Truth activates the structure and flees through a portal it creates just before a Flood vessel lands on Earth. With the assistance of the Elites, the outbreak is contained. At this point, The Master Chief, Sergeant Johnson, and Commander Keyes take the UNSC ship Forward Unto Dawn to accompany the Elites through the portal to both stop Truth from activating the Halos. Lord Hood and the remaining UNSC forces bunker down to defend Earth from the Flood and the remaining Covenant invaders.

The UNSC/Elite force arrives at the "Ark," a massive Forerunner installation far beyond the galactic rim. In the subsequent battles across the surface of the facility, Truth is killed and the Ark is destroyed, with only a small number of human and Elite troops escaping the aftermath. With the Hierarchs all dead and the Brute leadership utterly destroyed, the Elites, led by The Arbiter and Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadumee, leave Earth and return to Covenant space.

Post-War

The victory during human covenant war came just in time for humanity's home system SOL thanks defense UNSC defense and convent misdirection by the prophet of truth tacitly unsc was able to save most of the population in the sol system around 100 million civilian casualties on sol out of 30 billion.

Six months later, the UNSC Infinity returned to requiem with a full complement of Spartans where they were determined with claiming the Forerunner shield world and study the relics within. The artificial world was by this point occupied by Jul 'Mdama and his forces where his position as the Didact's Hand meant he had a degree of sway over the Promethean constructs. The Covenant remnant forces in orbit were ambushed and defeated by the UNSC who deployed ground forces as they engaged in a long ground conflict against the enemy forces.

Following October 28, 2558 the UNSC came to be largely immobilized by the Created when Cortana and her Guardians took over Earth and most human colonies. The UNSC expeditionary forces that managed to avoid the Created's Guardians were able to regroup with the Swords of Sanghelios on Sanghelios.

By 2559, the UNSC Infinity and its escorts were present at Installation 07 where they launched a mission to neutralise the threat posed by Cortana. In that time, the UNSC flagship was ambushed by the Banished and defeated leading to the UNSC being considered destroyed by Warmaster Atriox.

Overview

Organization

In appearance, the United Nations Space Command was a military organization that worked as the military wing of the Colonial Military Administration. It was tasked with enforcing law and order, including suppressing rebellious insurrections, as well as protecting the Inner and Outer Colonies of the human space empire through the Colonial Military Administration. The government of the UNSC is said to have taken extraordinary steps in the wake of the war with the Covenant in order to defend humanity from the external threat. These include, but are not limited to, the aggressive suppression of armed revolts with overwhelming military support, extensive propaganda operations carried out by the Office of Naval Intelligence in order to prevent a general uprising or panic,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and the recruitment and usage of specialized troops (including a third generation of the Spartan program) on missions against critical Covenant targets. The military appears to have complete control over the prosecution of the war and has never been seen to be hampered by the civilian government. The "Bestiarium" that ships with the Halo 3 Legendary Edition describes humanity's government to be " democratic emergency military, with military having more power than civilian government " which may suggest that the UNSC may usurp or overrule any civilian government that might otherwise be in place as long as humanity remains under threat with the military being around 200 million and victory during human covenant war thanks defense UNSC defense and convent misdirection by the prophet of truth tacitly unsc was able to save most of the population in the sol system around 100 million civilian casualties on sol out of 30 billion.

Following the devastation of many colonies, the UNSC decides to make sure no human ship gives away the location of Earth or any other colony.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The "Cole Protocol", named after Admiral Preston Cole, states that no ship can leave a battle or encounter with the Covenant on a course that heads directly towards a human outpost - instead, a random jump must be made before returning to human space. Also, vessels must purge their navigational databases and self-destruct if captured, and shipboard AIs must be deleted rather than given to the Covenant. In Halo: The Fall of Reach, a human space station Fermion is destroyed by the commanding officer after discovering a Covenant fleet headed towards Reach.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Cole Protocol also inadvertently leads the Pillar of Autumn to Halo (and causes the events of Halo: Combat Evolved to unfold), after Cortana selects captured coordinates as the basis for the slipspace jump.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It also includes a subsection stating that no intact captured Covenant vessel may come anywhere near human worlds for fear of tracking devices. This subsection is first shown in Halo: First Strike, and causes some issues for the protagonists.

An influential body was the UNSC Security Council that was headed by a Chairman. A central military body was the UNSC High Command that oversaw deployment of its forces. Another body was the UNSC Special Topics Committee.

Senior flag officers were given primary administrative and tasking authority over all aerospace assets in a system under emergency security directives.

Senior personnel within the UNSC were equipped with a CNI that had their own transponder signal that allowed such individuals to be tracked through the implant.

Branches within the UNSC included:

  • United Earth Space Corps : also known as the "UNSC Marine Corps", it was the main ground combat arm of the UNSC that could be deployed to handle a wide variety of combat operations. It was composed of infantry serving aboard naval vessels, responsible for security of the ship, its officers and crew, offensive and defensive combat during boarding actions, and carrying out amphibious and planetary assaults.
  • United Nations Space Command Navy : the space combat element of the United Nations Space Command Defense Force. Its roles include ship-to-ship combat, orbital bombardment, the deployment of Longsword atmospheric and space fighters, and the method of delivery for Marine and Special Operations (ODST) forces through use of Human Entry Vehicles (HEVs).
  • ODST : Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODSTs) were an elite special forces group of the UNSCDF Marine Corps, commanded by Naval Special Warfare. They are dropped into their mission areas by an HEV (Human Entry Vehicle) from low-orbit or slipspace drop. It is an all volunteer outfit, and as mentioned in the book Halo: The Flood, it takes a "special kind of crazy" to join. The ODST often find themselves at odds with the rest of the UNSC Marine Corps and some view themselves as above the Marines.
  • Spartan Operations : a newer branch created after the Covenant War and following the creation of the SPARTAN-IV with them being responsible for the deployment of Spartan special operations in the field.
  • Office of Naval Intelligence : the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) was responsible for gathering, interpreting, and disseminating information gathered by UNSC forces. In addition, it maintains many top secret projects, such as the SPARTAN-II and -III projects, and was known for its dubious secrecy to the public. It was divided into four sections with Section One serves as the primary intelligence gathering agency in the UNSC. It is primarily tasked with tracking Covenant military deployments to protect human space, Section Two is tasked with military propaganda and has the unenviable task of ensuring that the majority of the human populace does not realize how perilously close the UNSC is to losing the war with the Covenant. Section Three was the element of ONI that had established the SPARTAN project, and handled other special weapons projects. Section Zero serves as ONI's Internal Affairs division, and monitors all other divisions. Of the four known sections, Zero is the most secretive, and some question its very existence.

During the Covenant Warm the UNSC established the WINTER CONTINGENCY that were a set of emergency plans and directives that guided their actions. These included preventing the Covenant from uncovering the location of Earth. Under the Contingency, it was an offence to interfere in Spartan deployment and could see the offending party placed in a prison cell.

Special projects and initiatives launched by the UNSC included:

  • Project: CRUCIBLE : established after the Covenant War that was established alongside the ANVIL Initiative which involved the establishment of a joint task force made of both humans and Sangheili from across a number of disciplines and specializations working together. These included artisan armorers and technical experts to battle-bred warriors and steel-willed super-soldiers working in joint training exercises.

A number of manufacturers and developers were responsible for creating UNSC equipment and weaponry with these including:

  • Acheron Security :
  • Misriah Armory :
  • JOTUN Heavy Industries :

Technology

The UNSC was noted to had created neural interface technology that were implants placed at the base of the skull through sophisticated surgery. Typically, this was used as a means of conveying information to the user such as a friend or foe indicator. Commanding officers were known to be equipped with a command neural interface that was used to store data codes, NAV data, receive telemetry from outside sources and to hold classified information. AI's were capable of accessing this information with the consent of the user.

A piece of equipment created for the use by Spartan soldiers and ONI operatives was the Artemis Tracking System (ATS) developed by Ohana Prescient Systems. It was an advanced scanning system with an early unfinished already being used where it highlighted enemies by scanning surrounding areas for any objects of interest for intelligence analysis. The system highlighted enemies and scanned for surrounding region for technological artifacts that could be of tactical use or items of interest for intelligence analysts. ONI's Xeno-Materials Exploitation Group had worked long to unlock the secrets behind the Forerunner's dynamic threat acquisition and engagement systems. This led to translation protocols that integrated Forerunner weapons into the UNSC smart-links and HUDs with some limited functionality. This was only improved through collaboration with Swords of Sanghelios artisan-warriors and Covenant dummy plugs which allowed for partial replication of cryptic Forerunner sub-mechanism and interface signals. This saw the creation of the MORPH SIGHT that was an advanced tactical configuration used by the UEG's elite bodyguard corps. It provided enhanced acquisition speed against targets that showed Flood signature with work being made to integrate the resonance of certain weapons.

The UNSC came to use second-generation 'dumb' AI that managed a vast array of municipal functions within humanity’s many large-scale cities. It was shown that humanity had created third-generation, military-grade artificial intelligence that could be tasked specifically for operational analysis and mission support. They were later known to had developed highly advanced, fourth-generation intelligence constructs.

A type of fusion reactor used by the UNSC was the MEP-PU-2550D/E Generator that were air-transportable power plants used by the Army and Air Force units to meet their mobile power requirements. It was used in tactical environments were facility-integrated solar panels and wind turbines were insufficient or inappropriate.

Despite the fact that the Halo universe is in the 26th century, human technology for day-to-day living is largely unchanged. However, mankind has reached the stars and created a large interstellar empire of over eight hundred worlds, made only possible with spacecraft and Shaw-Fujikawa slipspace drives, which allow quick travel over extremely long distances, although the accuracy of the system is still rough.

One key element of UNSC technology was the development of artificial intelligences. The operational life of AI's was seven years upon coming online at which point they began to degrade. By that point, they began to experience a period known as rampancy. Instead of 'shutting down', their cognitive processes began to divide exponentially according to their total knowledge base. Thus, the AI literally thought themselves to death with their being no means of recovering from this stage. As such, there were clear regulations about the final dispensation of the AI at the end of their lifespan.

A jump in technology was made once the Covenant became a major threat to the survival of humanity. Like the Covenant have with the Forerunners, the UNSC has managed to procure Covenant technology and apply it to their weapons systems and ships. Unlike the Covenant, human scientists are willing to innovate from this advanced technology and do more than merely copy it. Much of the SPARTAN-II Project's technological area, which includes the development of the MJOLNIR Mark V battle armor's shielding system, is largely derived from Covenant technology, then improved beyond the original capabilities.

ONI later developed the Brokkr Armor Mechanism that was a multi-axis assembly system designed to mount or remove Spartan armour.

UNSC small arms use conventional technology in their working mechanism—projectiles and chemical propellants. An exception to this is the Warthog-mounted Gauss Cannon, which uses similar technology to the ship-based MACs, albeit on a much smaller scale. However, in designing the structural layout of their small arms, the UNSC will often use, by modern standards, unconventional layouts such as bullpups. In addition, they employ a variety of high tech electronic accessories for their small arms. These increase the soldiers' ability to effectively use the weapon and include Heads-Up-Displays (HUDs), smart-linked scopes, digital ammunition readouts, and other helpful widgets.

Infantry weapons developed by the UNSC included:

  • MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System : developed by Misriah Armory, this Assault Rifle was one of the oldest rifle designs used by the UNSC.
  • BR85 Heavy Barrel Service Rifle : developed by Misriah Armory, the Battle Rifle was a burst fire weapon that was fielded during the Insurrection.
  • CQS48 Bulldog :
  • Asymmetrical Recoilless Carbine 920 : developed by Acheron Security, the Railgun were single-shot semi-portable electromagnetic launchers.
  • MLRS Hydra : the Multiple Launch Rocket System Hydra was manufactured by Chalybs Defense Solutions was a rapid-fire guided munitions launcher that used gyroscopically stabilized, high-explosive micro-missiles capable of locking onto enemy targets.
  • ARC-920 railgun : the Asymmetric Recoilless Carbine-920 was designed and manufactured by Acheron Security who created a compact-channel linear accelerator.
  • Weapon/Anti-Vehicle M6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle : developed by Misriah Armory, the Spartan Laser was a single-shot anti-vehicle directed-energy weapon fielded late in the Human-Covenant War.

Humans do have a few of what would be considered directed energy weapons, such as the Spartan Laser. The Spartan Laser is a special purpose anti-vehicle laser weapon. The relative newness of the Spartan Laser in the UNSC arsenal suggests that the basis of the technology may be reverse engineered from Covenant means of portable energy storage, though this is largely speculative as many details of the weapon remain classified.

They has made use of turret based mass driver weapons as fixed emplacements.

The Magnetic Accelerator Cannons were coilguns used extensively by the UNSC. These weapon systems are mounted on most UNSC capital ships - destroyers, cruisers, frigates, and carriers. Larger versions are used on orbital defense platforms. The weapons are among the most effective in the UNSC arsenal against the Covenant, even more so than nukes; while ship-based MAC guns can pierce Covenant shielding in two hits, orbital-based MACs are able to punch a hole through a Covenant capital ship with one round, causing it to disintegrate.: The Cairo is just one of three hundred geosync platforms. That MAC gun can put a round clean through a Covenant capital ship.

UNSC vehicles, like the small arms employed by infantry, utilize generally conventional, modern technology, such as wheels and treads, as opposed to Covenant vehicles which utilize boosted-gravity propulsion drive technology. However, while they are limited by standard tires and treads, UNSC ground vehicles do feature notably more advanced technology than modern vehicles. Warthog LRVs (often shortened as "hogs" by fans), for example, feature hydrogen fuel engines and compact nanotube wheels. Their armament is also generally of the same basic design as modern weapons systems, utilizing chainguns, HEAT rounds, and guided missile weapons. However, some Warthog models feature heavy gauss cannons for anti-vehicle and light anti-armor duties, while others replace their armaments to accommodate additional passengers for light transport duties.

The organization maintained a number of vehicles that included:

  • Honeybee : the OQ-45 Honeybee drone entered into service in 2554 after the war with the Covenant with special units being assigned to the UNSC's xenoarchaeological survey groups and long-range commando groups. It used an advanced sensor system o detect enemy forces for both ground and air combat operations but could equally be tasked with cartographic scans as well as mineral surveys for civil and scientific missions. These remote VTOL craft could fly independently or launched by mag-rail assist where they were unmanned but monitored closely by either human or AI controllers from a command post. An advanced multi-channel datalink system allowed multiple users and analysts to simultaneously use and direct the vehicles sensors. The drones were built for speed and endurance that made them surprisingly durable along with a low sensor profile with an adaptive combat-proved flight system. Its construction made use of materials from Misriah Armory's AV-49 Wasp project though the Honeybee's most distinctive feature was its large faceted multi-stack Ocelli sensor cluster. The drone also used LIDAR and GPR sensors beneath the central dome sensor cluster that was its most fragile component and was easily damaged thus requiring expensive maintenance. The wings used small turbofans to provide lift whilst two compact hybrid fusion drives could push the drone into planetary orbit where its fuel allowed for limited space missions after leaving the local gravity well.
  • Mongoose : the Mongoose M290 All-Terrain Vehicle were produced by AMG Transport Dynamics since 2483 that came in civilian and military variants.
  • Warthog :
  • Scorpion :
  • Grizzly :
  • Elephant : the M313 Heavy Recovery Vehicle that was manufactured by JOTUN Heavy Industries that was deployed as a Mobile Assault, Support, and Recovery Platform.
  • Cyclops : It was later designed to be the HRUNTING Mark III Cyclops.
  • Mantis : also known as the Mark IX Armor Defense System with this being a combat vehicle used in a number of different configurations by the UNSC and licensed security forces. They were highly mobile well-protected, air-droppable and could be reconfigured into a number of different forms. These bipedal walkers had a default armament that was a chaingun that was able to target both ground and air targets.
  • Colossus :
  • Sparrowhawk : the AV-22 Sparrowhawk was deployed towards the end of the Harvest campaign where they shared many similarities with its aerodyne cousins namely the Hornet, SkyHawk and Kestrel. This included VTOL propulsion system that combined a turbojet with dual lift fans, autocannon armament, and cyberlink-compatible fly-by-light avionics. met with great success in the war against the Covenant, serving as a gunship escort for troop transports, providing aerial security, and operating in hunter-killer squadrons that harassed Covenant landing zones and troop columns. Combat losses were always high, though pilots accumulated enviable kill ratios. primary weapon systems are a pair of brutally effective GAU-23/AW long-barreled rotary autocannons installed on weapon armatures below the aircraft. These cannons can fire the full range of aircraft 20mm ammunition, though the standard loadout is either M718 SAPHEI or PGU-42/B API (with a depleted-uranium core). Though considered a secondary weapon, the Sparrowhawk also features a chin-mounted variant of the UNSC’s GUNGNIR M6 directed energy system, allowing the gunner to conduct devastatingly effective long-range strikes with pinpoint accuracy. The Sparrowhawk's M6 nonlinear cannon uses components that were later miniaturized and installed on infantry-portable M6/E variants after the Covenant War.
  • Falcon : the Falcon UH-144A were versatile, transverse-rotor multipurpose utility helicopter developed by Misriah Armor that entered service in 2497 but were typically seen among garrison forces on inner colony worlds.
  • Kestrel : the AV-30 Kestrel was a Light Assault VTOL produced by Misriah Armory that operated more long the lines a well-armed, high-mobility combat hovercraft.
  • Condor : the Condor D81-Long Range Transport developed by Misriah Armory resembled the Pelican though these ships had FTL capabilities allowing for a longer range of operation without the need of a capital ship to deploy them. The slipspace drive was rated for only 5 trips before a comprehensive retuning was needed and after 8 trips it required a full rebuild. A crew of 15-20 personnel could be stationed on the ship who tended to call it the 'Fat Pelican' or 'SuperPelican'. They were generally un-armed with a multi-sensor package replacing any rotary autocannons that were seen on the Pelican. However, it does retain its original six hardpoints on the wings with colonial operators typically creating custom fire control systems in the civilian versions of these craft.
  • Sabre : the YSS-1000 Prototype Anti-Ship Spaceplane was part of the top-secret Sabre Program in 2547 that looked to develop a craft able to combat enemy forces both in space and in an atmosphere.
  • Booster Frame : the Open Frame 92 / Extra-Vehicular Activity was a heavily-armed, open-framed incursive vehicle that was specifically designed for deep space use and close-quarters environments.

The UNSC fleet has been massively reduced by nearly 3 decades of war with the Covenant, but the remaining shipyards continue to produce warships to defend the remnants of human space. UNSC production facilities have begun to be moved away from Earth and Mars following the destruction of Reach, in an effort to decentralize war production with the apparent Covenant discovery of Earth's location.

The primary offensive armament of UNSC spacecraft were Magnetic Accelerator Cannon(MACs). These high velocity coilguns were used to accelerate projectiles ranging in mass from 600 metric tons in the case of smaller warships, and 3,000 tons in the case of Super MAC platforms. These projectiles were composed of Titanium-A, depleted Uranium, or Tungsten with a ferrous (iron) core. In Super MAC platforms, they were accelerated to over 40% of the speed of light by twenty-three linear accelerator coils. Meanwhile, the ship-based MACs had a lower velocity by comparison. UNSC warships also carried Archer missile pods for ship-to-ship engagements, which proved themselves most effective against unshielded targets. A common tactic among groups of UNSC ships was to hammer the target's shields with MAC weapons and then pummel it with Archer missiles.

UNSC ships also carry Shiva nuclear warheads, an advanced form of nuclear missile that was able to overcome the limitations of nuclear missiles in space, capable of generating EMP bursts even in a vacuum.

As well as these, the UNSC mounts 50 mm MLA CIWS for defense against enemy fighters and boarding craft, controlled by shipboard AIs.

In space, their armaments included:

  • M50 Guardhouse autocannon turret :
  • LNT-450 naval coilguns :
  • M390 Streak-II point defense missile pods :
  • M58 Archer missile pods :
  • M44 Ares missile pods :
  • M870 Rampart point defense guns :
  • 5D7C2 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon :
  • M4093 Hyperion nuclear delivery system : these were a type of nuclear weapon developed by Acheron Security.
  • Brightlance reflex laser : a laser based direct energy weapon used by ships.

UNSC warships are also equipped with significant Marine detachments for security, boarding actions, and planetary assault, and carry all the armor and firearms that could be needed by ground forces. It is implied that a significant portion of the interior of UNSC warships is devoted to this purpose.

Types of fighter craft used by the UNSC included:

  • F-41 Broadsword :
  • C-709 Longsword : These are armed with 110 mm Gatling Cannons and Anvil-10 ASMs. Alternatively they can be radio controlled and used to carry a Shiva that will detonate on impact, effectively destroying both the Longsword and its target.
  • B-65 Shortsword :

Starship classes used by the UNSC included:

  • Mulsanne-class : a class of frigate that were similar to design to the Paris and Charon classes. They were armed with a unique directed energy weapon named a Brightlance reflex laser which can unleash shield-piercing blasts.
  • Anlace-class : a class of escort frigate whose design was considered novel by the navy with a frame adapted for atmospheric operations. Its weapons systems lacked a spinal MAC and missile pods but instead relied on directed energy weapons for sustained combat operations for those periods between resupply. A number accompanied the UNSC Infinity during its deployment to Kamchatka in October 2558.
  • ONI Prowler :
  • Scholte-class : a 258m class of missile corvette manufactured by TanSec AB that was the lynchpin of CMA fleets at the height of the Insurrection where they replaced the older Osa and Akita vessels. Fitted with a good mix of cannon and missile batteries, backed by a comprehensive sensor system, the Scholte was classified at the time as state-of-the-art frigate. As larger ships entered service both its classification and stature diminished, but it remained a vessel that could be counted upon to punch far above its tonnage class. They became the main ship classes that UNSC Navy recruits operated as part of their training deployment. The Scholte-class had a reputation for being reliable, heavily-armed, and rarely utilized in any fleet engagements until the final months of the Covenant War due to its slow boost speed and limited slipspace capabilities.
  • Lancer-class : a 341m class of fast-attack corvette manufactured by Kuushan Shipyards that were the fastest warships available to the CMA and UNSC at the time of its introduction. Long and sleek, they evoked speed even when docked. Over-gunned and under-ranged for most Insurrection-era deployments, the Lancer-class found its calling in the months and years following the Covenant assault on Harvest. The primary armament of the Lancer are rapid-fire naval coilguns, which allowed it to harass large Covenant ships from a relatively safe distance, and eliminate smaller vessels before they could get into plasma torpedo range. Its relatively small magazine capacity meant that a typical strategy was for Lancer squadrons to 'dump rods' early in the engagement and then attempt to disengage to behind the main fleet and replenish their stores. The class’s limited endurance both in terms of ship stores and fuel meant that their use was restricted in wartime expeditionary operations, and most were relegated to internal patrol and planetary defense picket duties. Many were even stripped of their slipspace drives, with the extra space used for additional ammunition and crew comforts.
  • Stalwart-class: a 478m light frigate designed for planetary defence who enjoyed a great period of success as they balanced the needs between troop transportation and fleet support with them being armed with a Mark II Light MAC along with M58 Archer Missile Delivery System and a M870 Rampart Point Defense Network.
  • Halberd-class : the 485 meters destroyer was a relatively small warship designed by SinoViet Heavy Machinery. They used wolfpack tactics where they employed coordinated MAC fire and hit-and-run manoeuvres against more powerful enemies.
  • Charon-class : a class of light frigate that measured 489.71 meters long where they performed fleet escort duties and planetary defence roles.
  • Poseidon-class : a class of light carrier that measured 719.0 meters long that had a sleek, elongated, and somewhat cylindrical in general shape.
  • Halcyon-class : a 1,171m class of light cruiser designed in 2510 that saw a brief period of service that ended due to cost, lack of speed and poor initial armament that became part of a series of concerns over its tactical viability.
  • Autumn-class : a 1,425m long heavy cruiser manufactured by SinoViet Heavy Machinery that fulfilled attack or command roles within a fleet.
  • Valiant-class : a 1,518m super-heavy cruiser manufactured at the Martian shipyards and was first drafted as a compromise between a battleship and heavy cruiser. It suffered through years of feasibility studies and redesigns before the first hull was released from the Martian shipyard docking clamps in 2493. It showed promise during initial testing and evaluation, but cost overruns and delays in incorporating next-generation fusion drives seemingly doomed the class. Less than two years after entering service the Valiant was stricken from the UNSC Navy rolls and partially scrapped. The ship would have been a mere footnote in Navy history were it not for the expansion of Navy prestige and responsibilities following revelations of Colonial Military Authority (CMA) infiltration by Insurrection sympathizers in 2497. Almost overnight the Navy was faced with a lack of command-and-control vessels, with ships traditionally assigned to such tasks quickly tied up in lengthy counterinsurgency operations. The Valiant-class had the tonnage and firepower to augment battle groups composed of smaller vessels on patrols, as well as the space to install flag bridge facilities demanded by admirals leading the expeditionary operations. The Valiant and a handful of other super-heavy cruiser spaceframes were converted into command ships; the most famous of these refurbished vessels was the Everest, fated to be the flagship of the legendary Vice Admiral Preston Cole. However, resource and crew shortages during Operation: TREBUCHET and continuing in the Covenant War curtailed plans to give all Valiant-class warships a complete suite of command upgrades.
  • Phoenix-class : a 2,500 metres long colonial support vessel originally designed for transporting equipment and colonists in the UNSC's expansion efforts. They were capable of being retrofitted for war and were used as military ships.
  • Punic-class :
  • Infinity-class : the 5,694m starship built post-Covenant War was the largest and most powerful vessel developed by humanity at the time. Deployed after 2552, the ship was publicly commissioned for peaceful exploration and research.

Territory

Earth which was located in the Sol system served as the capital of the Unified Earth Government (UEG) and the center of UNSC power.

In 2080, Mars became the first planet colonized by humanity and had quickly become a major industrial hub in the Sol system. Much of the UNSC ship production was handled by the Reyes-McLees Martian Shipyards.

A notable colony of the UEG was Harvest that was located in the Epsilon Indi system that was the chief exporter of agricultural goods throughout human-occupied space for almost a century. This was until the war with the Covenant where it became one of the many colonies destroyed by the alien empire in 2525.

Another important world to the UNSC was Reach that was the 4th largest planet in the Epsilon Eridani star system. It was a hub of humanity's military fortification outside of Earth and had the UNSC's biggest and most prevalent shipyard.

As part of the ANVIL Initiative, the U.N.S.C. retrofitted an orbital facility coined Anvil Station to serve as a place for the partnership between them and the Swords of Sanghelios. It was hoped that the place would help in putting aside differences between mankind and the Elite whereby cooperation could become the cornerstone of a robust rebuilding effort that aimed to see benefit both species. From Anvil Station, the U.N.S.C. could test skunkworks technologies and clandestine prototypes where some were destined for full and successful production runs whilst other merely serving as a stop-gap in the development pipeline of Mjolnir components, weapon advancements, and more. Warriors from both sides were eager to face off in field test simulations whereby it was hoped that this would not only advance their respective technologies but hone their personal proficiency in battle.

The UNSC once established a secretive space-based facility named Laconian Station that was used to house Spartan operatives.

It was shown that they established Defense Coordination Zones that were monitored by their fleets.

Members

  • Cole :
  • Terrence Hood : a male Fleet Admiral who served as the UNSC Navy’s highest ranking officer and stood as Chairman of the influential UNSC Security Council.
  • Hieronymus Michael Stanforth :
  • Catherine Halsey :
  • James Gregory Cutter :
  • Jacob Keyes :
  • Miranda Keyes :
  • Randall Aiken :
  • Jameson Locke :
  • Olympia Vale :
  • Holly Tanaka :
  • Franklin Mendez :
  • Edward Buck :
  • Andrew Del Rio :
  • Thomas Lasky : a male human who reached the rank of Captain during the Covenant War where he was assigned to the UNSC Infinity.
  • Sarah Palmer : a female human who was augmented into a SPARTAN-IV after the Covenant War where she was a senior figure in Spartan Operations.
  • Henry Glassman :

Notes

  • The United Nations Space Command was created by Bungie and featured in the setting of the Halo universe.

Appearances

  • Halo: Combat Evolved:
  • Halo 2:
  • Halo 3:
  • Halo: ODST:
  • Halo: Reach:
  • Halo Wars:
  • Halo 4:
  • Halo 5: Guardians:
  • Halo Wars 2:
  • Halo Infinite:

External Link

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