UNSC MARINE CORPS

Protectors of Mankind and the true heroes in the Covenants genocidal war against the human race, the UNSC MARINE CORPS stands where other have fled - giving what precious little life is left to stem the alien tide and offer a glimmer of hope in a darkening universe. Following the 21st Century, humanity continued to expand into the dark realm of space. Within a span of 500 years, the domain of human kind had grown from a planet of 6 billion to a space faring civilization over a trillion, from 1 world to over 800. During this time, mankind would find itself unchallenged in military supremacy in both space and on its many worlds with its growing influence and sphere of control mankind was unaware of the dangers surrounding it and of the trials to come. The genocidal war with the Covenant is stressing the resources of the UNSC(United Nations Space Command) forced to fight a war of attrition against an enemy with both greater number and extremely advanced technology. In almost every sphere the Covenant would prove to be the better of man, an interstellar empire of unknown size striking from the void. Destroying planet after planet and seizing victory after victory with humanity knowing full well that each victory gained is at only the highest cost. The war caught humanity within a time of increasing political instability, caught in a war with the insurrectionist forces that sought to split humanity apart. Perhaps because of fate or dumb luck this turn of events would prove to aid humanity in its eventual war for survival.

PERPETUAL WAR
While humanity is faced with the horrors of an alien empire, fighting a desperate war against a superior enemy, they are nowhere near defenseless. Years of constant insurgency by rogue elements, and pirates had given humanity a chance at survival (if slim). The constant conflict forging a mighty military and birthing the greatest shield for battles to come. For this reason the Covenant were engaging a species tempered in conflict and unwilling to go quietly into the night as darkness slowly closes around them. The armies of man have changed much from those of 21st century. From the reliable MA5C of the UNSC Marine Corps to the colossal Marathon class cruisers of the UNSC Navy, the weapons of humanity stand ready to fight and defend the remaining human colonies. While in no respect is a human the equal of a Sangheili warrior they are not to be scoffed at. For it is not the close combat prowess that makes the average marine a deadly enemy but the pride in his heart and the family he is leaving behind. Every warrior knows that every covenant step closer to home is that much closer to the deaths of their family and there future. The tactics of the Marine Corp is one of shock and awe, rapid air insertions and ground assaults supported by the warthog and pelican transport vehicles, followed closely by the pinpoint accuracy of Scorpion main battle tanks and deadly rocket barrages from airborne Hornets. The average Marine with his MA5C and supported by heavy weapons and elite ODST s can quickly overwhelm an objective and disappear as fast as they came. Speed and firepower is the essence of success, lacking numbers the military of humanity must rely upon strategy and tactics if it is to survive.

The war with the covenant has forced humanity into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Forcing the UNSC to resort to guerilla tactics and avoiding major engagements. While exceedingly rare to deploy, the full might of a Marine Corp division has led to substantial victories planet side, stemming the tide of alien invaders and buying time for a hope of victory.

UNSC HISTORY
Origins During the course of the Human-Covenant War, the Marines played a central role in The UN Marine Corps (predecessor of the maintaining a defensive stand as well as UNSC Marine Corps) was one of the primary assaulting several Covenant base of combat groups fielded by the UN in the operations. The battles of Harvest, Arcadia, Interplanetary War, and were the first Sigma Octanus IV, and Earth saw fierce military organization deployed offworld in fighting between Marines and the Covenant 2163. After the United Nations claimed Army. victory in 2164, it reorganized into the UNSC, thereby changing the UN Marine Corps to the UNSC Marine Corps. Later, the UNSC Marine Corps would be responsible for dealing with Insurrectionist uprisings among UNSC colonies star systems. First Encounter First Battle of Harvest

The UNSC Marine Corps' first encounter with the Covenant was at the First Battle of Harvest in 2525. At the event, only three Marine officers were present, training the planet's Colonial Militia. During the battle,

Human-Covenant War

Captain Ponder became the Corps' first casualty of the war.

in an attempt to secure a mysterious Forerunner structure in the region.

Outer Colonies Main articles: Third Battle of Harvest and First Battle of Arcadia

The First Battle of Arcadia saw the UNSC Marine Corps holding the defensive line around major population centers to allow evacuation for the civilian population with

Five years after the First Battle of Harvest, the assistance of the SPARTAN-II Red Team. the Corps' experienced their first major Successful keeping Covenant forces from encounter with the Covenant at the Third occupying the population centers, the Battle of Harvest in 2531. During the event, Corps' began launching multiple assaults on the Marines quickly established a base of the Covenant's base of operations to operations in Harvest's arctic region. A reclaim the planet. reconnaissance force led by Sergeant John Forge was deployed to survey the area. However, during the patrol, Covenant The Corps' experienced another encounter forces under the command of a Covenant with the Covenant on the colony world of Arbiter overran and nearly destroyed those Sigma Octanus IV. Upon landing, the base of operations. Forge rallied scattered Marines' hardware and equipments were marines, who quickly retook the base from rendered useless due to the planet's harsh the aliens. After receiving reinforcements environment. In the first stage of the battle, and repairing the base, the Marines fought during a naval engagement, a Covenant through a sizeable Covenant garrison force Carrier was able to land a large contingent Battle of Sigma Octanus IV

of troops on the northern pole of the planet. The Covenant were able to take Cte d'Azur, a major population center. Fortunately, almost all of the civilian population was able to be evacuated beforehand, and UNSC Marine Corps General Kits launched a failed assault to retake the city.

infantry. The situation became severe and critical where the Marines were forced to defend the Orbital Defense Generators against a massive Covenant assault, using every available armored vehicle and defensive positions from available bunkers. The Battle of Reach became one of the most devastating UNSC Marine Corps defeat in the Human-Covenant War.

Battle of Reach Battle of Reach Battle of Installation 04 Battle of Installation 04 The UNSC Marine Corps maintained a sizable presence of Reach when the Covenant stormed the planet bypassing the defense fleet in orbit and the MAC Gun platforms thus make a landing of large numbers of soldiers on the south and north poles. During the early hours of the battle, the Covenant had overrun FLEETCOM HQ on Reach, destroying the perimeter and swarming the Marine defenders with Banshees, Wraiths, and battalions of The surviving Marines from the Battle of Reach served an important role in the Battle of Installation 04, taking part in such engagements as securing the UNSC Pillar of Autumn crash site, launching multiple guerrilla assault on Covenant convoys and base of operations and rescuing captured Pillar of Autumn's personnel from a Covenant Battlecruiser. Initially, the Marines were part of a special operation

consisting of a sizable Orbital Drop Shock Trooper special forces detachment and a standard Marine detachment to infiltrate Covenant High Command and kidnap a Covenant Prophet.

System. They played a significant role in the the Covenant ground assault on Earth where they defended multiple major population centers from the Covenant's occupation such as those in New Mombasa and Cleveland and Havana.

Battle of Earth Battle of Earth "Dear Humanity, we regret being alien bastards. We regret coming to Earth. And we most definitely regret that the Corps just blew up our raggedy-ass fleet!" Sergeant Johnson The Marine Corps also partook in a major UNSC assault with the UNSC Navy in Voi. As ground forces, the Marines engage in the Battle of Voi with a SPARTAN-II supersoldier by eliminating anti-air vehicles and anti-air battery structure as well as destroying temporary Covenant outposts to allow UNSC reinforcements to fortify the area.

The UNSC Marine Corps remained in force on Earth and its geosynchronous Orbital Defense Platforms, and were mostly prepared to repulse a relatively small Covenant invasion when fifteen Covenant capital warships, two Assault Carriers and thirteen Covenant Cruisers, entered the Sol

Several Marine detachments made a major turning point during the course of the Battle of Earth where they manage to retake the cities and maintain a temporary ground control for UNSC reinforcements to arrive. Such Marine detachments were the 405th Marine Infantry Division which was able to

engage against the Covenant ground forces in Mombasa, Kenya as the Covenant Assault Carrier landed Phantoms, Orbital Insertion Pods, and used its Gravity Lift to directly deploy reinforcements.

Furthermore, white jackets and blue trousers are worn instead of the blue dress uniforms of the United States Marines.[1] However, in 2525, the uniform apparently consisted of a blue jacket and trousers, similar to that of the USMC.[2]

Battle of Installation 00 Main article: Battle of Installation 00 Battledress

Standard Main article: UNSC Marine Corps Uniform Battle Dress Uniform Dress Uniform

Main article: Dress Uniform (UNSC Marine Corps)

The Marine Corps Dress Uniforms are similar to those worn by their 20th and 21st Century predecessors in the United States Marine Corps. UNSC Marines wear what appear to be the UNSC's modified and stylized version of the United States Marine Corps emblem on their collars.

armor plating covering the head, torso, A Marine in the Jungles of Kenya. shoulder, and shins. At times, they only wore their utilities and soft body armor, Marines have few bio-augmentations and usually wear passively camouflaged armored uniforms. They wear dark-colored metal-alloy armor to shield them from gunfire. Marine helmets are mounted with holographic text-displaying eyepieces and helmet recorders. As well as helmets, Marines on field operations in more humid locales sometimes choose to wear boonie covers, or those in colder environments don visored and thicker helmets. Standard Marine battle armor appears to be woodland-pattern camouflage utilities, Marine NCOs are easily recognized by the cover that they wear complete with the UNSCDF insignia, although they oftentimes substitute this soft cover for a more practical protective helmet. along with an olive drab load-bearing armored vest. The standard-issue armor is uniform than the body armor issued to the Marines on Alpha Halo, as the Marines no longer appear as a rag-tag group of survivors, but as a unified force. They no longer wear boonie covers and are never seen in combat without rigid armor. In fact, even forgoing helmets and body armor plating in hazardous combat operations. At times, their helmets were also substituted for boonie covers and sometimes bandannas. However, since they had to get off the Pillar of Autumn, they probably didn't have time to grab their gear. Some Marines had small medical packs built into their back armor plating.

Marines on Installation 04 sported gray fatigues, and over that, pieces of brown

the only time Marines were seen without any armor was during the awards ceremony aboard Cairo Station. In that particular case, they were wearing their white dress

marines can be seen operating vehicles more frequently, and are noticeably better at driving them.

Marines operating in cold environments uniform. wear environmentally-tailored armor, with Another variation of Marine armor is an evolution from that mentioned above, with heavier and well-articulated olive-drab full body armor (armored vest, shoulder plates, elbow pads, and knee pads) over woodland Special Forces camouflage utilities, allowing them to passively camouflage well in jungle terrain. Marines sometimes don small helmet communications microphones or blackphased sunglasses on their helmets, and others carry backpacks. Marines have been seen to wear black gloves, probably to protect their hands and improve their grip on their weapons. Some marines sport orange visors which attach to the brim of their helmets. This usually signifies advanced vehicular training, as these Orbital Drop Shock Troopers sport heavy and articulated black battle armor, which are also believed to double as an armored g-suit that allows for safe transport in small ships during turbulent atmospheric entry. They also wear fully-visored black helmets that cover the entirety of the head. This armor provides ODSTs with more protection then standard marine armor. Their armor could also take several head shots. insulated snow camouflage utilities and full body armor and well as insulated and visored helmets with something analogous to a balaclava.[3]

[edit] Armament

Anti-armor fire is provided by the M19 and M41 rocket or missile launchers and the

The standard issue weapon for UNSC W/AV M6 G/GNR Spartan Laser directedMarines Corps is the MA5 series of assault energy-weapon. Anti-air fire is provided by rifles. Most Marines were issued the MA5B the M19-B SAM Missile Launcher, capable variant until its replacement in late 2552 by of destroying Banshees and damaging the BR55HB SR and MA5C. Suppressive fire Seraph fighters. was provided by the M247 GPMG during the Battle of Earth, presumably replaced by the AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun by the The UNSC Marines Corps' standard vehicle time of the Battle of Voi. Special forces and is the M12 Warthog LRV, used for armored vehicle crews are issued M7 and M7S patrols and personnel mobility. The M12G1 Submachine Gun variants, with personal Warthog LAAV is used as an anti-armor sidearms such as the M6 Series. vehicle, mounted with an M68 Gauss Snipers operate the SRS 99C-S2 AM and SRS 99D-S2 AM sniper rifle variants for antimateriel and anti-personnel operations, with the M99 Special Application Scoped Rifle used as a dedicated anti-materiel weapon. Standard UNSC sniper team consists of two operators; a spotter and a sniper. Cannon, as well as the M12A1 Warthog LAAV mounted with a 102mm SC-HE Rocket Turret, firing 102mm shaped-charge highexplosive rockets. For heavy engagements, the Marine Corps operates the M808B Scorpion Main battle Tank, and uses the Wolverine in an anti-air role. [edit] Ground Vehicles

[edit] Aircraft

The UNSC Marine Corps also operates the Longsword as it's primary fighter for tactical

The Corps' most common aircraft is the bombardment, the Hawk as an close air Pelican dropship, either the D77-TC or, in support gunship, the Shortsword as a shortlate 2552, the D77H-TCI variants, as range bomber, the Hornet aerial support multirole aerodynes which is capable of vehicle, and the SkyHawk VTOL strike carrying a mixture of Scorpion anti-tank fighter. Marine air units are intended rockets and Anvil II air-to-surface missiles, usually to support ground forces or to drop and equipped with either chin-mounted off vital equipment for the Marines, either 7.62mm Machine-Guns or 70mm Autoin close-air-support or air interdiction roles, Cannons. with the UNSC Navy or UNSC Air Force taking on the dedicated air force role.[4]

WARTHOG
The M12 LRV Warthog is the UNSC Light Reconnaissance Vehicle, used for its scouting capacity, or as an integral part of a mechanized infantry unit; the M12 has been a part of the UNSC's armored vehicle fleet for fifty years, and is the most recognizable vehicle in their arsenal. vehicles, replacing fossil fuel-based engines some 400 years ago. The M12 features a Graf/Hauptman solar/saline actuator, and will convert up to twelve liters of fresh, brackish or salt water into hydrogen on the fly, this allows the Warthog to travel 790 kilometers or 490 miles before it needs to be refueled. Detritus is compacted on The M12 is a four wheel all-terrain vehicle board. The M12 is a huge, unwieldy, capable of going over any obstacle without difficult to steer vehicle until a user learns difficulty; under the hood the M12's power how to drive it properly. With proper is generated by a forward-housed lowapplication of the hand, or "e-brake" the profile liquid-cooled hydrogen-injected ICE M12 can actually turn on a dime. Massive I/C plant, coupled with an automatic disc brakes and its automatic braking infinitely variable transmission (IVT). The systems, allow the vehicle to come to a hydrogen fuel is burned at very high near immediate, but controlled stop should temperature with a synthetic carbon/silicon the driver be ejected, or choose to leave the catalyst to achieve even better fuel vehicle. The Warthog's tires, have moved consumption. This hydrogen engine is the away from previous inert-gas pocket standard among all UNSC ground based inflation, with equally burst-proof single

unit nanotube skeletons. They provide the buoyancy and ride of gas-pocket tires, but are almost indestructible. The relatively massive tires are a joint project between Michelin-Vance and AMG.

The M12's design places it into the jeep family of vehicles; it has no doors and has a total seating of three. The M12, although deemed a reconnaissance vehicle, is at best an understatement; the M12 is fully capable of both offensive and defensive capabilities. The M12 can also serve as a support vehicle, or a transport vehicle. The M12 can be armed with a wide variety of equipment, however, its main armament is the M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun, and the mounted weapon includes a battery for short term operation separated from the vehicle, but normally operates on the vehicle s power supply. A M68 Gauss Cannon can be mounted on the back of the M12, making it capable of taking on light armor

SCORPION MBT
The M808 Scorpion is an armored attack vehicle that has been in service for more than thirty years, and serves as the UNSC's main anti-vehicle platform. The M808B is considered "light" by standard definitions but has served as the UNSC's main battle tank well before the Human-Covenant War. Its separate four nacelles track tread design allows it to traverse any terrain with little to no difficulty, and prevents the vehicle from being easily disabled. The central chassis is simple in design containing the main armament at the stern of the hull, and the crew compartment forward of it; and the machine gun at the bow on certain variants. The chassis is covered with heavy titaniumceramic armor plating, making it incredibly resilient to small-arms fire; however, it's still possible for infantry-portable antiarmor weapons to inflict catastrophic damage. The M808B only requires a crew of one, with complete weapons control allocated to the driver, provided the driver is equipped with a neural interface. Otherwise, it requires one driver and one gunner on a coaxial mounted machine gun.[5] As time has progressed, the Scorpion has been modified into more than a halfdozen different versions, however, despite the modifications the Scorpion's psychological aspect and versatility remain unchanged.[5]

The Scorpion is equipped with two weapon systems. The 90mm High Velocity Cannon the M808B's main weapon - fires 90mm Tungsten Armor Piercing Ballistic Capped Rounds at a high velocity, with a three-to-

four-second delay between each round. The secondary weapon system is the M247T 7.62mm AP-T Medium Machine Gun, used for engaging infantry. The 90mm cannon, although the standard weapon on the M808, could be considered "light", compared to the 105mm cannon that can be mounted for greater offensive power. Along with its weapons system the Scorpion is equipped with anti-mine detecting software and electronics to help increase safety while in use.

MONGOOSE
The M274 Mongoose ULATV is one of the fastest and most maneuverable ground vehicles in the arsenal of the UNSC Marine Corps. It is a highly effective vehicle for reconnaissance, rapid transportation, swift tactical versatility, and for shooting between positions. A smaller cousin to the ubiquitous M831 Troop Transport, the Mongoose is a small ATV capable of carrying a driver in the middle of the vehicle, and features a rear platform that can be used to carry one additional passenger. Because it carries no armament of its own, having a passenger is usually essential if engaging in a combat zone. Due to its smaller size, the Mongoose is a difficult target for both slow and fast moving enemy weaponry, as opposed to the Warthog, whose size is somewhat substantial. However, one should note: It's a common misconception that this ULATV is faster than any other ground vehicle in Halo 3, when the M12 LRV Warthog is actually faster (this is due to the different camera angle between the two, as well as the Mongoose's better acceleration).

The Mongoose's high speed, light mass, and practically non-existent armor make it unwieldy and difficult to control at high speeds and/or over unstable terrain, making the ULATV vulnerable to destabilization, crashes, and flips. To make matters worse, the design of the vehicle and it's lack of armor leave both the driver and passenger completely exposed. Furthermore, the Mongoose does not incorporate any offensive or defensive capabilities, making the Mongoose's only practical defenses an armed passenger and its speed. Thus, the standard UNSC Marine

Corps operating protocol in engagements against Covenant forces is to place a M41 Rocket Launcher-armed Marine in the passenger position to fire rockets against slow-moving hostile vehicles, while the driver uses the Mongoose's superior speed to evade enemy return fire. In a last resort situation, the Mongoose can be used to run over nearby enemies. Yet, attempting a splatter is usually an ineffective plan: The low width and height of the vehicle, combined with the aforementioned instabilities when driving, make it very difficult to successfully score an impact on an opponent.

Finally, this vehicle is considered to be analogous to the Covenant Type-32 "Ghost" Rapid Assault Vehicle, despite the offensive, defensive, and performance differences.

For quick and practical deployment, the Mongoose can be transported by the Pelican troopship or the Behemoth-class Troop Transport (Elephant). Additionally, the AV-14 Attack VTOL appears to have a winch capable of transporting the ULATV, but it is not seen used during game play.

PELICAN
The D77H-TCI is a fleet wide upgrade to the UNSC's squadrons of Pelican troopships that have been in service for over 50 years. First seen deployed in November, 2552 the Pelican is the primary tactical support aircraft of the UNSC. The Pelican serves a multi-role purpose, it is fully capable of Atmospheric flight and can land almost anywhere without difficulty, the Pelican is also capable of limited spaceflight, making it the prime troop transport of the UNSC. The D77H-TCI makes several drastic design changes to both the interior, and exterior, although the exteriors changes are not as noticeable as the interior is. The first significant change is in the cockpit area of the D77H which instead of having the pilot and co-pilot sitting next to each other, the copilot is now seated behind and above the pilot, the controls and instrument panels The pressurized payload area has also seen a design change; the D77H-TCI variant of the Pelican carries the same number of passengers as its predecessor. However, its troop-bay is more flexible, able to carry up to two Mongoose ULATV's internally, in A bottom-profile of the D77H-TCI Pelican Troopship. have been rearranged and upgraded for the D77H. A small holo-tank is installed in the cockpit, allowing an artificial intelligence to project its holographic form to the craft's pilots.

Payload Capacity

addition to ten passengers, also it has a hermetic door on its rear section for shipto-shore orbital insertions. Its tail-mounted magnetic clamps are capable of carrying a M12 Warthog LRV, M12G1 Warthog LAAG or M831 TT Warthog, an M808B Scorpion MBT, or four Type C Resupply Capsules rather than six of the older Type B Resupply Capsules, to the battlefield, able to detach its payload without landing decreasing the chance of an attack while it unloads.

carrying a vehicle internally. The D77H can also be equipped with ANVIL-II ASM Pods; the design of the pods has changed, and now seamlessly blends with the Pelican. The new ANVIL pods can fire up to 12 missiles at once, six from each pod. A Gunship version of the D77H is in service as well, this heavily armed version, is equipped with more chain guns, missiles, and a large cannon, mounted at the ventral-fore of the troopship.

Armament

Propulsion

The D77H-TCI Pelican, like its predecessor, is compatible with the Rotary-cannons in both 40mm and 70mm types. The Pelican is also able to mount an AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun in its troop-bay compartment for supporting ground teams and covering the departure of its passengers, an improvement from the previous M247 GPMG, although this prevents it from

The main engines are mounted in pairs in four nacelles, one situated on each wing and two at the rear and posterior. The nacelles can articulate independently, thus altering the direction of thrust, referred to as vectoring in aviation; this improves the Pelican's low altitude maneuverability. Four ventral thrusters are identified by markings and a rendered thrust effect, one on each

wing nacelle and one on each aft nacelle, allow the drop ship to land and take off vertically. These engines are capable of both space and atmospheric operation. It has 8 jet intakes, 3 on each side and 2 on top.

borne flight as opposed to wing-borne flight which can be further reinforced with the fact that down-ward aiming jets can be seen on the bottom of the thruster mountings. It should be noted that small wings are very efficient for high-speed flight, as demonstrated by the F-104 Star

The wings mounted on a Pelican seem fighter. It is also a benefit for operations in extremely small, too small to support the the upper atmosphere, especially re-entry, weight of drop ship and payload alone. It is as was the case with the X-15. The D77Hspeculated that it utilizes at least some TCI, like the D77, although fully capable of Lifting Body principles, using its own hull orbital insertion, is too small to be equipped create most of the lift necessary for flight. It with a Shaw-Fujikawa Tran slight Engine, may also be that the Pelican partially relies and thus is incapable of slip space travel. upon thrust vectoring, referred to as jet-

SUMMARY
TROOP TYPES
_____________WS BS S T W I A LD SV PAGE MARINE 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 5+ 3 3 3 1 3 2 8 5+ 4 3 3 1 3 1 8 4+ 4 3 3 1 3 2 9 4+ 3 3 3(4) 2 3 2 7 4+ 3 3 3(4) 2 3 2 7 4+

MARINE SERG. 3 ODST ODST SERG. MONGOOSE MONG(ODST) 4 4 3 3

VEHICAL TYPES
__________________________BS ELEPHANT (tank, ponderous) HORNET (skimmer fast) PELICAN (skimmer fast) SCORPION MBT (tank) 4 4 4 4 F S R PAGE 14 14 12 11 10 10 12 12 10 14 13 10 11 11 10 11 11 10

TRANSPORT WARTHOG (tank fast) 4 WARTHOG (tank fast) 4