Project Hayabusa:II

by freelancer92

Project Hayabusa:II is the story of the second Hayabusa Program. After the first armor project failed, a second project has been started. This is the story of the Spartan-IV Program, one of the most controversial stories to tell.

2. The Armory Updated

Lt. Colonel Yeungs Armory.

Armor

Spartan

MJOLNIR Mark VII Rogue

MJOLNIR Mark VII Rogue armour is the battle armor the Hayabusans wear. It has been modified and improved a tremendous amount.

The old metal liquid crystal had been modified to triple the user's strength and neural reaction time.
Instead of the multi-layer alloy, the shell has been changed to aggregated diamond nanorods.
The power pack has been changed so it uses an anti-matter reaction to generate one hundred percent more energy.
The shields has been modified so they carry an EMP coating to it. When the plasma hits the shields, the EMP force disrupts the magnetic containment around the plasma and makes it disperse before it hits the shell, causing the damage to be much less.
The armor also had plasma bladed gauntlets.

SPI Armor Mark III

The new SPI mark III armor is another creative achievement from the mind of Lt. Colonel George Yeung.

has the adaptive camoflauge of the previous series,
ARAC armor lined with tantalium halfium carbide and titanium-A
fullerene mesh to provide thermal shielding and to take a few hits without actually injuring the Spartans
deflective faraday shielded to provide electromagnetic and thermal cover

Infantry Arms

Ammunition

Rifle

7.62mm tungsten nitride (W-N) magnums ( 50 powder per casing)

7.62mm DU magnums( 50 powder per casing)

7.62mm W-Ni-Mn, white phosphorous tumbler magnums( 50 powder per casing)

7.62mm explosive ultrasonic transducer (EUT) rounds

12.7mm DU magnums

12.7mm W-Ni-Mn, white phosphorous tumbler magnums

12.7mm explosive ultrasonic transducer (EUT) rounds

14.5mm DU kinetic penatrator

14.5mm W-Ni-Mn, white phosphorous Hydrashock kinetic penatrator

Shotgun

Spherical Buckshots

Slugs

50mm Grenades

M-89 Propane/Butane-based Thermobaric Grenades

M102 EMP Grenades

M506 W-Ni-Mn tumbler flechettes canister

M156 Pyramidal Buckshot Canister shots

M101 W-Ni-Mn Hydrashock tumbler slugs (Brute Slugs)

M321 Dragon's Spite

Hand Grenades

HE/Shrapnel

White Phosphorus Incendiary

EMP

Flashbang

Binary VX-7

Smokescreen

Thermobaric (CQ/Shock)

Marine Weaponry

1) The M55A was an oddity in that it was modified almost immediately after the first batch of the BR55 came off the assembly lines due to popular demand from the troops for an all purpose assault weapon. The two times scope was replaced with either a variable 3x-5x or a thermal/night vision scope. Although heavier, the scope could be replaced with a video camera linked directly into the soldier's HUD. The stock was redesigned to match the general curvature of Marine, Helljumper, and Spartan armor via form-fitting plasti-steel foam pads, greatly decreasing felt recoil and increasing accuracy. Due to many of the marine jury-rigging the original semi-automatic only variant to full auto capable, UNSC engineers went ahead and installed an adjustable firing rate; single round for long range precision shooting beyond 200m, three round burst for mid range combat from 50m to 200m, and full auto for the close range shredding. The rifle came with the optional 5 round capacity wide dispersal semi-automatic shotgun or a 50 mm grenade launcher attachments mounted on a picatinny rail. The warping resistant titanium barrel could be attached with a barrel extension and a flash suppressor for long range fire or a silencer. To reduce weight, most of the weapon is made of Titanium-A and advance high strength plastics with chrome plating where necessary, a feature universal to all UNSC light arms.

The round size was changed to 7.62 x 63 mm rifle magnum, known to the ground pounders as "The Super 7", increasing the power of the round with a new generation of propellant and increasing the powder volume of each casing by 20 percent, resulting in 74,000 PSI as opposed to the 50,000 PSI of the 7.62 x 51mm rounds. A constant recoil bolt system where the impulse of the recoil is stretched out over time, a universal feature on all UNSC light arms, reduces the otherwise extreme recoil to levels capable of relatively accurate full automatic fire up to about an average of 50m, giving the rifle a much needed edge over plasma weapons in close range combat.

Also, the Super 7 utilizes a bullet design that would have been considered 'cruel and unusual' and would have been banned by The Hague Accords were it not for the Covenant: the Tungsten Carbide WP Tumblers. The traditional specially harden pure ferric steel rounds, while effective against conventional armor, were lacking against personal energy shields and were replaced with harder hitting rounds with a slower spin rate. The standard marine round is the Teflon coated Tungsten Carbide tumblers that carries a small White Phosphorus (WP) core within the bullet. The W-C tumbler possesses several advantages over traditional rounds. The round's high density, toughness, and velocity give it a semi-anti-material capability designed to ensure a highly elastic collision to deal with Elite personal shielding. The specially designed ballistics and high velocity of the round gives an unprecedented high probability of tumbling upon deep flesh impact that creates a supersonic vortex that sends a hydrostatic shockwave through its victim before fragmenting from rotational stress; Combined, the tumbling and fragmentation cause a shotgun-like effect that causes damage far beyond the wound. Once fragmented, the WP core is released and burns inside the victim. If the flesh depth is insufficient the round does not achieve tumbling, overpenatration is inevitable.

7.62mm x 63mm rifle magnums, 32 round magazine
600 rounds a minute
Round Velocity: 1150 m/s
Bullpup design
3-5X, Nightvision/IR, Camera scope on picatinny rail.
5 round Shotgun, or 50mm grenade twist-on attachment on picatinny rail.
Constant recoil hammer system
Form fitting curvature butt
Adjustable firing rate (single, semi, full)
Barrel extension and Flash Suppressor,
Max Effective range: 800m (16x plasma light arms range)

M55B

A carbine version of the M55A, the weapon is significantly shorter and lighter barrel. Meant for urban and tight combat, it can be fitted with a 5 round capacity wide dispersal semi-automatic shotgun, though a 50mm grenade launcher can be used as well. Accuracy is traded for weight and maneuverability in confined spaces, with only an effective range of 300m, which is the boundary where the vast majority of all engagements occur. The B variant is typically used by a fire team's shotgunner in closed environments. All machinations and workings aside from the length are carried over. The B variant is more prevalent than the A variant.

M267 automatic shotgun copied the designs of many centuries old models, most notably the USAS-12 and the AA-12. With an external snail magazines, the full capacity of the gun was 24 rounds of pyramidal buckshot, deer slugs, or the incendiary white phosphorus. A constant recoil bolt system where the impulse of the recoil is stretched over time, a universal feature on all UNSC lightarms, reduces the recoil to levels capable of accurate full automatic fire.

24 round snail magazine
Constant recoil system, Form fitting curvature foam butt
Conventional receiver
Max effective range: 25m (.5x plasma light arms range)
Laser sight

M6E
Complete with a 2x scope meant for looking around corners, the quick action slider of the M6C, and an 11.43mm (.45 cal) x 27mm Multipurpose HE Ultrasonic Transducer rounds of the M6D or standard ACP, the E variation is considered the perfected final form of the M6 series. A special feature of the MPHE rounds is that when it encounters exceptionally stiff resistance, the forward concave collapses and the transducer effectively becomes a High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) round, particularly effective in disrupting shields.

9 round magazine
Accepts AP/HE UT, Ballistic Tip
2x scope
Max effective range: 50m

M598 LMG
Continuing the legacy of the MG42 inspired machine guns, the M598 LMG is capable of 800 rounds a minute, is accurate up to 500m, and can sustain its rate of fire far longer than a BR55A can. The weapon is meant to be employed on the fire team level. To prolong its fire and increase accuracy and adaptability, the weapon has a snap-on, fin cooled, warping resistant Titanium-B barrel with a forward grip that makes it easily exchangeable; a standard marine light machine gunner carries two barrels. Using a universal receiver, the LMG can accept both belts and all forms of magazines. While it does a have a scope, most operators use the combination of the laser sight and the equally powerful 2-3x magnification on their HUD for mid range engagements. There have been unsubstantiated rumors of marines in the field threading the muzzle and fit the BR55A's barrel extension onto the M598 for long range sharp shooting and fire support up to 800m, a role normally reserved for the GPMG and the HMG.

150 linked-round belt
Universal receiver
800 rounds per minute
Long, easily exchangeable barrels
Conventional receiver setup
3x-5x scope, IR, night vision, laser sights
Constant Recoil system
Form fitting pads
Bipods
Max effective range: 500m (10x plasma light arms), 950m with barrel extention.

M625 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG)

Basically an up sized version of the M598, the GPMG is issued on the platoon level and carries over all the capability of the LMG, though with the advantage of greater accuracy and a far longer sustainable rate of fire as well as an 80 percent parts interchangeability with its lighter cousin. In addition, the GPMG can be fitted to fire 12.7mm rounds from a special 32 round magazines if standard belts are not available; since mobile infantry rarely carry belts of 12.7mm round due to the weight, the 32 round magazine is often far more prevalent. To maximize the amount of 12.7mm rounds available to a platoon, every man in the unit carries at least one magazine that they hand over before an expected fire fight. Barrel and bolt change and receiver attachment is necessary, though. This, though, comes at the price of a longer barrel, heavier mechanisms, and bulkiness, forcing the weapon to be operated with a two man crew and a gas spring to counter recoil. Bipod and tripod fittings are standard. Conventional tactics dictates the GPMG to stay towards the rear of a fire fight to offer long range support, utilizing its exceptionally high rate of fire for suppression. Though Spartans are capable of wielding a weapon on their own, the sheer length prevents it from being used on its own practically.

1500 rounds per minute with 7.62mm, 300 rounds per minute with 12.7mm
150 linked-round 7.62mm box magazine, but can accept BR magazines
Longer, easily exchangeable barrels
Conventional receiver setup
3-5x scope, IR, night vision, laser sights
Constant Recoil system, gas spring.
Form fitting pads
Bipods/Tripods
Max effective range: 1000m (20x plasma light arms)

M700 Heavy Machine Gun (HMG)

Inspired by the five centuries old General Dynamics XM-312 HMG, the M700 HMG is the heaviest weapon issued to a standard company, requiring a two man crew. Weighing in at 25kg , it is not exactly the most mobile or fastest firing of weapons, it makes up for it with the ability to pour out sustained heavy firepower at long ranges, firing both 50mm grenades at 200 rounds a minute and 12.7mm rounds at 400 rounds per minute; receiver swaps and barrel change is necessary to change caliber. A dual feed system allows for the operators to fit two belts or magazines to the HMG at once on opposing sides, allowing for a longer fire and/or quick switch between specialized ammunition. An onboard laser range finder works in conjunction with airburst transducers standard to all 50mm grenades for quickly sweeping infantry advances, allowing a single HMG crew to stop an entire grunt rush or jackal phalanx. Conventional tactics dictates that a company's 3 HMGs operate on two running 12.7mm and one on 50mm grenades. A notable feature of the HMG is that special water jacketed barrels are available for extended periods of operation in combat, though it's mostly reserved for heavy stationary defense due to the extra weight.

Long, easily exchangeable barrels
Dual feed receiver setup
3-5x scope, IR, night vision,
Laser range finder for airburst
Constant Recoil system, gas spring.
Bipods/Tripods
Optional water jacketed barrels
Max effective range: 1000m (20x plasma light arms)

M25 Pile Driver
Replacing the aging M19 Jackhammer, the M25 Pile Driver is a fin stabilized 105mm guided rocket. Unlike the previous attempts to make the M19 a guided weapon by integrating an expensive guidance computer on every launcher, the Pile Driver utilizes the soldier's radio, HUD, neural interface, and personal sensors to interface with the rocket; the tube itself is naught but a cheap and expendable piece of aluminum and fiberglass with a trigger and some basic sights for unguided fire. Accepting pre-launch inputs from only confirmed UNSC encryption and frequency from a source no more than half a meter away, the rocket cannot be interfered with via electronic intrusion after it has been fired as it would reject all post-launch commands regardless of source. The anti-back blast system utilizes a salt water countermass, a system pioneered in the early 21st century by the Saab Bofors Dynamics' AT-4 CS, to protect the crew from lethal back blast of the rocket, allowing it to be used in closed quarters where the M19 would be dangerous to operate.

The Pile Driver operates two types of ammunitions. The tandem HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank)/HEDP (High Explosive Dual Purpose) round is capable of both direct attack, which has a very good chance of knocking out a wraith as compared to the M19, and the top attack, which targets the Wraith's thin top armor and is virtually a guaranteed catastrophic kill or at the least a weapons kill from knocking out its mortar. The first HEAT warhead blasts a hole for the second HEDP warhead to destroy the interior.

The second variation is the Thermobaric Explosive warhead (TBX) which has small breaching charge and a high density tip to breach walls. The round carries powered aluminum that mixes with the air and ignited to create a thermobaric explosion powerful enough to clear most structures of any occupants even if they are shielded. In addition, the TBX also scatters a considerable amount of high velocity fragments, allowing it to be used effectively against targets of both a confined and exposed nature and is particularly lethal to even shielded infantry. The combined heat and pressure wave along with the fragments creates an unshielded kill radius of almost 70m. The round can be timed to detonate after punching through a small wall or thin armor/shield. The TBX is also the preferred anti-air and anti-light vehicle ammunition as its large kill radius and shrapnel is particularly lethal against the thin skinned banshees, specters, and ghosts with proximity detonation. Like the tandem round, the TBX round is capable of guided indirect fire to bypass obstructions or defenses for maximum lethality.

The two rounds can be used interchangeably, though to less effect; the tandem HEAT has a smaller kill radius than the TBX if it doesn't achieve a direct hit while the TBX can only strip a wraith's weapons without punching through the thick armor. Considering that the old double tube design was carried over, most operators prefer to have one tube loaded with a Tandem and the other with a TBX. When used together against a structure, a single volley is capable of seriously compromising the structural integrity of most structures; testing has repeatedly demonstrated its capacity to level whole buildings. This, however, makes it ideal for taking closed areas and for boarding action. To that end, the Marines have developed a boarding tactic known as "Rolling Thunder": firing first the tandem round to blow doors open and eliminate other barriers before tossing TBX ordinance in to finish any opposition before moving in to secure the area.

A variation of the M25 is the M25SD, or single shot disposable. Basically, the SD is a smaller, fire team based version of the standard launcher. The SD gives the individual fire team real anti-tank and anti-fortification power with only half the weight of the double shot version. While it is technically disposable, the SD can be reloaded or swapped out for a different type of rocket. SDs comes as standard Tandem HEAT/HEDP.

105mm double shot / (single shot disposable)
Neural interface and command
Tracking
Notably cheap and expendable
Tandem HEAT/HEDP, TBX (powdered aluminum based) warheads
Weight: 23kg (SD version: 12.5kg)

M22 11.43mm (.45 cal) x 27mm Personal Defense Weapon (PDW)

Due to dismal performance of the M7 caseless submachine gun against the covenant, ONI section III designers went back to the drawing board for a new lightweight low recoil secondary weapon for non-combatant servicemen. The result was the M22 PDW, an extremely well balanced weapon that occupies the blurry the lines between carbines and submachine guns. The weapon was oddly shaped in comparison to other weapons in the UNSC inventory; the PDW looked much like a small, boxy pistol made three times larger with the trigger directly behind the chamber. The tubular magazine and all of the weapons mechanism is placed in front of the grip

Utilizing the horizontal recoil dampening system pioneered five centuries before by the TDI Kriss Super V SMG, the M22 is capable of extreme accuracy even when fired one-handed. The weapon utilizes direct recoil transfer via placement of the hammer to transfer most of its force at zero angle to the user and a heavy bolt on a variable-angle track redirects its own recoil against its remaining climb. In addition, the M22 utilizes the 11.43 x 27mm MPHE transducers. The helical magazine, where the rounds are stored in a cylinder and fed in by a water screw-like device, holds 42 rounds and runs horizontally below the barrel cage. A high rate of fire, compactness, and the ability to quickly strip shields as well as kill makes the PDW an exceptionally lethal close quarter weapon.

1200 rounds per second
Low recoil, ultrasonic transducer AP/HE 9mm rounds.
Super V recoil dampeners and direct recoil transfer.
Laser sights
Dual Wieldable
42 round helical magazine, conventional magazine and receiver
Max effective range: 70m (1.4 x plasma light arms range)

Spartan/Hayabusan Weaponry

HMA-AR-1
Assault Rifle
The HMA-AR-1or nicknamed "Scar" is manufactured at the Hayabusa Mars Armory. It is the backbone to the Spartan and Hayabusa troops. It is a gauss accelerated bull pup rifle that requires a direct power link up from the armor systems to power up the charging capacitors. In a sense, the capacitors charge the gauss coils to achieve susbstantial power output to shoot the round out at hypersonic speeds. The weapon comes with receiver and barrel attachments for allowing use of 7.62mm ammo and a twist on 50mm grenade launcher attachment.

12.7mm bullpup rifle
Barrel inserts and reciever attachment allows for using 7.62mm ammo
42 round mag
constant recoil receiver
7.62 x 63mm Telfon coated Tungsten Nitride tumblers magnums
7.62 x 63mm white phosphorus coated hydrashock rounds. Short range for effective anti-shields/armor, causes flesh to explode from the impulse and scatters white phosphorus into the victim, burning them from the inside out
.50 cal DU
12.7mm W-Ni-Mn
Tungsten Nitride white phosphorus coated hydrashocks
50mm grenades
flash suppressor
laser sights and cameras
foam padded stock

HMA- M2 Shotgun-AGL
Nickname "Grenader".
The M2 Assault Grenade Launcher was designed for close quarters combat and as a support weapon. The M2AGL is desgined after the USAS-12 and AA-12 shotguns, combining it with the SPAS-15 gas/pump action, as well as grenade launcher attachment. The Grenade launcher attachment supports a 50mm x 12 round capacity based on a conventional receiver design.

Conventional receiver design
Two external snail magazines 42 rounds
Spas-15 gas/pump action.
Constant recoil system
Form fitting curvature foam butt.
Spherical Buckshot's
Slugs
M101 W-Ni-Mn Hydrashock tumbler slugs (Brute Slugs) 50mm x 12 round capacity

HMA-M1 Assault Grenade Launcher (AGL)
Grenade Launcher.
Nickname "CQP" (close quarters pwnage).

Spas-15 Gas/Pump action
50mm x 12 round capacity
Conventional receiver design

HMA-Sniper Cannon
The Sniper cannon is a product of the minds of HavocLegionnaire and his Weapons Consortium. Got questions? He's got answers.

25.4 mm sniper cannon
Gauss accelerators
5x-40x Oracle scope w/ Nightvision/ IR/Magnetic Resonance
Recoil Compensator on gas springs
Form fitting curvature butt
Conventional receiver

HMA-SR97
Nickname "Ghillie."
This Matte Black Sniper Rifle, in comparison to the Sniper Cannon, uses 12.7mm Teflon coated Tungsten nitride with a Boron Nitride tip APFSDS. After firing many shots, thin sabots collect around the sniper. This round has extreme armor piercing qualities in response to the Brutes armor. The Sniper Rifle is slightly bigger and heavier than its older brother the SRS99D-S2 AM. It supports a longer barrel, thermal scope, HUD link, Night Vision and many other features.

12.7mm TCTN with Boron Nitride Tip APFSDS.
12.7mm x 114mm x 6 round magazine
8 round magazine.
Mechanical Recoil Compensator
Foam Padded stock
40 inch barrel
Thermal Scope (2x-8x)
HUD Link
Night Vision
Flash Suppressor

Arc Blade

Despite what many would say about the role of the bayonet in an age of automatic and energy weapons, none can deny its psychological value. On multiple occasions, marine bayonet charges were able to imprint the fear of cold steel into the terrified, demoralized, and poorly motivated grunt and jackal conscripts into retreat, though only when the elites had been eliminated. Spartans in particular use this to turn the table on numerically superior forces; with the recent fame of the Master Chief, this effect can only be amplified. But unlike most infantry, melee combat in is not the exception, but the norm for Spartans in CQC because of their pace of engagement can on occasions forbid reloading. The Arc Blade bayonet provides facsimile to covenant plasma blades in such a scenario.

A standard 7 inch chromium steel knife is coated with carbon nanotubes that, when the weapon is activated, carry a powerful electric current on its surface. A low viscosity plasma field insulates the weapon and prevents arcing until something breaches the field to make contact with the blade. Once contact is made, the arc blade replicates the effect of a plasma arc cutter by streaming electricity, coming from the Mjolnir power couplers in the Spartan's hand, onto the contact point and cause instant ionization, melting, and vaporization; the blade itself then cuts through the weaken material with ease.

Against shields, the arcing severely weakens plasma viscosity and destabilizes the containment field, leading to shield failure. Against flesh, the blade also shocks the victim, ensuring that even if the strike is not lethal kinetically, it will kill or at least disable them via electrocution. Against equipment, the arcing augments the impact to effectively fry circuitry. Against heavy armor, its effects will vary depending on the specific heat index and conductivity of the armor itself. Against a plasma blade, the arc blade's own containment field and charge repels the similarly charge plasma blade's containment field and the nanotube coating would protect it from the intense heat at that distance from the actual plasma itself, effectively allowing the arc blade to parry and block the plasma blade.

Fitted onto the SAR, it draws power from interior circuitry that links it to the palm power couplers.
7 inch blade
Blocks plasma blades

Vehicles

The Black Scorpion

M808C MBT nicknamed the "Black scorpion".

The GM engine has been replaced with a Chrysler engine, which can provide up 2,000 horsepower, permitting speed up to 88.56 KPH, or 55 MPH.

Replaced the Titanium-A battle plating with thermal composite armour type 98M6.

98M6

Fullerite mesh grid heat bleeders that leads directly to the engine's radiator is installed as it would accelerate the cooling process by providing a heat sink and generally increase tensile strength.

As a bonus, the 95M1 is simultaneously far stronger and appreciably lighter than homogeneous titanium-A.

The 90 millimetre rifled canon is now a 120 millimetre smooth bore.

A magnetic accelerator has been installed like the ones on the Gauss Warthogs.

The ammunition is now depleted uranium/titanium alloy APFSDS or tungsten carbide canister shots.

Steel sabots cause a shotgun like effect; do not use around friendlies.

The 7.62mm turret can be replaced with either 30 mil auto-cannons, 50mm grenade machine gun and an accompanying 12.7mm machine gun, a 47mm mortar, or a flamethrower with an optimal range of 40 meters.

The ammunition load out on the 30mm would be a mixture of HEDP high explosive, depleted uranium armour piecing, and white phosphorus incendiary rounds at a ratio of 5:3:2 for the best performance against light vehicles and infantry.

M808D King Scorpion Tank Destroyer

In the past, the concept of a tank destroyer would be widely ridiculed, and rightfully so as the tank destroyer is a very specialized weapon that rarely finds its intended opponents and is often outmatched by the opponents that it actually encounters. The nature of the current war, however, has altered this view. A tank destroyer, by definition, revolves around an extremely powerful field gun that can penetrate the armor of any foreseeable opponent. With the deployment of the Scarab walker by the Covenant, our armored forces can no longer hold a definitive advantage against covenant armor. Simulations and simple logic have predicted that a sufficient number of high velocity kinetic penetrators can bring the walker down. However, the current standard gun calibers, 120mm and 155mm, requires dozens of hits to penetrate the scarab's armor. Any further attempts to field larger field guns would severely hamper ammunition capacities of magazines and would wear out the guns far faster. The answer to this dilemma is to move beyond convention chemical guns and into electromagnetic acceleration.

Under orders from project director Col. George Yeung, Field Weapons Division constructed a 90mm 27 megajoule coil gun based on the design of the Gauss warthog's gun. Though the bore is small compared to contemporaries, the gun packs more than double the power of a 120mm APFSDS round. Because the ammunition consists of only the slug and no longer carry the powder charges, the magazine capacity has increased to 100 rounds, more than doubling the loadout. This gives the tank destroyer the advantage in almost any vehicle battle and one King Scorpion alone packs the necessary loadout to destroy multiple scarabs if it is at optimal range. Because there is no exploding gases, the cannon is also far quieter, not much louder than the shots from the old S2 sniper rifles. All other aspects of the King Scorpion is carried over from the Black Scorpion.

However, there is a price to be paid for these improvements. Because of the massive power requirements, the current generation of fuel cell engines cannot fully power all the vehicle's systems at once; one must select which system or systems has to either shut down or to run below optimal power levels. Also, firing rate is decreased depending on how many systems can be shut down to power the gun. This has been partially remedied by selective firing modes: standard fire that offers a slightly more powerful charge than one would receive from a chemical fired 120mm cannon and the full charge that delivers all 27 megajoules. Also, not all conventional HE shells can be fired from the gun due to its magnetic propulsion that might not impart the necessary velocities to non-ferromagnetic shells, severely limiting its effectiveness against infantry though 90mm canister shots still can be used. Current plans are to embed the King Scorpions on the battalion level as armor support instead of independent units. But because of all these potential problems, Field Weapons Division has not authorized full production of the King Scorpion and has only produced a fleet of 30 Tank Destroyers for field trials with the 2nd armor division. Further production will pend on field results.

M12TC Warthog

More commonly known as the troop carrier, this version of the warthog had its turret removed in exchanged for a welded on extra passenger seating area in the back. It can carry up to eight Marines in the back (four Spartans). It carries an extra two centimetres of titanium-A, reinforcing the Warthogs joints, and allowing it to carry the extra passengers. The passenger area is surrounded by criss-crossing metal beams providing limited cover to incoming fire. The GM engine has been replaced with a Chrysler, providing the needed horsepower to achieve the same speeds as it's brothers. It is designed to be used for providing a quick and easy method of transporting a small amount of troops to areas that need reinforcements, without the commitment of the cannons and heavy armour the Leopard APC's use.

M3 Leopard Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV)

Acknowledging the Marine Cops' need for an armored vehicle that's more mobile than an MBT but not as an easy target and as fuel hungry as a pelican while more heavily armed and durable than a simple warthog, ONI designers created the Leopard class Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Unlike the previous attempts to create an APC derivative of the Warthog, the Leopard is meant to stay close with its infantry after dismount and support them with heavy firepower and mobile cover. Like the old Soviet BMP, it was readily amphibious and can traverse just about any terrain without difficulty. And like the legendary M2 Bradley and the Stryker, it was armed heavily armored, has enough firepower to take on tanks if it came to it, was multi-adaptable, and can coordinate its infantry during operations. Its chromium steel tracks are plated with a thick layer of tungsten nitride, lessening road wearing.

The Leopard also uses the Titanium B/C ARC layer armor used on the Black Scorpion, though sporting less than half the armor thickness at 51mm for the sake of weight, space, and speed. To compensate, the entire vehicle is surrounded with an electrostatic slat armor – which basically amounts to a simple charged grill - that can deflect even a Shade turret's fire from up to 50m away; though this can only be used when friendly infantry isn't nearby. The vehicle remains vulnerable to heavy plasma bolts like the wraith mortar, though. Since the grills are independent of each side, the electrostatic defense system can be applied directionally to further protect dismounted marines. Additional layers of armor plates can be mounted on for urban combat.

Offensively, the standard Leopard sports a 30mm autocannon main turret with 200 rounds of standard airburst He/shrapnel and 100 other specialized round depending on the mission at hand, two TOW-12 AT missile launchers, and a manual swivel mount that can accommodate either a HMG or GPMG depending on the situation at hand. Fixed grenade launchers can completely obscure the Leopard's area of operation with smoke grenade volleys. To keep up with the Black Scorpion, the leopard can run at a maximum speed of 92 KpH and has an armored skirt to protect its vulnerable tracks.

The Leopard was made with adaptability in mind, allowing for many variations. Standard IFVs can support an entire 12 men squad. Medical versions are fully equipped to stabilize most injuries and can accommodate up to four patients. Mortar IFVs are have open tops and armed with both 81mm mortars and the far more powerful and longer ranged 120mm mortar and three hundred rounds, allowing for both prolonged infantry support and shoot-and-scoot. AA IFVs can be armed with twenty Argent VII missiles, six TBX pile drivers, and replaces the 30mm cannon with a 50mm auto-cannon with 350 airburst rounds. Command IFVs operates as a company's mobile command and control, filled with communications equipment to allow for rapid coordination and assault.

Multi-adaptable: Assault, Medical, AAA, Mortar, & Command.

30mm Cannon, Manual Swivel, 2x TOW-12,

2 in armor, electrostatic slat armor.

92 KpH, Amphibious, Pelican transportable.

Arterilly

M355 Ballista Multi-Launched Rocket System.

Essentially a revival of the former American Army's M270 MLRS, the Ballista provides a critical service for the UNMC: massed long range firepower. Each of its many rockets is capable of firing from at least 120 km (75 miles) away from the target with extreme precision; certain rockets are capable of ranges up to 350km (218.5 miles). It is superior to cannon artillery in that its longer ranged, quicker to fire, carries bigger load out, and more mobile; all this comes at the cost of more expensive ammunition, shorter periods of fire making it unsustainable in defensive fire, and being quite noticeable with its rocket trails.

The Ballista is capable of firing a variety of solid fuel rocket ammunitions in volleys of twelve, each weighing up to 350kg. A single TBX warhead is capable of level multiple city blocks at once; a volley can level an entire city section. A volley of cluster bombs can cover an entire square kilometer with submunitions and wipe out an entire regiment in maneuver. The SADARM volley can kill an entire mechanized brigade. Precision rockets can deliver a single 1350kg ONC warhead within accuracy of a single square meter. VX-7 volleys can effectively neutralize an entire army. Long range stealth rockets can deliver a volley of 100 kiloton nukes for primarily against covenant capital ships, though other applications are clearly present. Special variations of the launcher can fire two Longbow Archer Missiles, each with a 2000kg payload.

M200 Self-Propelled Howitzer

Taking many design features from the former German Bundeswehr Heer Panzerhaubitze 2000, the SPH is meant for rapid support of armored assaults. Its massive 155mm howitzer is capable of firing a 70kg shell at over 35 km and 70km with rocket assisted shells. The vehicle stores eighty shells in its armored compartment with all steps of the firing process being automated; though, like all automated systems in the UNSC, it can be manually operated. The crew is sequestered with the SPH's many sensors in a separate armored compartment. Following its lineage, the SPH is capable of calibrating its gun to fire nine shots with different arcs in quick succession to have them all land on a single target at the same time. To assist the Scorpions in armor engagements, the SPH hides two lethal edges: the 155mm DU APFSDS kinetic penatrator round that can kill a wraith at up to fifteen kilometers away and SADARM munitions. The vehicle is mounted with the same turbine engine of the Black Scorpion to keep up during an attack. For defense, the SPH is has 25mm of Titanium-B armor and mounted with a GPMG and fixed smoke grenade launchers, but like all mobile artilleries its best defense is range and mobility.