Editing Damascus Materials Testing Facility

{{Status|Canon}}
[[File:TFoR AS - Damascus Testing Facility.jpg|thumb|300px|The Damascus Testing Facility]]
The '''Damascus Materials Testing Facility''' was an [[Office of Naval Intelligence|ONI]] [[Materials Group]] research and development base located in [[Vhalkem]],<ref>[http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2013/07/10/The-Halo-Bulletin-71013.aspx ''The Halo Bulletin 7.10.13'']</ref> on the [[Outer Colonies|Outer Colony]] of [[Chi Ceti IV]].

==History==
This top-secret base has been an important development and testing site of the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] for many decades, beginning with the initial version later dubbed as the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV|Mark IV]]. [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]], architect of Project MJOLNIR, worked in the facility for some time while refining the MJOLNIR armor series. Though the facility was only manned by three technicians, it had a curious feature, which was that a dozen [[Artificial intelligence|AIs]] could operate and utilize the facility in close proximity to one another, which is typically impossible under normal circumstances for technical reasons. There were also obstacle courses for Spartans to become accustomed with their new armor.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 114'' (2001 edition)</ref>

On [[2525#November|November 27, 2525]], the [[SPARTAN-II Program|Spartan-II]] supersoldiers were relocated to the facility for their final stage of [[SPARTAN-II training|training]]: the inclusion of their MJOLNIR armor. Right after the Spartans received their armor, the facility was attacked by a nearby [[Covenant]] ship, the ''[[Unrelenting]]''. All personnel were evacuated and the AIs were deactivated by Halsey when she removed them in the form of data cubes. Spartans [[John-117]], [[Kelly-087]], and [[Samuel-034|Sam-034]] boarded the ''Unrelenting'' and destroyed the ship by detonating its [[pinch fusion reactor|reactor]] with [[ANVIL-II Air-to-Surface Missile|missiles]] requisitioned from their [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelican]] dropship.<ref>'''Halo: Fall of Reach'''</ref> The remaining Covenant force captured weapons and armor, which were studied later by a [[science lance]] dispatched by the [[Prophet of Regret|High Prophet of Regret]].<ref>'''Halo Wars''', ''Timeline''</ref>

The facility continued to operate in the wake of the Covenant attack. Beginning in [[2542]], the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|Mark V MJOLNIR armor]] underwent development here under the supervision of Dr. Halsey. The [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/EOD variant|MJOLNIR/EOD]] and [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor (GEN2)|second generation]] [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Soldier|MJOLNIR/Soldier]] variants were created and constructed here. The novel branches of the first MJOLNIR system's VISR codebase informed the development of the post-war Primeval [[Visual Intelligence System, Reconnaissance|VISR]].<ref>'''Halo 5: Guardians''', Primeval VISR description</ref>

==Mjolnir suits tested==
===GEN1 Suits Tested===
*[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV]]
*[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V]]
*[[EOD-class Mjolnir]]
*[[GRENADIER-class Mjolnir]]
*[[HAZOP-class Mjolnir]]
*[[WILHELM-class Mjolnir]]

===GEN2 Suits Tested===
*[[PROTECTOR-class Mjolnir]]
*[[SCANNER-class Mjolnir]]
*[[SOLDIER-class Mjolnir]]
*[[WARRIOR-class Mjolnir]]

==Trivia==
*The facility was likely named after [[Wikipedia:Damascus|Damascus]], the capital city of Syria. The facility also may have been named after [[Wikipedia:Damascus steel|Damascus steel]], a type of steel used in sword-making during the Middle Ages. This steel was renowned for its strength and sturdiness. The exact process for forging it is believed to have been lost.
*In the ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]'' comic adaptation, the Damascus Facility is depicted as an orbital station, a departure from the novel and Dr. Halsey's journal which depict it as a base located deep underground. The facility's depiction in the single issue comic book (1 of 4) bears a striking resemblance to the central section of the space station [[W:c:memoryalpha:Deep Space 9|Deep Space 9]] from the [[W:c:memoryalpha:Star Trek|''Star Trek'']] [[W:c:memoryalpha:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|series of the same name]]. [[343 Industries]]' fan collaborator [[Stephen Loftus]] brought the potential IP conflict to 343i's attention and the Damascus space station was completely redrawn by Marvel in a new form for publication in the collected trade-sized volume of the ''Fall of Reach: Covenant'' comic.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Damascus_Facility.png|The Damascus Testing Facility as drawn by Dr. Halsey.
File:Damascus DeepSpaceNine.jpg|Damascus Facility as drawn in the comic as a ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' look-alike.
File:DamascusSpaceNine-fixed.jpg|The Damascus Facility as redrawn by Marvel in the collected issue.
File:Damascus Testing Facility - S-II Training.png|Spartan-II's utilizing their newly acquired Mk. IV MJOLNIR Armor within the facility.
File:TFoR AS Concept DamascusFacility.jpg|Concept art of the facility in ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]''.
File:TFoR AS - Testing interior.jpg|The facility's interior.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo 3]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Wars]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
**''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]''
*''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]''
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Mythos]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Infinite]]'' {{Mo}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

[[Category:UNSC military bases]]