Editing Orbital bombardment

{{Era|Forerunner|UNSC|HCW|Post}}

'''Orbital bombardment''' is the act of bombarding targets on a planetary surface from orbit. 

==Covenant==
{{Main|Glassing}}
While the [[Covenant]] sometimes perform glassing from close range near the surface, the most common practice is to fire lances of magnetically contained [[plasma]] to the planet surface from orbit. As the plasma bolt impacts the ground, the magnetic field collapses and everything in the impact zone is vaporized instantly. Most commonly, this is performed by Covenant warships covering the entire planet in crisscrossing orbits until the entire surface has been destroyed.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', "chapter 11", ''page 105''</ref>

==UNSC==
While [[human]]ity lacks the ship-borne plasma weapons the Covenant possess, the kinetic energy released by a [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] vessel's [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]] round impacting a planetary surface can deal equally devastating damage within a localized radius. Notable instances of MAC strikes include those employed by the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}, {{UNSCShip|Majestic}} and the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}. Judging by its effects, the ''Spirit of Fire's'' MAC is seemingly less powerful or fired on a lower power setting than the MAC guns on most UNSC ships, as the damage done by a MAC round fired at full velocity would be immensely greater,<ref>'''[[Halo Wars]]'''</ref> although the damage done by ''Infinity'' and ''Majestic'' would be consistent with such energy being released.<ref>'''Halo: The Thursday War''', ''page 308''</ref>

The UNSC may also use [[nuclear weapon]]s as a form of bombardment. While the UNSC often uses nuclear weapons during ground and orbital engagements, the use of such armaments to bombard a planet's surface from orbit is rare. The only widely known instance of this occurring is during the rebellion on the [[Far Isle]] colony in [[2492]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 183''</ref> It should be noted that both conventional and nuclear bombardments are far less effective at neutralizing a planet than either glassing or the use of a [[NOVA Bomb]].

The UNSC's [[H-165 target locator]] is a [[laser]] pointer that can be used by ground forces to identify targets for small-scale orbital bombardment from an orbiting ship.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyWmnbni02U&feature=player_embedded '''YouTube''': ''Halo Reach Firefight 2.0 Gameplay Footage'']</ref>

==Ancient Human==
The [[prehistoric human civilization]] possessed powerful starship-based energy weaponry, and their fleets were capable of sterilizing entire planets.<ref>'''Halo 4''', ''Terminal 2''</ref>

==Improvised weapons==
[[File:HW2 Enduring Salvo.jpg|right|thumb|Debris from the destruction of ''Enduring Conviction'' is directed onto [[Banished]] forces.]]
In addition to using weapons specifically designed for the task, orbital bombardment can be performed by de-orbiting or dropping asteroids or other objects to a planetary target. Such was the case in the concluding moments of the [[Battle of Metisette]], when the [[Artificial Intelligence|AI]] [[Juliana]] de-orbited [[the Rubble]] so that [[Hesiod]]'s moon [[Metisette]] would collide with the Rubble's former asteroid habitats, making them rain down on [[the Redoubt]].<ref>'''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]''', ''page 311''</ref>

In ''[[Halo Wars 2]]'', one of the leader powers granted to [[Jerome-092]] is to direct rubble from the destroyed [[CAS-class assault carrier]], ''[[Enduring Conviction]]'', down onto an enemy force as an improvised orbital strike.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:MAC - Bombardment.jpg|A MAC round from the ''Spirit of Fire'' impacts the ground.
File:Reach FF Courtyard03.jpg|An orbital strike hitting a [[Type-52 Phantom]].
File:Covenant Destroyers Glass Harvest.jpg|Covenant [[CPV-class heavy destroyer]]s glassing [[Harvest]] from orbit.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: The Flood]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]''
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*''[[Halo 3]]''
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
*''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]''
*''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''
*''[[Halo Wars]]''
*''[[Halo: Helljumper]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[Homecoming]]''
**''[[Origins]]''
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[Dirt]]''
**''[[Headhunters (short story)|Headhunters]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Blunt Instruments]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]''
**''[[The Return]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
**''[[Data pads]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp|Boot Camp]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion|Invasion]]''
*''[[Halo: Glasslands]]''
*''[[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]''
**''[[Terminal (Halo 4)|Terminals]]''
**''[[Spartan Ops]]''
*''[[Halo: Escalation]]''
*''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''
*''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]''
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
**''[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition|Limited Edition]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Wars 2]]''
*''[[Halo: Envoy]]''
*''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Divine Wind]]''

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

==External links==
*[[Wikipedia:Space weapon|"Space weapon" article on Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Military tactics]]