Editing D82-EST Darter

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Ship class infobox
|name= D82-EST Darter
|image=[[File:HW2B Darter.png|300px]]
|manufacturer=[[Vosper Engineering]]{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|class= 
|role= [[Dropship]]
|length={{Convert|77.7|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|width={{Convert|31.9|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|height={{Convert|28.9|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|mass={{Convert|124|MT}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|power=
|engine=
|slipspace drive= None
|navigation=
|hull= 
|armament= Typically none
|complement=
|crew= 
*1 [[pilot]]{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
*1 cargo chief {{C|optional}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|passengers= 
|othersystems=
|era= *[[Human-Covenant War]]
*Post-war
|introduced=
|affiliation= [[United Nations Space Command]]
}}
The '''Dropship 82-Equipment Supply Transport'''{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=151}}, more commonly known as the '''D82-EST Darter''', is a [[dropship]] used by the [[United Nations Space Command]] to deliver supplies, such as rations and munitions, to forward bases.{{Ref/Book|EVG}}

==Overview==
===Design details===
The Darter is a medium-lift utility dropship, filling a niche between the smaller [[Pelican]] series and the larger [[D96-TCE Albatross|Albatross]] and [[D20 Heron|Heron]] dropships. The vehicle is intended for operations which do not involve combat, and as such it is not armed with any kind of weaponry - though it is fitted with a countermeasures package that helps the vehicle ward off some incoming fire. In addition, the Darter is much more agile than its larger cousins, allowing it the ability to drop quickly into contested landing zones that may be challenging for other dropships.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

The Darter's cargo bay is capable of transporting large numbers of supply [[List of UNSC crates|crates]] at a time. Once it has landed, the underside splits down the middle, lowering a metal pallet from the cargo bay and allowing its cargo to be left groundside to be unloaded. Once free of supplies, the Darter can reseal its cargo bay doors, returning to an orbiting spacecraft to resupply.{{Ref/Game|Id=HW|HW|Darter in-game unit}}

Like [[Pelican]]s, Darters are not rated for transatmospheric transport of most UNSC combat vehicles, resulting in the employment of [[UNSC Vehicle Depot|Vehicle Depot]] and [[UNSC Garage|Garage]] base structures instead. Rather than transport vehicles, the Darters transport partially disassembled vehicle components down to the firebase on the ground, to allow workshops in the base to reassemble the vehicle for combat.{{Ref/Game|HW2|Phoenix Logs|Detail=Garage}}

===Usage===
The D82-EST Darter has been in service since at least [[2531]].{{Ref/Reuse|HW}} It is a vital part of the UNSC's logistical operations, capable of deploying personnel, vehicles parts, weapons, and supplies from rations and medical kits to any groundside base. It serves as both an atmospheric and exoatmospheric vehicle capable of delivering troops and supplies wherever needed once a [[UNSC Supply Pad|supply pad]] has been constructed.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

==Operational history==
In [[2531]], the support vessel {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} had an extensive contingent of Darters, used to transport supplies for ground forces, namely in [[firebase]] unit construction.{{Ref/Reuse|HW}} In [[2553#April|April 2553]] the [[Venezian militia|planetary militia]] on [[Venezia]] had acquired several Darters.{{Ref/Novel|MorDi|Chapter=4}} By [[2559]] the ''UNSC Spirit of Fire'' was still using Darter drop ships in the [[Second Ark Conflict]].{{Ref/Game|HW2|Darter in-game unit}} Several Darters were assigned as part of the complement aboard [[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]].{{Ref/Book|Id=Warfleet|HWF|Page=30-31}}

==Gameplay==
In ''Halo Wars'', the D82-EST is used to transport supplies from the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} to provide additional resources for ground forces. They land on specific landing platforms, built into prefabricated [[firebase]] units designed to house supply crates they deliver. The Darter cannot be destroyed in-game. However, if a supply pad is destroyed, the craft assigned to it will disappear from the screen.

==Trivia==
A [[Wikipedia:Darter|darter]] is a tropical seabird, in keeping with the UNSC's tradition of naming most atmospheric aircraft after birds.

==Gallery==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes}}
<gallery>
File:D82-EST Darter.png|A D82-EST Darter delivering supplies to a UNSC firebase in ''[[Halo Wars]]''.
File:HW2B Supply Pad2.png|A D82-EST Darter in ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo Wars]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Wars 2]]''

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

{{Human aircraft}}