Drop Jet Platoon
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
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The Drop Jet Platoon was the earliest incarnation of the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, created in 2129 when humanity was still bound to the Sol system and deployed in 2163 during the Mars Campaign of the Interplanetary War.[1] After the signing of the Callisto Treaty, they would not see further deployment until 327 years later, when they were reorganized into the ODSTs, using lessons gleaned from the shuttered ORION Project, to combat the rising Insurrection in 2490.[4]
Members of the Drop Jet Platoon were referred to as "Drop Jet Jumpers".[5]
History[edit]
Interplanetary War[edit]
- Main article: Interplanetary War
The idea of inserting highly trained troops behind enemy lines from high altitudes has its roots in the paratroopers of 20th and 21st century fame, who dropped frequently behind enemy lines to capture strategically important targets in anticipation for a larger advance by more conventional and numerous military forces. Although they were only marginally successful, they proved the concept of paratroops as useful and effective in large-scale warfare.[1][6]
The United Nations created the Drop Jet Platoon concept in 2129,[1][7] eventually seeing deployment in 2163 with the formation of the UNSC Marine Corps and the UNSC itself from Earth's disparate national military forces.[1][8] That year also saw the historic first extraterrestrial deployment of UNSC Marines and Drop Jet Jumpers in the Mars Campaign against the neo-communist Koslovics. With the conclusion of the Interplanetary War in 2170, along with the signing of the Callisto Treaty and the subsequent years that followed, the Drop Jet Platoon saw little action as more political and important issues such as overpopulation, famine, and a massive military with no purpose gripped the postwar nations of Earth.[9]
They would eventually be reorganized into the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers in 2490.[4]
Postwar[edit]
As of 2558, the corporation Cascade Stronghold Technologies was headed by was a former Orbital Drop Shock Trooper,[10] a fact which likely influenced the company's work with ODST armor and the creation of several variants of MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor fashioned after this armor style, including the ORCUS exoskeleton, which was based on a variant of armor worn by the Drop Jet Jumpers of the Interplanetary War.[5]
Production notes[edit]
- Originally intended for inclusion in the game, concept art for Halo 5: Guardians depicted ODSTs with new gear and SOIEVs, before they were ultimately cut from the game.[11] This concept art was later reused for the ORCUS armor set in Halo Infinite's Operation: Frontlines, and tied to a variant of the Drop Jet Platoon armor in an issue of Canon Fodder published March 24th, 2025.[5]
Gallery[edit]
The Halo 5: Guardians concept art that served as the inspiration for Orcus, by Alex Cunningham.
The model for the Halo 5 ODST.
List of appearances[edit]
- Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)(First appearance)
Sources[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Halo Waypoint - Universe, Factions, ODST (Retrieved on Jan 27, 2021) [local archive] [external archive]
- ^ Bungie.net, Halo 3 ODST : Field Guide - ODST (Retrieved on May 25, 2013) [local archive] [external archive]
- ^ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Log of War
- ^ a b Halo: Reach, Data pad 11
- ^ a b c Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Tasty Tomes (Retrieved on Mar 24, 2025) [archive]
- ^ Halo Waypoint: Drop Pod (defunct, backup link on Archive.org)
- ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), pages 58-63 (2011)
- ^ Halo.bungie.org: Frank O'Connor/Robt McLees Interview - August 2008
- ^ Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe, page 42
- ^ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Conventional Warfare
- ^ Artstation, Halo 5: Guardians ODST (Retrieved on May 31, 2018) [archive]
