Improvised UNSC bomb

Improvised UNSC bomb
Production overview
Manufacturer:	UNSC
Specifications
Ammunition type:	Unknown fuel
Operation:	Timer system
Effective range:	Large blast radius; capable of destroying large bases
Service history
In service:	Human-Covenant War; Great Schism;

This article's title is a callsign, an alias, or a nickname, as no proper name for the subject has been revealed.

This improvised UNSC bomb was used to help destroy the UNSC base known as Crow's Nest during the Covenant's attack on the base during the Battle of Kenya in November 2552. It appears to be a large fuel tank, potentially containing hydrogen fuel, rigged up with several smaller explosive charges and a timer system to make the resulting explosion more destructive.^[1]

Trivia[edit]

The texture and object files refer to the bomb as large_fuel_tank; coupled with the tank's presence on other levels, the gauge on the side reading "TANK CAPACITY", and the fact that several smaller explosives are planted on it (which would not be necessary if the tank itself was a bomb), this all but confirms its status as a fuel containment tank, instead of a purpose-built bomb.
The bomb is a makeshift thermobaric weapon, which is commonly used to take out enemies in caves or tunnels. Thermobaric bombs generate a lot of air pressure as the result of a fireball effect, which comes from the dispersion of a compound like aluminum oxide or iron oxide. This effect generates a fuel air mixture, and it removes most of the oxygen from the tunnels or caves, causing lungs to collapse.It is connected to many smaller bombs throughout Crow's Nest which, all together, destroy most of Crow's Nest, except the basement and the motor pool.
More of these fuel tanks can be found on the level Sierra 117, albeit obviously not rigged up as bombs. After the cutscene where Johnson is thrown into the small room, jump down off the cliff and turn behind (once enemies have been eliminated, or in Theater) towards the gate. Stored within the gate are two more tanks.
It has been a joke at Bungie about how Miranda, in the original Halo 2 script, was supposed to "weld a thermobaric bomb to the Master Chief's armor" in a deal with the Prophet of Regret. Jason Jones, on the Halo 3 Legendary Edition commentary, said he wanted to put this in Halo 2, and was going to add this to Halo 3.^[2] This makeshift bomb may be a reference to it, as Miranda is in charge, and the Master Chief has to arm it.