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{{era|Human|UNSC|HCW}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Ratings}}
{{Wikipedia|Boarding (attack)}}
{{References}}
{{References}}
{{SeeWikipedia|Boarding (attack)}}
{{Center|''For the gameplay mechanic, see [[Boarding (gameplay mechanic)]].''}}
[[File:Covenant Boarding Party.png|thumb|250px|A Covenant boarding party preparing to disembark on the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}.]]
'''Boarding''' generally refers to the insertion of people onto an enemy or ambiguously affiliated ship. Boarding may be carried out during wartime in an attempt to seize and possibly destroy the vessel, or it may occur in peacetime by pirates and other criminals, or as a means of inspection to prevent piracy and smuggling. A "boarding party" is a group of naval infantry, typically known as "[[UNSC Marine Corps|marines]]", assigned to capture an enemy ship or station by killing or capturing its crew.


'''Boarding''', in its simplest form, refers to the insertion onto a ship's deck of people. However, when it is classified as an attack, in most contexts, it refers to the insertion of personnel that are not members of the crew by another party. Boarding may be carried out during wartime by naval infantry in an attempt to seize and possibly destroy the vessel, or it may occur in peacetime by pirates and other criminals, or as a means of inspection by a nation's coast guard (or navy) to prevent piracy and smuggling. A "boarding party" is a group of Naval Infantry (also known as "[[Marine Corps (disambiguation)|Marines]]") assigned to capture an enemy ship or station by killing or capturing its crew.
Boarding actions are formally referred to by the [[United Nations Space Command]] as "'''naval intercept operations'''" ('''NIO''').{{Ref/Game|H5G|Armor customization (Halo 5: Guardians)|Armory|Detail=[[BREAKER-class Mjolnir|Breaker]] Body Description|Quote=Void-hardened and sealed to meet the demanding requirements of Spartan naval intercept operation (NIO) boarding teams, BREAKER armor is also well suited for missions in environmentally compromised zones.}}


==Purpose==
==Purpose==
Boarding is used in wartime as a way to seize a vessel without destroying it, or to remove its cargo (people or goods) before it is destroyed. It can also be used to aid in the collection of naval intelligence, as soldiers boarding a sinking, crippled, or surrendered vessel could possibly recover enemy plans, cipher codebooks or machines. For a boarding to be successful, it must occur without the knowledge of the crew of the defending ship, or the ship's defenses must be suppressed.
Boarding is used in wartime as a way to seize a vessel without destroying it, or to remove its cargo before it is destroyed. It can also be used to aid in the collection of naval intelligence, as soldiers boarding a sinking, crippled, or surrendered vessel could possibly recover enemy plans or technology. For a boarding to be successful, it must occur without the knowledge of the crew of the defending ship, or the ship's defenses must be suppressed.
 
It could also be known as boarding by military forces may involve the use of dropships or fighters to carry troops to the deck of the ship,<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page ??''</ref> or may simply be carried out by naval infantry using pressure-sealed suits scaling the sides of the ship.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page ??''</ref>


===Peacetime===
===Peacetime===
In peacetime, boarding allows authorized inspectors of one nation or group, such as a Coast Guard or an international policing fleet to examine a ship's cargo in a search for drugs, weapons,passengers which are unrecorded on the ship's manifest, or any other type of contraband that could possibly have been carried aboard. A nation's Coast Guard could also board any suspicious ships that have been overfishing in such a nation's territorial waters or space.
In peacetime, boarding actions are often carried out to police vessels in order to suppress [[piracy]], smuggling, and [[Insurrectionist|insurrection]].


==Background==
==Background==
===Covenant===
===Covenant===
[[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] [[Covenant Navy|Naval]] commanders utilize this tactic, to attempt to capture enemy vessels and their technology whole, or to avoid a space battle that could damage both their ships and their enemy's vessel, the destruction of which would deprive the Covenant of valuable intelligence on the [[United Nations Space Command]].
[[File:Boardingcraft.jpg|thumb|250px|A Covenant boarding craft attached to ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]]''.]]
[[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] [[Covenant fleet|naval]] commanders utilize boarding to attempt to capture enemy vessels and their technology whole, or to avoid a space battle that could damage both their ships and their enemy's vessel, the destruction of which would deprive the Covenant of valuable intelligence on the [[United Nations Space Command]].


Up until the [[Great Schism]] of [[2552|November 2552]], Covenant Naval boarding parties were only composed of [[Sangheili]], [[Unggoy]],<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', campaign level, ''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]''</ref> and sometimes [[Yanme'e]], and [[Kig-yar]] <ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level, ''[[Cairo Station (Level)|Cairo Station]]''</ref> infantrymen. Though, because of the Covenant civil war, the [[High Prophets]] replaced the Sangheili officers with the [[Jiralhanae]]. The [[Covenant Boarding Craft]] is a vessel designed for this purpose.
Until the [[Great Schism]] in [[2552#November|November 2552]], Covenant boarding parties were generally composed of [[Sangheili]], [[Unggoy]], and sometimes [[Kig-Yar]] and [[Yanme'e]]. The Covenant typically employ [[R'sisho-pattern Tick|designated boarding craft]] launched from larger vessels to cut through the hull of the enemy ship or station and rapidly insert infantry to the interior.<ref>'''Halo 2''' campaign level ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]]''</ref> Vacant airlocks may also be used by boarding craft to latch on and gain entry into an enemy ship.<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved''' campaign level ''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]''</ref> Some starships, such as [[Kig-yar privateer ship]]s, are equipped with docking umbilicals with penetrator tips specifically designed to cut into an enemy ship.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 98''</ref>


===United Nations Space Command===
===United Nations Space Command===
Currently, little is known about [[Human]] boarding tactics during the [[Human-Covenant War]]. In some cases, they are known to use [[D77-TC Pelican|D77-TC]] and [[D77H-TCI Pelican]] dropships to ferry [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] forces from ship-to-ship. This insertion method was used when UNSC Marines boarded the {{UNSCShip|Prophecy}} during the [[Harvest Campaign]]. During the [[Fall of Reach]] the [[UNSC]] succesfully boarded the [[Covenant Corvette]] [[Ardent Prayer]] to deliver a makeshift bomb to the [[Covenant Supercarrier]] [[Long Night of Solace]]. Later during the [[Battle of Earth]], a large [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|ODST]] unit was intending to board the [[Prophet of Regret]]'s [[Regret's Carrier|Flagship]] using [[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle|SOEIV pods]], but failed when the carrier jumped into [[Slipstream Space|Slipspace]].<ref>'''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''', campaign level, ''[[Prepare To Drop (level)|Prepare to Dtop]]''</ref>
[[File:HWG_Prophecy_Boarding.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Fire Team Lima]] performs a microgravity boarding of the {{UNSCShip|Prophecy}} to enact the Cole Protocol against Covenant boarders.]]
In most cases, UNSC forces use [[D77-TC Pelican]] dropships to ferry [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] forces from ship-to-ship. This method was employed during the [[Insurrection]], with the UNSC developing specialised [[soft seal]] technology in the final stages of [[Operation: TREBUCHET]] to safely deploy Marines inside rebel vessels. This insertion method was used during the [[Harvest campaign]] in [[2531]], with [[John Forge]] leading [[Fire Team Lima]] in boarding the disabled {{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}} UNSC ''Prophecy''.<ref>''Halo Wars: Genesis''</ref> Marines and [[ODST]]s are capable of performing [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]] actions utilising [[vacuum suit]]s and the [[ODST armor]], while Spartans are capable of employing the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] for similar such actions.
 
Spartans in [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] are capable of boarding ships through the use of [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA equipment]], as the MJOLNIR system is vacuum sealed. This was employed often during the war with the Covenant, with one of the first engagements fought seeing the Spartans boarding the Covenant vessel ''[[Unrelenting]]'' at the [[Battle of Chi Ceti]]. Spartans would later employ boarding actions in Operations [[Operation: WARM BLANKET|WARM BLANKET]] and [[Operation: UPPER CUT|UPPER CUT]], using craft such as [[OF92 Booster Frame]]s and [[FSS-1000 Sabre]]s to planet themselves on the exterior hull of an enemy vessel. In the post-war era, Spartans have a range of MJOLNIR [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor (GEN2)|GEN2]] armor variants designed to assist in boarding actions and EVA activity, including [[EVA-class Mjolnir|EVA]] and [[ORBITAL-class Mjolnir|Orbital]]. Spartans have continued to lead the charge in conducting boarding actions, with [[John-117]] using boarding tactics against ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'' during the [[New Phoenix Incident]], and again with [[Blue Team]] against the captured ''[[Argent Moon]]'' in [[Operation: BIRD IN HAND]]. Spartan-IV personnel have also seen use in boarding actions including against the ''[[Pilgrims' Pride]]'' and the [[Station at Oth Lodon]].
 
In defending against Covenant boarding parties, a tactic sometimes used by the UNSC against Covenant boarders is the depressurization of hull compartments which have been compromised by boarders, suffocating any hostiles not wearing [[vacuum suit]]s. This measure was utilized aboard the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} during the [[Battle over Installation 04]].<ref>''Halo: The Flood'', chapter 1</ref> If Covenant forces are caught in the airlock, it is possible for UNSC defenders to simply open the airlocks before pressurisation is complete to eject the boarders into space.<ref>''[[Halo 4]]'', campaign level [[Composer (level)|Composer]]</ref> When these options are not available, UNSC ships rely on on-board Marine and ODST complements for ship-board defense. In times of emergency, naval crewmen may also be expected to pick up arms to fend off attackers.


Another possibility is using [[Bumblebee|"''Bumblebee''"-class]] lifepods with landing gear to land in the hangar of an enemy vessel. These vehicles are extremely fast and can carry two Fire Teams (8 men total) of Marines with all of their weapons and gear.<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', campaign level, ''[[Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved Level)|Halo]]''</ref>
===The Flood===
During the [[Battle of Installation 05]], [[Flood]] [[Flood carrier form|carrier forms]] were ejected from an [[airlock]] of an infected starship towards an uninfected starship.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 197''</ref> Also, the Flood used the {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}} to board and capture ''[[High Charity]]''. In the later years of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], it was standard practice for Flood forces to board and infest Forerunner vessels after the latter had been disabled by suppression fields emitted by [[star road]]s or other [[Precursor]] constructs at the Flood's disposal. Due to the suppression fields disabling their systems, very few Forerunner ships were capable of self-destructing before they were overwhelmed.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 214-215''</ref>


The [[Open Frame 92/Extra-Vehicular Activity]] is a UNSC vehicle designed for boarding Covenant vessels. With specialized weapon systems, it is able to rip small holes in a ship's energy shields and then pierce then hull with a Gauss Cannon. These vehicles have no sealed cockpit, and a pressurized suit must be worn.<ref>'''[[Halo Waypoint]]''', ''Booster Frame article''</ref>
===Forerunners===
In their first battle against the Flood, the [[Promethean Knight]]s were deployed from the Mantle's Approach to board the enemy ships and destroy them from within. The Knights would use thruster packs to control their flight pattern.<ref>'''Halo 4''', '''Terminal 6'''</ref>


==List of appearances==
==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' {{1st}}
{{col-begin}}
*''[[Halo 2]]''
{{col-2}}
*''[[Halo 3]]''
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''
*''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
*''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]''
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*''[[Halo: Uprising]]''
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
*''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]''
*''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]''
*''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''
*''[[Halo Wars]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[The Package (animated short)|The Package]]''
{{col-2}}
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian]]''
**''[[Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian]]''
**''[[The Mona Lisa]]''
**''[[The Mona Lisa]]''
*''[[Halo: Uprising]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
*''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''
*''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''
**''[[The Package]]''
*''[[Halo: Glasslands]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]''
**''[[Terminal (Halo 4)|Terminals]]''
**''[[Spartan Ops]]''
*''[[Halo: Silentium]]''
*''[[Halo: Initiation]]''
*''[[Halo: Escalation]]''
*''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
*''[[Hunt the Truth]]''
*''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]''
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
*''[[Halo: Shadow of Intent]]''
*''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''
*''[[Halo Infinite]]''
*''[[Halo: The Rubicon Protocol]]''
{{col-end}}


==Sources==
==Sources==
<references/>
{{Ref/Sources}}


==Related articles==
[[Category:Military tactics]]
*[[UNSC Marine Corps]]
*[[Pillar of Autumn (Level)|The boarding of the UNSC ''Pillar of Autumn''.]]
*[[Truth and Reconciliation (Level)|The boarding of the ''Truth and Reconciliation''.]]
*[[Cairo Station (Level)|The boarding of the ODP ''Cairo''.]]
[[Category:Military Terminology]]

Latest revision as of 08:16, November 9, 2023

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 This article does not have enough inline citations and/or does not adhere to the proper citation format. You can help Halopedia by adding citations.
For the gameplay mechanic, see Boarding (gameplay mechanic).
A Covenant boarding party preparing to disembark from a Brhi Xur-pattern Leech onto the UNSC Pillar of Autumn during the Battle of Installation 04.
A Covenant boarding party preparing to disembark on the UNSC Pillar of Autumn.

Boarding generally refers to the insertion of people onto an enemy or ambiguously affiliated ship. Boarding may be carried out during wartime in an attempt to seize and possibly destroy the vessel, or it may occur in peacetime by pirates and other criminals, or as a means of inspection to prevent piracy and smuggling. A "boarding party" is a group of naval infantry, typically known as "marines", assigned to capture an enemy ship or station by killing or capturing its crew.

Boarding actions are formally referred to by the United Nations Space Command as "naval intercept operations" (NIO).[1]

Purpose[edit]

Boarding is used in wartime as a way to seize a vessel without destroying it, or to remove its cargo before it is destroyed. It can also be used to aid in the collection of naval intelligence, as soldiers boarding a sinking, crippled, or surrendered vessel could possibly recover enemy plans or technology. For a boarding to be successful, it must occur without the knowledge of the crew of the defending ship, or the ship's defenses must be suppressed.

Peacetime[edit]

In peacetime, boarding actions are often carried out to police vessels in order to suppress piracy, smuggling, and insurrection.

Background[edit]

Covenant[edit]

A screenshot of a R'sisho-pattern Tick boarding craft on the level Cairo Station.
A Covenant boarding craft attached to Cairo Station.

Covenant naval commanders utilize boarding to attempt to capture enemy vessels and their technology whole, or to avoid a space battle that could damage both their ships and their enemy's vessel, the destruction of which would deprive the Covenant of valuable intelligence on the United Nations Space Command.

Until the Great Schism in November 2552, Covenant boarding parties were generally composed of Sangheili, Unggoy, and sometimes Kig-Yar and Yanme'e. The Covenant typically employ designated boarding craft launched from larger vessels to cut through the hull of the enemy ship or station and rapidly insert infantry to the interior.[2] Vacant airlocks may also be used by boarding craft to latch on and gain entry into an enemy ship.[3] Some starships, such as Kig-yar privateer ships, are equipped with docking umbilicals with penetrator tips specifically designed to cut into an enemy ship.[4]

United Nations Space Command[edit]

Fire Team Lima performs a microgravity boarding of the UNSC Prophecy to enact the Cole Protocol against Covenant boarders.

In most cases, UNSC forces use D77-TC Pelican dropships to ferry Marine forces from ship-to-ship. This method was employed during the Insurrection, with the UNSC developing specialised soft seal technology in the final stages of Operation: TREBUCHET to safely deploy Marines inside rebel vessels. This insertion method was used during the Harvest campaign in 2531, with John Forge leading Fire Team Lima in boarding the disabled Marathon-class heavy cruiser UNSC Prophecy.[5] Marines and ODSTs are capable of performing EVA actions utilising vacuum suits and the ODST armor, while Spartans are capable of employing the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor for similar such actions.

Spartans in MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor are capable of boarding ships through the use of EVA equipment, as the MJOLNIR system is vacuum sealed. This was employed often during the war with the Covenant, with one of the first engagements fought seeing the Spartans boarding the Covenant vessel Unrelenting at the Battle of Chi Ceti. Spartans would later employ boarding actions in Operations WARM BLANKET and UPPER CUT, using craft such as OF92 Booster Frames and FSS-1000 Sabres to planet themselves on the exterior hull of an enemy vessel. In the post-war era, Spartans have a range of MJOLNIR GEN2 armor variants designed to assist in boarding actions and EVA activity, including EVA and Orbital. Spartans have continued to lead the charge in conducting boarding actions, with John-117 using boarding tactics against Mantle's Approach during the New Phoenix Incident, and again with Blue Team against the captured Argent Moon in Operation: BIRD IN HAND. Spartan-IV personnel have also seen use in boarding actions including against the Pilgrims' Pride and the Station at Oth Lodon.

In defending against Covenant boarding parties, a tactic sometimes used by the UNSC against Covenant boarders is the depressurization of hull compartments which have been compromised by boarders, suffocating any hostiles not wearing vacuum suits. This measure was utilized aboard the UNSC Pillar of Autumn during the Battle over Installation 04.[6] If Covenant forces are caught in the airlock, it is possible for UNSC defenders to simply open the airlocks before pressurisation is complete to eject the boarders into space.[7] When these options are not available, UNSC ships rely on on-board Marine and ODST complements for ship-board defense. In times of emergency, naval crewmen may also be expected to pick up arms to fend off attackers.

The Flood[edit]

During the Battle of Installation 05, Flood carrier forms were ejected from an airlock of an infected starship towards an uninfected starship.[8] Also, the Flood used the UNSC In Amber Clad to board and capture High Charity. In the later years of the Forerunner-Flood war, it was standard practice for Flood forces to board and infest Forerunner vessels after the latter had been disabled by suppression fields emitted by star roads or other Precursor constructs at the Flood's disposal. Due to the suppression fields disabling their systems, very few Forerunner ships were capable of self-destructing before they were overwhelmed.[9]

Forerunners[edit]

In their first battle against the Flood, the Promethean Knights were deployed from the Mantle's Approach to board the enemy ships and destroy them from within. The Knights would use thruster packs to control their flight pattern.[10]

List of appearances[edit]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ Halo 5: Guardians, Armory: Breaker Body Description "Void-hardened and sealed to meet the demanding requirements of Spartan naval intercept operation (NIO) boarding teams, BREAKER armor is also well suited for missions in environmentally compromised zones."
  2. ^ Halo 2 campaign level Cairo Station
  3. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved campaign level The Pillar of Autumn
  4. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 98
  5. ^ Halo Wars: Genesis
  6. ^ Halo: The Flood, chapter 1
  7. ^ Halo 4, campaign level Composer
  8. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 197
  9. ^ Halo: Silentium, pages 214-215
  10. ^ Halo 4, Terminal 6
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