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{{era|Human|UNSC|HCW}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{SeeWikipedia|Boarding (attack)}}
{{Wikipedia|Boarding (attack)}}
{{References}}
{{References}}
<center>''For the gameplay mechanic, see [[Boarding (gameplay mechanic)]].''</center>
{{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}}.]]
[[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''' 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 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==
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===Peacetime===
===Peacetime===
In peacetime, boarding actions are often carried out to police vessels in order to suppress piracy, smuggling, and [[Insurrectionist|insurrection]].
In peacetime, boarding actions are often carried out to police vessels in order to suppress [[piracy]], smuggling, and [[Insurrectionist|insurrection]].


==Background==
==Background==
===Covenant===
===Covenant===
[[File:Boardingcraft.jpg|thumb|250px|A Covenant boarding craft attached to ''[[Cairo Station]]''.]]
[[File:Boardingcraft.jpg|thumb|250px|A Covenant boarding craft attached to ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]]''.]]
[[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] [[Covenant Navy|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]].
[[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]].


Until the [[Great Schism]] in [[2552#November|November 2552]], Covenant boarding parties were generally composed of [[Sangheili]], [[Unggoy]], and sometimes [[Yanme'e]]. The Covenant typically employ [[Covenant boarding craft|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]]''</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>
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===
In most cases, UNSC forces use [[D77-TC 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]] in [[2531]].<ref>'''Halo Wars: Genesis'''</ref> 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 occurred during the boarding of the Covenant vessel ''[[Unrelenting]]'' at the [[Battle of Chi Ceti]]. During the [[Fall of Reach]] in [[2552#August|August 2552]], the UNSC used [[YSS-1000 Sabre]]s and a D77-TC Pelican to successfully board the [[Covenant corvette]] ''[[Ardent Prayer]]'' to deliver a makeshift bomb to the [[Covenant supercarrier]] ''[[Long Night of Solace]]''.<ref>'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[Long Night of Solace (level)|Long Night of Solace]]''</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.


[[2552#September|On September 19]], UNSC forces, in an attempt to rescue [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]], boarded the damaged {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}} ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]'' as it held position over [[Halo Array|Halo]] [[Installation 04]].<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[The Truth and Reconciliation]]''</ref> Two days later, [[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN]] [[John-117]] again boarded the vessel, which was now controlled by [[the Flood]], to retrieve the captain's [[command neural interface]].<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[Keyes]]''</ref> On September 22, the remaining Marines, ODSTs, and naval personnel boarded the ship in an attempt to use it to travel to [[Earth]]; however, [[First Lieutenant]] [[Melissa McKay]] crashed the ship into the Halo to prevent the Flood from spreading to Earth and across UNSC space.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page ??''</ref>
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]].


During the [[Battle of Earth]], a large [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]] unit was to board the ''[[Solemn Penance]]'' using [[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle|SOEIVs]], but failed when the carrier jumped into [[Slipstream space|slipspace]].<ref>'''Halo 3: ODST''', campaign level ''[[Prepare To Drop]]''</ref> Two weeks later, Spartan [[Blue Team]] boarded the [[Covenant destroyer]] ''[[Bloodied Spirit]]'' by stowing away from the [[Centennial Orbital Elevator]].<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page ??''</ref>
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.
 
The [[Open Frame 92/Extra-Vehicular Activity|OF92/EVA "Booster Frame"]] 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; thus a pressurized suit must be worn.
 
In [[2535]], ODSTs from the [[UNSC light frigate|light frigate]] ''[[UNSC Midsummer Night|Midsummer Night]]'' boarded the civilian freighter ''[[Finnegan's Wake]]''.<ref>'''Halo: The Cole Protocol''', ''page ??''</ref> This demonstrates the UNSC's commonly enacted efforts to combat [[insurrectionist]] smugglers during the early years of the Human-Covenant War.
 
In [[2557]] during [[The Didact]]'s [[Battle of Earth (2557)|attack on Earth]] Master Chief Petty Officer [[John-117]] boarded the Didact's ship ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'' using an [[F-41 Broadsword]] fighter to destroy it and [[The Composer]] with a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]], a mission that succeded, saving the population of Earth from being digitized by the Composer.


===The Flood===
===The Flood===
During the [[Battle of Installation 05]], [[The Flood|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]]''.
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>


===Forerunners===
===Forerunners===
When in combat with the Flood, [[Promethean Knight|Promethean Knights]] would be deployed from ships to board the enemy ship and purge it. The Knights would use thruster packs to control their flight pattern.<ref> '''Halo 4''', '''Terminals'''</ref>
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==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]''
*''[[Halo Wars]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[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: Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
*''[[Halo: Glasslands]]''
**''[[The Package]]''
*''[[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}}


[[Category:Military Terminology]]
[[Category:Military tactics]]

Latest revision as of 07:16, 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