M274 Mongoose

This article is about the Mongoose introduced in Halo 3, were you looking for the variant introduced in Halo: Reach, the M274R Mongoose, or the variant introduced in Halo 5: Guardians, the M290 Mongoose?

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"Speed is the only protection this vehicle provides; it is unarmored, noisy, and prone to roll-over. It demands a level of skill from its operator that is impossible to expect...during combat conditions."

— Anonymous E2-BAG/1/7 serviceman^[1]

The M274 Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle^[2]^[1] (abbreviated M274 ULATV), commonly known as the Mongoose, is a United Nations Space Command light ground reconnaissance vehicle designed by AMG Transport Dynamics.

Specifications

Overview

A wire frame profile of the M274R Mongoose ULATV.

The Mongoose is one of the fastest and most maneuverable ground vehicles in the arsenal of the UNSC Marine Corps. It is a highly effective vehicle for reconnaissance, rapid transportation, swift tactical versatility, and for shooting between positions. A smaller cousin to the ubiquitous M831 Troop Transport, the Mongoose is a small ATV capable of carrying a driver in the middle of the vehicle, and features a rear platform that can be used to carry one additional passenger, although official UNSC safety protocols advise against this.^[3]

The Mongoose is often used for transportation of messages, documents and light cargo between units. It is additionally used by forward observers, sniper teams and reconnaissance personnel for rapid transportation.

AMG Transport Dynamics manufactured the first predecessors to the M274 in 2483 and have since released seventeen variants of the vehicle, the M247 ULATV being the most recent.^[3] The vehicle was featured in Machines, Materiel and Munitions from the Human-Covenant Conflict, 2525 - Present, a report compiling armaments of the Human-Covenant War.^[1]

Design details

Like the M12 Warthog, the Mongoose is a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle capable of going over any obstacle without any difficulty. The vehicle is powered by a 1,000cc liquid-cooled, mid-engine mounted, four-stroke, hydrogen-injected ICE, allowing it to reach at a maximum speed of 95 kilometres per hour (59 mph).The Mongoose has a fuel economy of between 45 and 65 miles-per-gallon (depending on load), though stocking some jerry cans of Nanoreagent hydrocarbot and a carbon feeler can significantly increase the vehicle's range.^[1] The Mongoose is not equipped with any sort of radio or GPS system, or even any gauges, leaving users reliant on external means of wireless communication. The Mongoose also contains a front cargo cage, though it is commonplace for UNSC personnel to remove it to allow the vehicle to travel faster and lighter.^[1]

As the vehicle carries no armament of its own, having a passenger is essential if engaging in a combat zone. Due to its smaller profile, the Mongoose is a difficult target for both slow and fast moving enemy weaponry, as opposed to the Warthog, whose size is somewhat substantial. For quick and practical deployment, the Mongoose can be transported by a Pelican dropship.

Variants

At least one variant of the M274, the M274R Mongoose, exists. It was used notably during the Fall of Reach and into the Post-Covenant War conflicts.

Gameplay

Disadvantages

The Mongoose's high speed, light mass, and practically non-existent armor make it unwieldy and difficult to control at high speeds and/or over unstable terrain, making the ULATV vulnerable to destabilization, crashes, and flips. Thus, the standard UNSC Marine Corps operating protocol in engagements against Covenant forces is to place an M41 rocket launcher-armed Marine in the passenger position to fire rockets against slow-moving hostile vehicles, while the driver uses the Mongoose's superior speed to evade enemy return fire. To make matters worse, the design of the vehicle and its lack of armor leave both the driver and passenger completely exposed. The Mongoose does not incorporate any offensive or defensive capabilities, making the Mongoose's only practical defenses an armed passenger and its speed. In a last resort situation, the Mongoose can be used to run over nearby enemies. Yet, attempting a splatter is usually an ineffective plan: The low width and height of the vehicle, combined with the aforementioned instabilities when driving, make it very difficult to successfully score an impact on an opponent.

Production notes

The Mongoose modded into Coagulation in Halo 2.

The Mongoose was originally intended to be put into Halo 2, but was eventually canceled.^[4] The Mongoose prototype did not fulfill Bungie's expectations for Halo 2, and although Bungie attempted to add dual coaxial machine-guns to it or an armed passenger, it remained unbalanced and didn't fit into the gameplay. Bungie at the time could not figure out a way to implement it into the campaign, and had trouble getting the physics for it right, stating that the whole thing had a tendency to flip very easily, and gameplay wise, had no purpose as it couldn't be driven with the flag and became virtually useless. The addition of the passenger seat gave rise to whole new possibilities and led to its inclusion in the third game. Other Warthog-related vehicles proposed in Halo 2 were also not featured in the final game.

During the production of Halo 3: ODST, an NMPD variant of the M274 "Mongoose" ULATV was originally going to be put in the game^{[citation needed]}, but was cut before the game's final release.

UNSC remarks

"[The M274] is pretty nimble for its size; add to that the fact that it can do ninety plus kilo papa hotel over uneven terrain and you’ve got the ultimate commando hot rod."

"Speed is the only protection this vehicle provides; it is unarmored, noisy, and prone to roll-over. It demands a level of skill from its operator that is impossible to expect from the rank and file during combat conditions. Those not qualified as expert need not apply."

"That thing will go from zero to thirty in three seconds on anything short of snow-covered ice."

"The M274 doesn't have a radio of its own, isn't equipped with GPS, it doesn't even have any gauges. The only piece of equipment more primitive is the crate it ships in."

"The first thing everybody does is yank the front cargo cage – if you were to carry anything on it your forward visibility would be obstructed out to about six meters – that and less weight equals more speed… anyway it's the first thing everybody does."

"It's a super versatile ATV in the tradition of the Sperry FCMMagLEV and Willys Jeep; without the former’s vulnerable drive train or the latter's innards-rupturing suspension."

"If they're not gonna give us armor they should at least give us a mounted weapon. And you should be able to tow a trailer with it. And, God forbid, you try to ford bodies of water more than seven feet deep."

"The M274's range is excellent, and that's even before you consider that you can double or triple its range that without severely impacting its max load – just a couple of jerrys of slop and a carbon feeler."

"Some fellas piss and moan about the M274's lack of offensive capability, but it's not meant to be an AFV! Still; with a brave fella riding pillion you should be able to put out enough discouragement to break contact with all but the most bloodthirsty bravo kilo."

"The (M274) is definitely the most Buddhist land-based motive system in the UNSC's arsenal...I'll just let that sit with you for a while."

Trivia

A mongoose is used to refer to two types carnivorous mammals, in keeping with the UNSC's tradition of naming atmospheric vehicles after real animals, with the exceptions of the Cyclops and Gremlin, which are named after mythical creatures.
Its first appearance in a book was in The Cole Protocol during the Battle of Metisette. This is also its first appearance chronologically, meaning that the Mongoose entered UNSC service during or prior to 2535. Because Adriana-111 was surrounded by Covenant infantry on rocky terrain, she thought of the Mongoose as "useless" given her then-current situation, as it "just meant you were a biking target"; instead she used the vehicle as a melee weapon against several Grunts.^[5]
If the player manages to splatter an enemy player with the Mongoose in a ranked free-for-all Xbox Live playlist in Halo 3, the player will earn the Mongoose Mowdown achievement, Scout shoulders, and five Gamerpoints.
The Mongoose has a yellow instruction sticker on the deployable passengers seat, stating the maximum weight for the driver and passenger. It is interesting to note that the driver can weigh about 500 kilograms, the average weight for an actual SPARTAN-II soldier. The passenger can also weigh up to 450 kilograms. A SPARTAN weighs around a half-ton, which translates to around 454.5 kilograms, so carrying around another SPARTAN-II as a passenger is possible; however it would seriously damage the Mongoose's suspension under hard acceleration or braking and even the smallest bump or drop would render the Mongoose useless.

Gallery

An early Halo 2 prototype of the vehicle.
Rear render of the Halo 2 Mongoose.
Concept art for the Halo 2 map Burial Mounds depicting Mongooses.
H3Beta Valhalla Mongoose.jpg

The Mongoose in Halo 3's multiplayer beta.
The Mongoose in Halo 3.
The label on the Mongoose in Halo 3.
A Mongoose with arctic camouflage.
A Spartan-II on a Mongoose in the Halo 3 Beta.
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An NMPD variant of the Mongoose that was cut from Halo 3: ODST.
The Rookie driving a Mongoose through the streets of New Mombasa.