Template:New Content Template:Infobox Military Unit

"There won't be any program; not like the Spartan-Twos, anyway or the Spartan-Threes, if I can help it. We're back to using consenting adults now, like we did in Project Orion."
Margaret Parangosky[1]

The SPARTAN-IV Program is the fourth iteration of the SPARTAN supersoldier program. It was conceived by Admiral Margaret Parangosky, the Commander-in-Chief of the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Background

Commissioned as a result of the success of the preceding SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III projects, the SPARTAN-IV Program was originally to be headed by SPARTAN-III lead Colonel James Ackerson, with SPARTAN-II project lead Dr. Catherine Halsey to be reassigned as Ackerson's subordinate.[2] Ackerson was killed following the Battle of Mare Erythraeum and Halsey was arrested after returning from Onyx, though ONI continued the program without the two.[3]

Like the original ORION Project, the SPARTAN-IV Program utilizes consenting adult volunteers selected from the other branches of the UNSC Defense Force.[1] Recruits are drawn from both career military veterans and young soldiers who show considerable promise.[4] The SPARTAN-IIs and SPARTAN-IIIs who survived the Human-Covenant War were offered to be integrated into the SPARTAN-IV Program.[5] An unknown number of SPARTAN-IVs were active by 2553. Some of them, including Fireteam Majestic, were assigned to the UNSC Infinity before it was launched.[3] They trained with one another on the Infinity's state-of-the art combat deck (a training chamber that is capable of replicating environments), in order to constantly stay battle-ready.[6]

The SPARTAN-IVs serve in a dedicated branch of the UNSCDF known simply as "Spartan", whereas their forebears operated within other chains of command.[7] Unlike their predecessors, the SPARTAN-IVs are identified by their surnames rather than numeric tags (due to their obvious volunteered enlistment rather than kidnapping/conscription). Unusually, the SPARTAN-IVs have shown a great deal of solidarity, especially impressive given the short time they have served together. Many of them have adopted colloquialisms first used by the SPARTAN-IIs, such as "Alpha Bravo" for "Alien Bastard". Psychologists assert that this camaraderie and cohesiveness will help distinguish the SPARTAN-IVs, and the Spartan branch as a whole, from the other UNSCDF branches.[4]

List of Spartan-IV units

Unit Status Personnel Notes
UNSC Infinity Spartan command Active
Gypsy Company Active At least two Spartan-IVs[10] Also contains UNSC Marine Corps personnel.[10]
Mountain Squad KIA A science attache unit. Killed during the Requiem campaign after being shot down in Two Giants.[11]
Fireteam Apex Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Fireteam Avalanche Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[13]
Fireteam Castle KIA Killed in action after being shot down during the Requiem campaign[15]
Fireteam Crimson Active Four Spartans
Fireteam Domino Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Fireteam Horse Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Fireteam Ivy Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Fireteam Kodiak Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[16]
Fireteam Lancer Active Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Fireteam Majestic Active[12]
Fireteam Rhino Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Fireteam Shadow Active Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Fireteam Sword Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Fireteam Switchback MIA Missing in action during a mission to destroy a Harvester during the Requiem campaign[18]
Fireteam Sydney Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Fireteam Talon Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Fireteam Tower Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Fireteam Wolf Active unknown Participated in the Requiem campaign[12]
Unknown

Equipment

MJOLNIR Armor

Main article: MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor (GEN2)

SPARTAN-IVs are equipped with a second generation, lightweight variation of the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor.[6]

Augmentation procedures

Main article: SPARTAN-IV augmentation procedures

Like the augmentations performed for the SPARTAN-IIs and the improved procedures utilized in the subsequent SPARTAN-III Program, the SPARTAN-IVs underwent a series of enhancement procedures in order to wear MJOLNIR armor.[7]

Gallery

List of appearances

Sources

  1. ^ a b Halo: Glasslands, page 434
  2. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 147
  3. ^ a b Halo: Glasslands, page 422
  4. ^ a b Eleventh Hour reports, part 3
  5. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 435
  6. ^ a b Gameinformer (May 2012), pages 46-47
  7. ^ a b Halo 4 Official Site: Story
  8. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named panel
  9. ^ a b YouTube - Halo 4: Spartan Ops Gameplay
  10. ^ a b Halo 4, level Reclaimer
  11. ^ a b c d Spartan Ops, S1E3 Spartan Mountain
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Halo 4 Limited Edition War Games Session Summary
  13. ^ Spartan Ops, Episode 7, Chapter 2: "Home Field"
  14. ^ Spartan Ops, S1E1 Departure
  15. ^ Spartan Ops, S1E4 Didact's Hand: Chapter 1: Hairy Call
  16. ^ Spartan Ops, Episode 7, Chapter 4: "The Guns of Infinity"
  17. ^ MightyApe.co.nz: Halo 4 Limited Edition screenshots
  18. ^ YouTube - Halo 4: Spartan Ops - Episode 6 Chapter 4 Developer Commentary
  19. ^ Halo 4, Infinity