The Long Range Stealth Orbital Insertion Pod is an advanced variant of the UNSC Human Entry Vehicle. Their construction consists of simple Titanium-A shell covered with Lead Foil, to protect it from the heat, and a Stealth Ablative Coating to make the pods invisible to radar.[1] They were used to land the 300 Spartan-III's on the surface of Pegasi Delta during Operation TORPEDO in 2545.
Background
Unlike the UNSC's HEVs, which must be launched from a vessel in orbit of the target, Long Range Stealth Orbital Insertion Pods can be launched while a ship is actually in Slipspace. To date, they are the smallest manned UNSC ships that are capable of transitioning into normal space safely; however, it also seems that only Spartans can man and control them. Still, they are, according to occupants, a "bumpy ride."[2] They were implemented because of the smaller target they present for counter-attacks than a Pelican, and, if one is destroyed, the entire squad is not lost.
Sources
- ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 13
- ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 16