Headhunters

Headhunters redirects here. For other uses, see Headhunters (disambiguation).

Template:Article Quote Headhunters are Spartan-III Special Operations squads. Only SPARTAN-IIIs that had survived two or more specially assigned training missions would be evaluated. Once an overall list of potential candidates was compiled, each soldier's personal files and mission reports were analyzed against a set series of parameters calculated by top ONI specialists. Once selected, candidates were separated from their fellow Spartans and shipped to a special training facility on the far side of Onyx. After three months, the soldiers were broken into four two-person squads, chosen through a series of detailed evaluations and an intense interview process meant to devise the best possible pairings between members of the group. For the next two years, the Headhunters would go through seven months of supervised field exercises, followed by six months' real-world wartime insertions. These SPARTAN-IIIs would go onto missions far behind enemy lines and would more than likely be expected to die in combat.

Two Headhunter teams participated in a failed mission on an unnamed Covenant moon, with notable members including Jonah and Roland.

Known Headhunters

• Jonah
• Roland

Trivia

• The concept of the Headhunters is quite similar to that of the SPARTAN-II group, Black Team. Both groups are separated from their fellow Spartans and are sent far behind enemy lines for special covert operations and have access to more advanced equipment then their fellow spartans. However, while the IIs knew about Black Team, it is mentioned that the Headhunters were a secret even to their peers. How this is done with the Headhunter training facilities on Onyx is unknown.
• At the height of the program there was a maximum contingent of six squads - six teams with a total of 17 soldiers rotating in to fill gaps when half or all of a team was lost.
• It is unknown what armor the headhunters wear, but it is likely to be either MJOLNIR or a heavily modified SPI, as it is mentioned as power armor, MJOLNIR is powered and SPI is powered in the sense of its photo-reactive panels. The armor is fitted with a VISR module, shields, and tracking. Roland's armor has been modified further, with the addition of an active camouflage module, or av-cam for short.

• The way shielding is portrayed in the story raises a question, is it energy shielding or environmental shielding (EMP and radiation) as there were instances where, if it were energy shields, would have been mentioned further, but wasnt (i.e Roland's death, jonah taking hits, wiping knife on armor plate, ect).