Office of Naval Intelligence
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| Office of Naval Intelligence | |
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 The Seal of the Office of Naval Intelligence
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Intelligence agency |
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Semper Vigilans (Always Vigilant)[2] |
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Spooks[3] |
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- Emile-A239: "Kat, you read his file?"
- Kat-B320: "Only the parts that weren't covered in black ink."
- — Catherine-B320 remarks on ONIs censorship of SPARTAN-B312's file.[5]
The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI, commonly pronounced phonetically as /oʊni/) is the intelligence service of the UNSC Navy. Overtly, the agency is merely the information gathering and analysis division of the UNSC Naval Command. In reality, the operations of the Office of Naval Intelligence are far broader than simple intelligence gathering.[6]
ONI has become known for their preeminent role in the acquisition and leveraging of military intelligence. The agency is widely known for using subterfuge, deception, and manipulation in defense of humanity in order to accomplish its goals. Additionally, the Office of Naval Intelligence employs numerous special projects, such as the SPARTAN programs, Project: MJOLNIR, and the investigation of Forerunner sites—the most notable of which is Trevelyan.[1]
History[edit]
Rise of humanity[edit]
The Office of Naval Intelligence was officially founded in 2178[7][1] though some offices and functions of ONI Section One predate the UNSC's creation in 2163.[8]
One of the earliest known projects undertaken by ONI was in 2321. This project, dubbed ORION, was an attempt to increase the effectiveness of Colonial Military Authority soldiers. However this initial run was eventually postponed.[9]
Since about the 2460s, the Office of Naval Intelligence has had some level of de facto independence from the UNSC Navy.[10]
In 2491, the Carver Findings were released and ONI began to use it as their approach to the Insurrectionists.[11]
In 2517, candidates for the new Generation II ORION Project were kidnapped and brought to Reach for training.[12]
Human-Covenant War[edit]
- Main article: Human-Covenant War
In the first several months of the war, some ONI analysts believed the Covenant may have visited Earth in the past. Part of this was due to the meter and a half tall Unggoy the Covenant employed. As such, the Covenant received the nickname "LGM" or "Little Green Men".[13]
Over the course of the war, ONI eliminated or gained control over most competing civilian and military espionage services.[14]
By 2551, Dr. Catherine Halsey was the Office of Naval Intelligence's Chief Scientist.[15]
By 2552, ONI was also known as the "UNSC Military Intelligence Division".[12] Several ONI sites on Reach would be attacked by the Covenant including SWORD Base,[16] Olympic Tower,[17] and CASTLE Base.[18][19] Some rumors following the fall of the planet suggested that ONI had lured the Covenant to Reach.[20] Prior to the attack on Earth in that year, members of Blue Team reported to an ONI council.[21] Later during the Battle of Kenya of that year, ONI Recon 111 helped provide intelligence in the field to UNSC forces.[22]
Postwar[edit]
Following the war, the Office of Naval Intelligence had become the primary intelligence service of the UEG with nearly uncontested power in this field.[14] ONI was also afforded a great deal of autonomy, due to its connections with t