Editing Keyes Loop

{{Status|Canon}}
[[File:Keyes Loop.jpeg|thumb|275px|The "Keyes Loop", as drawn by Captain Keyes for Dr. Halsey.]]
{{quote|Sir, that was the most brilliant maneuver I have ever seen.|[[Lieutenant Hikowa]] to [[Commander (UNSC)|Commander]] [[Jacob Keyes]].}}
The '''Keyes Loop'''{{Ref/Novel|Id=FOR18|HTFoR|Chapter=18}}{{Ref/Book|Id=Journal|Dr. Halsey's personal journal|Page=July 18, 2552}} was a famous space tactical manoeuvre first executed by then-[[Jacob Keyes|Commander Jacob Keyes]] at the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV]] in [[2552]]. The result was one of the rare naval victories achieved by the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] over [[Covenant]] forces, and it led to Keyes' promotion to [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] by [[Admiral Stanforth]]. It also provided a badly-needed morale boost to the whole fleet.

==Overview==
===Background===
At 0300 hours on July 17, 2552, the [[remote scanning outpost]] ''[[Archimedes]]'' detected the signature of a [[Covenant]] fleet in [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] transit to the [[Sigma Octanus system]]. These findings manifested in ''Archimedes''{{'}} logs as an unusally large single object in slipspace, though were quickly determined to be a tight formation of [[Covenant starship]]s by officers aboard {{UNSCShip|Iroquois}}. Commander [[Jacob Keyes]] relayed these findings to [[UNSC Fleet Command]] (FLEETCOM) to alert them of an imminent incursion in the system, with Vice Admiral [[Michael Stanforth]]'s [[Battle Group Leviathan]] mustered to respond to the attack. However, Leviathan were still in the [[Epsilon Eridani system]] and would take several hours to arrive at Sigma Octanus - well after the Covenant attack would be finished.{{Ref/Novel|Id=FOR16|HTFoR|Chapter=16}}

At this time, the UNSC's defensive presence at Sigma Octanus was light, consisting only of three light warships: the [[UNSC frigate|frigates]] {{UNSCShip|Allegiance}} and {{UNSCShip|Gettysburg}}, and the {{Class|Halberd|light destroyer}} ''Iroquois''. Of these, only ''Iroquois'' was in orbit of [[Sigma Octanus IV]] itself, with the frigates located further out-system. By the time the Covenant fleet, consisting of a [[Covenant carrier|carrier]], two [[Covenant frigate|frigates]], and a [[Wik-pattern light destroyer|light destroyer]], arrived over Sigma Octanus, both frigates were an hour away from arriving to assist. This left ''Iroquois'' the sole ship on station to respond to the attack against a force that would typically be considered a challenge for seven destroyers.{{Ref/Reuse|FOR16}}

===The battle===
The Covenant fleet emerged from slipspace between Sigma Octanus and ''Iroquois'' and approached the planet in a formation consisting of the carrier in lead, with the destroyer trailing and the two frigates following. ''Iroquois'' engaged its [[fusion drive]]s on a hard burn, locked on an intercept course with the destroyer. Upon detecting ''Iroquois'' the two frigates broke off from the formation to intercept the [[human]] ship, each firing a single [[plasma torpedo]] at the destroyer. Keyes counted on this to aid in his planned manoeuvre by using the plasma torpedoes against the Covenant. When the torpedoes approached ''Iroquois'' the destroyer engaged its [[emergency thruster]]s to sidestep them, with the torpedoes now trailing the UNSC destroyer as it closed in on the Covenant destroyer. After bypassing the Covenant frigates, ''Iroquois'' fired a single [[Shiva-class nuclear missile]] aft for later use.{{Ref/Novel|Id=FOR17|HTFoR|Chapter=17}}

At the last second, just before ''Iroquois'' collided with the Covenant destroyer, the ship did a last-minute course correction that narrowly grazed the larger vessel's [[energy shielding]]. The collision severely damaged ''Iroquois'' and tore through {{Convert|2|m|ft}} of [[Titanium-A armor]] plating and breached through every bottom deck; however, the trailing plasma torpedoes were unable to correct themselves for the sudden manoeuvre of their target and, consequently, hit the Covenant destroyer instead. A heavy salvo of [[Archer missile]]s fired by ''Iroquois'' were then able to finish off the now severely-weakened and vulnerable Covenant ship.{{Ref/Reuse|FOR17}}

With the momentum built up during the first phase, the ''Iroquois'' performed a slingshot manoeuvre around the planet (something [[Catherine Halsey]] suspected was inspired by tactics employed by Vice Admiral [[Preston Cole]]{{Ref/Reuse|Journal}}). Once safely away, the nuclear warhead deployed earlier was detonated, completely draining the shields of the two frigates. Having completed its orbit, ''Iroquois'' resumed its attack and destroyed the two frigates with two heavy [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]] (MAC) rounds and hundreds of its remaining Archer missiles. Its escorts destroyed, the carrier disengaged and escaped from the system. Before leaving, it dropped 34 dropships and a [[Covenant stealth ship|stealth ship]] to continue the ground assault. Later, the carrier hailed the rest of the [[Second Fleet of Solemn Accord|attack fleet]] to Sigma Octanus IV.{{Ref/Reuse|FOR17}}

===Aftermath===
Commander Keyes' victory against the Covenant was a rare naval victory for the UNSC at a point in the [[Human-Covenant War]] where the UNSC was on its last legs. Almost immediately, personnel across the fleet nicknamed his tactic the "Keyes Loop",{{Ref/Reuse|FOR18}} a name which was picked up by [[ONI Section Two]] for propaganda use.{{Ref/Reuse|Journal}} Despite this, Keyes felt that his tactic had been suicidal and, had it been suggested by one of his students at [[Officer Candidate School]], he would have graded it a C-.{{Ref/Reuse|FOR18}}

In the aftermath of the engagement, the ''Iroquois'' was damaged to the point that it required almost a complete overhaul. Fifteen percent of the electronics had to be replaced due to [[EMP]] burnout from the Shiva. Eight magnetic coils had to be replaced as well, disabling the MAC for a time. One of the emergency thrusters had to be refilled. The engines' vents had fused together due to extreme heat, and would need a complete overhaul to get them fully operational. Even after refit aboard the {{UNSCShip|Cradle}}, only 50% power was available. Finally, and most dangerously, all of the bottom armour and bottom decks that had been eroded by the Covenant destroyer's shields were replaced. Commander Keyes was offered by the ''Cradle'' to repaint the ''Iroquois'', but he declined so that he would never forget the ship's battle scars.{{Ref/Reuse|FOR18}}

Overall, the victory bought time for Battle Group Leviathan to arrive at Sigma Octanus IV, where hours later they would fight a second battle against the Covenant and achieve a second rare win for humanity.{{Ref/Reuse|FOR18}}

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Reach]]'' 
**''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' {{Im}}
*''[[Halo Mythos]]'' {{Mo}}

== Sources ==
{{Ref/Sources}}

[[Category:Military tactics]]