M274 Mongoose

This article is about the Mongoose introduced in Halo 3, for other vehicles named "Mongoose", see Mongoose (fiction).

M274 Mongoose
Production information
Manufacturer:	AMG Transport Dynamics
Product line:	Mongoose
Model:	M274
Technical specifications
Length:	3.2 metres (10 ft)
Width:	1.8 metres (5.9 ft)
Height:	1.5 metres (4.9 ft)
Mass:	896 pounds (406 kg) Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: 1,077 kilograms (2,370 lb)
Maximum speed:	95 kilometres per hour (59 mph)
Engine(s):	1,000cc liquid-cooled, mid-engine mounted, four-stroke, hydrogen-injected ICE
Armament:	None
Crew:	One driver, one passenger
Usage
In service:	Human-Covenant War Post-Covenant War conflicts
Role(s):	Reconnaissance/light scout, infantry transport, cargo transport
Affiliation:	United Nations Space Command

"Speed is the only protection this vehicle provides; it is unarmored, noisy, and prone to roll-over. It demands a level of skill from its operator that is impossible to expect...during combat conditions."

— Anonymous E2-BAG/1/7 serviceman

The M274 Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle(abbreviated M274 ULATV), commonly known as the Mongoose, is a United Nations Space Command light ground reconnaissance vehicle designed by AMG Transport Dynamics.

Overview

Design details

A wire frame profile of the M274 Mongoose ULATV.

The Mongoose is one of the fastest and most maneuverable ground vehicles in the arsenal of the UNSC Marine Corps. It is a highly effective vehicle for reconnaissance, rapid transportation, swift tactical versatility, and for shooting between positions. A smaller cousin to the ubiquitous M831 Troop Transport, the Mongoose is a small ATV capable of carrying a driver in the middle of the vehicle, and features a rear platform that can be used to carry one additional passenger, although official UNSC safety protocols advise against this.

The Mongoose is often used for transportation of messages, documents and light cargo between units. It is additionally used by forward observers, sniper teams and reconnaissance personnel for rapid transportation.

Like the M12 Warthog, the Mongoose is a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle capable of going over any obstacle without any difficulty. The vehicle is powered by a 1,000cc liquid-cooled, mid-engine mounted, four-stroke, hydrogen-injected ICE, allowing it to reach at a maximum speed of 95 kilometres per hour (59 mph).The Mongoose has a fuel economy of between 45 and 65 miles-per-gallon (depending on load), though stocking some jerry cans of Nanoreagent hydrocarbot and a carbon feeler can significantly increase the vehicle's range. The Mongoose is not equipped with any sort of radio or GPS system, or even any gauges, leaving users reliant on external means of wireless communication. The Mongoose also contains a front cargo cage, though it is commonplace for UNSC personnel to remove it to allow the vehicle to travel faster and lighter.

As the vehicle carries no armament of its own, having a passenger is essential if engaging in a combat zone. Due to its smaller profile, the Mongoose is a difficult target for both slow and fast moving enemy weaponry, as opposed to the Warthog, whose size is somewhat substantial. For quick and practical deployment, the Mongoose can be transported by a Pelican dropship.

Variants

• M274R Mongoose - A different chassis design seen during the Fall of Reach and some Post-Covenant War conflicts.
• M274-M Gungoose - A Mongoose with automatic weapons built onto the chassis.
• 2542 model
• 2543 model

Operational history

AMG Transport Dynamics manufactured the first predecessors to the M274 in 2483 and have since released seventeen variants of the vehicle, the M247 ULATV being the most recent. The vehicle was featured in Machines, Materiel and Munitions from the Human-Covenant Conflict, 2525 - Present, a report compiling armaments of the Human-Covenant War.

During the Battle of Metisette, Adriana-111 was surrounded by Covenant infantry on rocky terrain. She thought of the Mongoose as "useless" given her then-current situation, as it "just meant you were a biking target"; instead she used the vehicle as a melee weapon against several Grunts.

UNSC remarks

• "[The M274] is pretty nimble for its size; add to that the fact that it can do ninety plus kilo papa hotel over uneven terrain and you’ve got the ultimate commando hot rod."

• "Speed is the only protection this vehicle provides; it is unarmored, noisy, and prone to roll-over. It demands a level of skill from its operator that is impossible to expect from the rank and file during combat conditions. Those not qualified as expert need not apply."

• "That thing will go from zero to thirty in three seconds on anything short of snow-covered ice."

• "The M274 doesn't have a radio of its own, isn't equipped with GPS, it doesn't even have any gauges. The only piece of equipment more primitive is the crate it ships in."

• "The first thing everybody does is yank the front cargo cage – if you were to carry anything on it your forward visibility would be obstructed out to about six meters – that and less weight equals more speed… anyway it's the first thing everybody does."

• "It's a super versatile ATV in the tradition of the Sperry FCMMagLEV and Willys Jeep; without the former’s vulnerable drive train or the latter's innards-rupturing suspension."

• "If they're not gonna give us armor they should at least give us a mounted weapon. And you should be able to tow a trailer with it. And, God forbid, you try to ford bodies of water more than seven feet deep."

• "The M274's range is excellent, and that's even before you consider that you can double or triple its range that without severely impacting its max load – just a couple of jerrys of slop and a carbon feeler."

• "Some fellas piss and moan about the M274's lack of offensive capability, but it's not meant to be an AFV! Still; with a brave fella riding pillion you should be able to put out enough discouragement to break contact with all but the most bloodthirsty bravo kilo."

• "The (M274) is definitely the most Buddhist land-based motive system in the UNSC's arsenal...I'll just let that sit with you for a while."

Gameplay

Main article: Mongoose

The M724 is a smaller vehicle similar to the Warthog. It is very light and is prone to flipping on rough terrain. The vehicle can seat two; a driver who controls the vehicle's movement and a passenger who sits on the back and can fire their weapon. While sitting on the back, players cannot manually reload their weapon, use its scope, or carry support weapons. The vehicle does not have a built-in defense system, meaning drivers without a gunner must move quickly to avoid being overwhelmed in the presence of opponents.

In Halo 3's campaign, the Mongoose is not very plentiful, only appearing in the missions The Storm and The Ark. When it does appear, the player is supplied with more than one, allowing every player in a co-op session to ride them. Marine allies will pilot and ride in Mongooses, and they are particularly helpful when they aid the player in taking down the Scarab in The Storm using rocket launchers.

In Halo 3: ODST's campaign, the Mongoose can only be obtained by collecting all the audio logs in Mombasa Streets, after which it will show up in a secret room. This is the only vehicle in Mombasa Streets. Since there are no allies to board it with the player, it is rather ineffective for combat unless extra players are present, and is mainly helpful for faster transport to each objective.

In multiplayer, it is especially useful during