Editing Project YGGDRASIL

{{Status|Canon}}
[[File:Mantis in action.jpg|thumb|250px|The Mantis was one of the successes of Projects HRUNTING and YGGDRASIL.]]
'''Project YGGDRASIL''' was the umbrella name for initiatives carried out by the [[Materials Group]], aimed at re-engineering the strategically significant technologies and components of the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] for mass production and systems integration into new and existing combat vehicles of the [[United Nations Space Command]].{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=77}}

==Overview==
===Development history===
The YGGDRASIL initiative was headed by [[Vice Admiral]] [[Danforth Whitcomb]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]] as a response to the exceedingly expensive cost of the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] systems in use by the [[SPARTAN-II program]]. YGGDRASIL was designed by Whitcomb and the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] as an industry-led work group tasked with adapting MJOLNIR-derived technologies and the one-off results of [[Catherine Halsey]]'s research for mass production and implementation within other projects.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

These efforts met with mixed success during the war due to a lack of engineers and high-tier manufacturing facilities.{{Ref/Reuse|UniverseMantis}} A consolidation of projects was conducted by ONI in [[2535]], leading to YGGDRASIL being paired with much older {{Project|HRUNTING}}, which had reached a dead end in its own research into powered exoskeleton technologies. ONI and Materials Group funded a program which paired both project's scientists and engineers, with support from corporate partners such as [[Lethbridge]], [[Beweglichkeitsrüstungsysteme]] and [[Hannibal Weapon Systems]]. The program, referred to as HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL, made surprisingly rapid progress though the program's inherent compromises and and aggressive cost accounting meant there were many false starts and nonviable prototypes. Nonetheless, a particular approach was identified as having promise; the Armor Defense System (ADS) combined proven exoskeleton design with cost-effective variants of MJOLNIR-derived technologies with at least three specific product lines identified as having a tangible strategic impact.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

Once the conflict ended, the full potential of YGGDRASIL was realized.{{Ref/Site|Id=UniverseMantis|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/vehicles/mantis|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Mantis|D=30|M=10|Y=2021}} Project: YGGDRASIL remains an umbrella project for the "democratisation" of advanced military R&D - of which MJOLNIR is now only one element.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

===Products===
Project: YGGDRASIL primarily focused on integrating the products of Catherine Halsey, and the MJOLNIR program as a whole, for application in other development projects across the UNSC. As such, little is known of the YGGDRASIL program's specific innovations - with most of their known products developed under the HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Armor Defense System banner. The ADS systems incorporate cost-effective variants of MJOLNIR technology such as [[neural interface]]s, portable [[Fusion reactor|fusion power plants]], [[energy shielding]] control BIOS' with proven exoskeleton designs pioneered by the HRUNTING program.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

===Mark I ADS===
{{Main|HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I ADS}}
The Mark I ADS was one of the earliest refinements of the UNSC's combat exoskeleton designs, tracing its visual design back to the [[HRUNTING Mark I exoskeleton]]s employed during the [[Domus Diaspora|colonial era]]. The Mark I was crewed by one operator and armed with a huge array of heavy weapons. The prototype unit for the Mark I was undergoing testing at [[Weapons Research Facility T12A]] on [[Algolis]] when the [[Covenant]] [[Algolis Invasion|invaded]] the planet in [[2549]]. The unit was ultimately used by an [[Ghost (Marine)|unnamed Marine]] to fend off the Covenant while the staff escaped, though ultimately was destroyed when the suit's [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear self-destruct]] was triggered. This event destroyed the Mark I and the facility which created it.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Film|HLeg|Story=Prototype}}{{Ref/Site|Id=Algolis|URL=http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/Universe/Detail/algolis/c37d512a-eed7-44c0-bc3b-eb5b362b3160#imageNumber=1|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Algolis|D=15|M=01|Y=2012}}{{Ref/Site|Id=Waypoint|URL=http://halo.xbox.com/en-US/Universe/detail/prototype/b053d1dc-912b-401b-bb9e-2909d1028c31|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Prototype|D=05|M=09|Y=2012|LocalArchive=Archive:Halo_Waypoint/2009_to_2014/Universe/Technology}}

Following the war's end, some of the Mark I ADS data was salvaged from the rubble on Algolis, leading to the creation of the [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I (J) Green Machine|Mark I [J] "Green Machine"]].{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/folks-need-heroes|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Folks Need Heroes|D=02|M=10|Y=2020}} The [[Skyfire Exosuit]] bears a heavy visual resemblance to the Mark I ADS, and may be of this line.

===Mark II ADS===
The Mark II line of ADS suits vary greatly in size, design and mission, but all share a common control architecture and technology base.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} The first of these was the [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark II (D) Geyrion|Mark II [D] Geyrion]], which proved out the feasibility of large combat walkers though suffered in most [[Earth]]-like climates. Nonetheless, it was successful in informing the design of future successive Mark II models, and saw some very limited use [[Post-Covenant War conflicts|after the war]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{ref/Book|H4EVG|Page=208}} The Geyrion ADS was online by around [[2539]].{{Ref/Map|H4|Adrift}}

The Mark II legacy was later followed up with the [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark II (J) Colossus|Mark II [J] Colossus]] - a massive combat exoskeleton that employs a hyper-advanced neural link and reverse-engineered [[Covenant]] technology. It uses a modular weapon system though is typically deployed with a 120mm autocannon and a heavy [[railgun]], alongside a [[SVALINN Series 02 Interim Protective Kit]] energy shield system - directly reverse-engineered from alien technology.{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22p146|Enc22|Page=146}}

===Mark IX ADS===
Of all of HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL's combined efforts, the late-generation Mark IX "Mantis" is perhaps the most visible. The Mantis was the most prominent combat walker employed at the close of the war with the Covenant, considered a sleek and nimble mech capable of navigating difficult terrain.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22p146}} The Mantis includes many of the MJOLNIR project's technologies including the neural link, a compact fusion power plant and energy shield generator.{{Ref/Reuse|UniverseMantis}} The Mantis has since been dispersed into many different variants;

*[[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Mantis]] - Standard model equipped with an [[M655 machine gun]] and an [[M5920 missile launcher]].
**[[Corp Mantis]] - Modified Mark IX model used by the [[Liang-Dortmund Corporation]].
**[[Hannibal Mantis]] - Modified Mantis prototype that employs specialised technologies developed by Hannibal Weapons Systems.
**[[ONI Mantis]] - Modified Mantis variant employed by [[ONI Security]] forces.
**[[Isabel's Mantis]] - A Mantis variant manufactured aboard {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}.
*[[Command Mantis]] - The most notable specialised upgrade. The Command Mantis employs a variety of ordnance including [[laser]] cannons and energy shielding.
**[[Theseus]] - A personalised Command Mantis employed by [[Jerome-092]].

Alongside the specialised mission packages, a number of Mantis variants are used by the UNSC specialised for various biomes. These include [[Tundra Mantis|tundra]], [[Urban Mantis|urban]] and [[Woodland Mantis|woodland]] variations.

==Trivia==
[[Wikipedia:Yggdrasil|Yggdrasil]] is the name of the World Tree from [[List of references to Norse mythology in Halo|Norse mythology]].

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

{{Human exoskeletons}}
[[Category:UNSC projects|YGGDRASIL]]