Canon

Radar jammer

From Halopedia, the Halo wiki

Radar jammer
Radar Jammer Unarmed.png
Production overview

Manufacturer:

Covenant Jiralhanae

Type:

Equipment

Specifications

Weight:

9.3 kilograms (20.5 lb)[1]

Duration:

Single use (30 seconds)[2]

Service history

In service:

Human-Covenant War
Great Schism

 

The radar jammer is an equipment item developed and used by the Covenant.[3] It has acquired a number of colloquial nicknames among human personnel including the "Jammer" and "Scrambler".[1]

Overview[edit]

Design details[edit]

The radar jammer is fairly simple in operation; it is designed to trick enemy motion trackers by emitting false-positive radio waves. These waves are picked up by sensors as phantom pings, which can be used to disguise the movement of stealth troops.[1] The radar jammer is similar in overall appearance to the power drain and flare, except for a red glow instead of a blue or yellow one - with the Jiralhanae having derived the flare's design from the technology in the radar jammer and power drain.[4]

The radar jammer lasts only 30 seconds before it self-destructs.[2]

A functionality similar to the radar jammer is applied during use of active camouflage armor abilities such as the Type-3 active camouflage module. This effect applies to both enemies and the operator.[5]

Usage[edit]

Radar jammers are commonly used by Jiralhanae Stalkers.[2]

In-game information[edit]

Halo 3[edit]

The radar jammer appears as a piece of equipment in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST. In Halo 3, it is useable by both the player and Brute Stalker enemies in the campaign, while in ODST it can only be used by AI enemies. When activated, the jammer scrambles nearby players' motion trackers by creating a multitude of false dots on the radar of everyone within range. While it can create chaos for enemies, it also has the same effect on teammates. In campaign mode, it is uncommon for one to be dropped by Brutes, but is often used by Brute Stalkers to make them even harder to be found. It is no longer available in matchmaking as it, along with the flare, had physics properties that allowed players to exploit the game unfairly.

While under the effect of the radar jammer, it is possible to distinguish between the 'false enemies' and the real enemies that are displayed on your radar. The dots on the radar generated by the jammer almost never stop moving, whereas real enemies tend to move more carefully and stop at points. The fake blips also seem to move faster and more "fluidly" than a real player. An activated radar jammer can be destroyed by weapons fire.

Trivia[edit]

  • When the player deploys a radar jammer in campaign mode, Brutes will sometimes become confused and look around distractedly. This clearly suggests that Brutes have some form of radar system similar to that of an Elite and Spartan-II.
  • The radar jammer can be helpful in performing the Radar Jumping Glitch, which makes you appear to be double jumping. It is more effective than the infamous grenade jump.
  • Nathan Fillion, a voice actor in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST, is known to insist via Xbox Live that he invented the radar jammer when people inquire about his Bungie Armor.[6]

Gallery[edit]

List of appearances[edit]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 343
  2. ^ a b c Halo 3, Radar Jammer in-game equipment
  3. ^ Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 47
  4. ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 341
  5. ^ Halo: Reach, Active Camouflage in-game armor ability
  6. ^ Bungie Podcast, The Bungie Day Podcast; hosted by Luke Smith, Brian Jarrard, Eric Osborne, Martin O'Donnell, Joseph Staten along with Nathan Fillion (Retrieved on Jun 25, 2012) [archive]