SPARTAN-IV program
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
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 The emblem of the Spartan-IVs
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300-500+[3]
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- "You are Spartans now. You stand side by side with your Spartan brothers and sisters. You march into battle together--you do not charge ahead. You do not grab glory for yourself. Spartans don't have rank because Spartan is your rank. You are naturally superior. We have made you better. You are Spartans now. Start acting like it."
- — Musa-096[4]
The SPARTAN-IV program is the fourth iteration of the SPARTAN supersoldier projects. Like the original ORION Project, the SPARTAN-IV program utilizes consenting adult volunteers selected from the other branches of the United Nations Space Command, in contrast to the previous two programs which used children as candidates.[5] Recruits are drawn from both career military veterans and young soldiers who show considerable promise.[6]
The physical augmentations of the Spartan-IV supersoldiers are significantly less extensive than those of the two preceding programs, although their standard-issue GEN2 Mjolnir armor is more technologically advanced, and designed to compensate for this drawback.[7][7][8] The Spartan-IVs serve in Spartan Operations, an independent branch of the United Nations Space Command armed forces created for the oversight of their operations.[9]
History
The SPARTAN-IV program has its roots between 2548 and 2550, when ONI began to experiment with adding limited enhancements to select groups of special operators.[1] At some point prior to the instatement of the current SPARTAN-IV program in 2553,[2] elements within the Office of Naval Intelligence's Section III authorized a prototypical phase without approval from High Command. This incarnation was intended to produce supersoldiers whose physical prowess rendered MJOLNIR armor redundant. However, only one of the ten volunteer test subjects survived the augmentation process. The survivor, Ilsa Zane, was driven mad by the experience and was folded into ONI. Despite the project's failure, Zane was considered the original Spartan-IV.[10]
The program as it now exists was commissioned as a result of the success of the preceding SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III projects. The SPARTAN-IV project was conceived by Lieutenant Commander Musa-096, a former Spartan-II candidate who was crippled by the augmentation process. Despite his grudge toward Dr. Catherine Halsey, Musa recognized the crucial role of the Spartans in defending humanity and the continued importance of the supersoldiers in the aftermath of the Human-Covenant War.[11] The proposal was approved by Admiral Margaret Parangosky, then-Commander-in-Chief of the Office of Naval Intelligence, and the new program was initiated under her orders. Parangosky initially planned to have SPARTAN-III lead Colonel James Ackerson heading the program, with SPARTAN-II project lead Dr. Catherine Halsey to be reassigned as Ackerson's subordinate.[12] Ackerson was killed following the Battle of Mare Erythraeum and Halsey was arrested after returning from Onyx, though ONI continued the program without the two,[13] headed by Musa-096 and Jun-A266, a former SPARTAN-III Alpha Company member.[11]
The first class of Spartan-IVs, consisting of 145 members, went active on January 7, 2553.[2] Due to the success of the initial group, Commander Musa-096 was able to secure funding for a second class. Initiated in 2554, the second class was considerably larger than the first one due to the increased funding and was able to draw from a wider pool of candidates.[14]
Facilities and organization
The SPARTAN-IV program is headquartered at a dedicated facility on Mars. Their augmentation procedures are conducted at the same facility.[15] The compound is able to augment around a dozen or two Spartans at any given time.[16] Their training is primarily conducted in a top-secret space station orbiting an unidentified dwarf planet.[17]
Hundreds of Spartan-IVs are assigned to UNSC Infinity, the most powerful warship ever constructed by mankind.[13] The frigate UNSC Meriwether Lewis also has its own Spartan contingent.[18] Spartan-IVs train with one another in simulations known as "War Games" on Infinity's state-of-the art combat deck (a training chamber that is capable of replicating environments), in order to constantly stay battle-ready.[19] Spartan-IVs also train in multiple different forms of martial arts outside of the War Games simulator.