Office of Naval Intelligence

''This article describes the intelligence branch of the UNSC. For the Halo 3: ODST track, see The Office of Naval Intelligence (music).''

The Office of Naval Intelligence, commonly abbreviated as ONI (pronounced phonetically as/oʊni/), is the intelligence service of the UNSC Navy.

Role
The Office of Naval Intelligence is responsible for UNSC signals intelligence (SIGINT), human intelligence (HUMINT), counter-espionage, and propaganda.

It is responsible for intelligence matters across the UNSC. As such, ONI employs members of other military branches, and even civilians, to complete the Division's shadowy work. Many of its functions and subdivisions, like the Beta-5 Division and the SPARTAN-II Program, are enigmatic, and its personnel are regarded as mysteries by mainstream naval officers. ONI personnel, especially officers, are often referred to as "spooks". Agents appear to enjoy significant latitude in the discharge of their duties, often violating legal and moral boundaries or acquiring vast amounts of UNSC resources to achieve their ends.

Although it is technically subordinate to the UNSC Naval Command, in practice, however, ONI's activities extend far beyond intelligence gathering, and often receives mandates and directives from HIGHCOM itself. ONI's Commander-in-Chief (CINCONI), is Admiral Serin Osman, successor and protegé to Margaret Parangosky.

Operations
The Office of Naval Intelligence often operates independently of other UNSC branches. At times it contravenes the law and UNSC protocol to complete top-secret missions. All other competing intelligence services have been snuffed out long ago to ensure ONI's supremacy - the AI Black-Box states that "...there are no rival agencies. We castrated them all. Left them cowering in our shadow".

It appears to have an unusually large amount of military equipment for an intelligence service, and has a strong fleet presence. The Office of Naval Intelligence possesses a 'destroyer'-class prowler, the, which is used as a command vessel and a secure conference location. ONI also maintains the UNSC's Prowler fleet, a major source of Covenant deployment intelligence, under the auspices of the UNSC Prowler Corps. ONI also manages field intelligence with units such as ONI Recon 111 liaising with mainstream UNSC military units.

Intra-ONI dynamics are often strained with intense competition amongst its own personnel. Agents operate under heavy scrutiny, with mistakes often leading to demotion or termination of employment.

Section Zero
The most secretive section, Section Zero's existence is not general knowledge outside ONI. Details of its role and operations are limited. Based on the records of an AI named Melissa, it is thought to be ONI Internal Affairs, charged with rooting out and eliminating illegal programs. Section Zero is very discreet in its work; the true nature and activities of the division are highly classified and unknown outside the ONI command hierarchy. Zero is, essentially, an internal investigations branch that polices other ONI activities.

This section has gained notoriety as the keepers of sealed ORION Project file archives, including Avery Johnson's. As Internal Affairs, it enforces the rules and ensures agency standards are met. Section Zero is authorized to use lethal force in the course of its operations.

Section One
Section One is the main branch of ONI, whose services are most often utilized by UNSC forces. Its responsibilities include information gathering and codebreaking. Information released by Section One includes evacuation notices for colony worlds and Covenant force deployments.

Section Two


Section Two is the propaganda branch of ONI. It handles communication between colonies to reduce the spread of rumors and information that would damage morale. It was responsible for releasing details of the SPARTAN-II program to the public to boost morale throughout the UNSC. Once information about the Spartans was released to the public, Section Two had to maintain the Spartans' near-mythical status within the military by listing those killed in action as MIA. It was believed that news of Spartan deaths would cripple the UNSC's already-flagging morale. Section Two is also responsible for broadcasting pre-recorded human carrier signals from various locations into slipspace to confuse Covenant triangulation technology, preventing them from discovering Earth.

Section Three
Section Three is the top-secret projects division of ONI. It is responsible for the SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III programs, the MJOLNIR project, the development of the NOVA bomb, and many other black operations. Though a few of Section Three's programs are well-known and are widely celebrated for their success, the Marine Corps and top brass of the UNSC treat most with contempt. This is especially true of the Spartans, who are regarded as "freaks" by some humans. Though its overall purpose is unknown, Section Three's Beta-3 Division is known to analyze captured Covenant technology such as the Kig-yar point defense gauntlet. In addition to performing black operations, Section Three's Beta-5 Division operates the SPARTAN-III program, which is kept secret from the majority of Section Three. This compartmentalization is designed to ensure secrecy and security. Section Three presumably contains the Materials Group, which develops technologically advanced matériel, most notably the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor.

UNSC Prowler Corps


The ONI branch that handles the prowlers and its electronic intelligence gathering.

ONI Signal Corps
The Signal Corps is tasked with broadcasting radio signals in order to confuse Covenant fleet and troop movements, diverting attention from UNSC colonies that are evacuating.

Aesthetic
Many Office of Naval Intelligence facilities employ a very distinct style of architecture and design, which reflects the organization's role and field of work. Whereas the typical UNSC aesthetic favors a militaristic and utilitarian approach, ONI's structures are often monumental and imposing, covered in angular surfaces and sharp edges, resulting in an overall impression similar to a stealth aircraft, a motif also present in the ONI's prowler stealth ships. The angled exteriors are contrasted by crisp, sterile interior spaces with cold-toned lighting and chiefly white surfaces as well as heavy use of glass and steel in larger spaces such as atriums. Examples of such architecture can be found in ONI's SWORD Base, shaped like an upward-pointing wedge covered in metallic plating, the needle-like Olympic Tower, as well as the enormous, cube-shaped ONI Alpha Site in New Mombasa.

ONI ships

 * - Retired
 * - Retired
 * UNSC prowler
 * UNSC stealth cruiser
 * ONI PRO-49776
 * ONI PRO-49776

Reach

 * CASTLE Base
 * SWORD Base
 * HIGHCOM Armory Omega
 * ONI Medical Facility
 * Olympic Tower

Onyx

 * Zone 67
 * Camp Currahee

Earth

 * Chawla Base
 * HighCom Facility Bravo-6
 * Beta-5 Division Ordnance Testing Facility
 * Alpha Site

Arcadia

 * Unknown ONI facility

Installation 03

 * Ivanoff Station

Installation 05

 * Lisbon Station

Oban

 * Operation: DAYBREAK

ONI units

 * ONI Recon 111

NavSpecWar

 * Beta-5 Division
 * Spartan-II
 * Spartan-III Battalion

Trivia

 * In reality, the Office of Naval Intelligence is an agency of the United States Navy that was established in 1882.
 * ONI's motto, "Semper Vigilans", is also the motto of the United States Civil Air Patrol. The phrase is Latin for "Always vigilant."
 * ONI's pre-Halo 3: ODST insignia features the all-seeing eye, a nod to ONI's line of work. The current symbol may also be interpreted as a stylized depiction of the eye motif.
 * "Oni" is the name of one of Bungie's previous games, which predates Halo: Combat Evolved. It is also the name of an ogre-like creature from Japanese mythology.
 * The ONI insignia can be used as a Firefight emblem in Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo: First Strike
 * i love bees
 * Halo 2
 * Halo Graphic Novel
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo: Uprising
 * Halo 3
 * Halo: Contact Harvest
 * Halo: The Cole Protocol
 * Halo Wars
 * Halo: Helljumper
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * Pariah
 * Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss
 * Dirt
 * Headhunters
 * The Mona Lisa
 * The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole
 * From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal


 * Halo: Blood Line
 * Halo Legends
 * Homecoming
 * Prototype
 * The Package
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Fall of Reach
 * Halo: Glasslands
 * Halo: The Thursday War
 * Halo: Primordium
 * Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
 * Halo 4
 * Scanned
 * ''Halo: Silentium'