SPARTAN-IV program

"There won't be any program; not like the Spartan-Twos, anyway or the Spartan-Threes, if I can help it. We're back to using consenting adults now, like we did in Project Orion."

- Margaret Parangosky

The SPARTAN-IV Program is the fourth iteration of the SPARTAN supersoldier program. It was conceived by Admiral Margaret Parangosky, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Background
Commissioned as a result of the success of the preceding SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III projects, the SPARTAN-IV Program was originally to be headed by SPARTAN-III lead Colonel James Ackerson, with SPARTAN-II project lead Dr. Catherine Halsey to be reassigned as Ackerson's subordinate. 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.

Like the original ORION Project, the SPARTAN-IV Program utilizes consenting adult volunteers selected from the other branches of the UNSC Defense Force. Recruits are drawn from both career military veterans and young soldiers who show considerable promise. The SPARTAN-IIs and SPARTAN-IIIs who survived the Human-Covenant War were offered to be integrated into the SPARTAN-IV Program. An unknown number of SPARTAN-IVs were active by 2553. Some of them, including Fireteam Majestic, were assigned to the before it was launched. They trained with one another on the Infinity 's state-of-the art combat deck (a training chamber that is capable of replicating environments), in order to constantly stay battle-ready.

The SPARTAN-IVs serve in a dedicated branch of the UNSCDF known simply as "Spartan", whereas their forebears operated within other chains of command. Unlike their predecessors, the SPARTAN-IVs are identified by their surnames rather than numeric tags (due to their obvious volunteered enlistment rather than kidnapping/conscription). Unusually, the SPARTAN-IVs have shown a great deal of solidarity, especially impressive given the short time they have served together. Many of them have adopted colloquialisms first used by the SPARTAN-IIs, such as "Alpha Bravo" for "Alien Bastard". Psychologists assert that this camaraderie and cohesiveness will help distinguish the SPARTAN-IVs, and the Spartan branch as a whole, from the other UNSCDF branches.

List of Spartan-IV units

 * Unknown
 * Edward Davis KIA
 * Gamma Company
 * Several SPARTAN-IV killed by Gek

MJOLNIR Armor
SPARTAN-IVs are equipped with a second generation, lightweight variation of the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor.

Augmentation procedures
Like the augmentations performed for the SPARTAN-IIs and the improved procedures utilized in the subsequent SPARTAN-III Program, the SPARTAN-IVs underwent a series of enhancement procedures in order to wear MJOLNIR armor.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Glasslands
 * Halo: The Thursday War
 * Halo 4
 * Halo: Spartan Assault
 * Halo: Initiation
 * Halo: Escalation