Modular Dispersal Technology

Modular Dispersal Technology (MDT) is the United Nations Space Command-given name for a technology developed by the Forerunners relating to the detachment of modular starship sections while in a vacuum. The technology was adapted by the Covenant for use in their spacecraft.

Overview
The technology was first used by the Forerunners during the Forerunner-Flood war against the Flood to break off infected sections of ships while allowing the rest of the ship to continue operating. Forerunner starships early in the conflict made use of grapplers and hard light construction, allowing them to reshape their geometry to suit the needs of the current situation - something which presumably aided in modular dispersal.

Modular Dispersal Technology is equipped on select Covenant warships, such as the. It is used by them to detach damaged, non-critical sections of a ship rather than return to a repair center, or to disperse a part of the ship which could leave any hostiles stranded in space. To do this the ship must detonate charges that would break off that part of the ship. Due to the modular design of Covenant ships, a ship would be able to function even with a large amount of its major sections detached. Afterward, a ship could be easily reassembled at a repair facility.

The technology is also consistent with the Covenant's overall design philosophy, which usually involves many modular and redundant components instead of a centralized design.

Usage
Modular Dispersal Technology was used during the final stages of Operation: WARM BLANKET. Toward the battle's end, shipmaster Luro 'Taralumee ordered the separation of the assault carrier Resplendent Fervor in an effort to prevent the boarding action of SPARTAN-II Blue Team. The front half of Resplendent Fervor was able to successfully detach from the aft section and fled into slipspace, while the remaining half was set to self-destruct. This is one of only a handful of recorded instances of the Covenant practically using MDT in a combat scenario - of which the majority are still largely ill-understood.

List of appearances

 * Halo Legends
 * The Package