WINTER CONTINGENCY (protocol)

''Winter Contingency redirects here. For articles of the same name, please see Winter Contingency (disambiguation).''

"WINTER CONTINGENCY has been declared. All units are mobilized and ready"

- UNSC operator

WINTER CONTINGENCY is an official United Nations Space Command emergency plan that deals with situations where Covenant forces have become aware of, or are present at, a human colony world. It was first mentioned in the UNSCDF Instruction EM-277 on March 10, 2526. On Reach, WINTER CONTINGENCY was supplemented by the WINTER CONTINGENCY Declaration Supplemental Orders, a series of additional directives for ONI agents.

Classification
Events which may be classified as WINTER CONTINGENCY include:
 * Tier 1 Evidence: Intercepted Covenant communication of a plot on a certain named colony*
 * Tier 2 Evidence: Discovery of Physical covenant technology (weapons, veichles, etc.)*
 * Tier 3 Evidence: Abandoned or discarded matériel.*
 * Tier 4 Evidence: Residue and/or damage consistent with directed plasma weapon usage.
 * Tier 5 Evidence: Detection of in-system Slipspace rupture portals and/or EMP with Covenant Flagship, Corvette, Destroyer, Carrier, or Super Carrier involved.*
 * Tier 6 (Major): Evidence *Engagement in physical combat with Covenant forces.

Priority
"As per the Winter Contingency, we are countering on every front."

- Auntie Dot

WINTER CONTINGENCY holds the highest precedence in the OPREP-Γ reporting structure. All other reporting terms such as GOOSE CHASE, SNAKE PIT, and others, while very important, are considered secondary to a WINTER CONTINGENCY report.