D79-TC Pelican

The D79 Pelican, formally known as the Dropship 79 Heavy - Troop Carrier, is a successor to the D77 and D77H-TCI Pelicans. It had entered service by 2557.

Overview
Unlike its predecessors, this version of the Pelican features a twin-bubble canopy akin to that of the 21st century Mi-24 Hind gunship/attack helicopter. It has a sleeker, more rounded fuselage which presumably improves its aerodynamics. A tall air intake is located immediately adjacent to the fuselage on either winglet, while a shorter but wider intake is mounted in front of and beneath each forward thruster; two smaller intakes are located above these. The troop bay appears to have a second, lower level that runs beneath the cockpit. Two small maneuvering thrusters are mounted on either side of the fuselage. The Pelican is armed with a pair of high-caliber rotary cannons mounted on a gimbal.

Gunship variant
In addition to the standard dropship model, a more heavily armed gunship model is also used. This version has only one nose-mounted cannon. However, its dorsal surface features a large turret-mounted cannon similar to that of a bomber. A seemingly manned grenade launcher or machine gun is mounted on each side of the fuselage.

List of appearances

 * The Commissioning
 * Halo 4