Kopasa'mada-pattern plasma launcher

The Type-52 Guided Munitions Launcher/Explosive (T52 GML/E), more commonly known as the Plasma Launcher , is a plasma-based explosive launcher used by the Covenant Empire during the Human-Covenant War.

Design Details
This shoulder-mounted weapon is capable of launching up to four large explosive plasma grenade-like bolts at a single target. How many shots are fired depends on the charging time. The bolts track vehicles and bipeds in a similar way to the Needler, although slightly differently- a red circle will appear around a target to indicate the Launcher is "locked on". The Plasma Launcher has a 2.5x zoom capability which enables the user to lock onto targets from farther away. The bolts will continue to track until they hit the target or another object, regardless of the death of the operator, being redirected by physical impulses or the target teleporting across vast distances. They will also stick to the target on impact, like plasma grenades. The detonation time is dependent on the amount of bolts stuck to the target, which means that single shots often give kills from the grave. The bolts have an arcing trajectory when fired over long distances. It has an appearance slightly similar to the Fuel Rod Gun, as they are both Covenant heavy weapons, though the Launcher is blue and the Fuel Rod Gun is brown/gold. The Plasma Launcher is carried in combat by high-ranking Grunts, Elites, and Brutes.

Trivia

 * The sound file for the Plasma Launcher was first released in the Bungie Weekly Update 1/29/10, with the title "Mystery Weapon", though it sounds subtly different in the final build of the game.
 * The Plasma launcher can be considered the Covenant equivalent of the Spartan Laser, as it requires a charge-up before firing, and is highly effective on vehicles. However, according to Chris Carney on "Game Trailers T.V. with Geoff Keighley," it is "the Covenant equivalent to the Human M319 Individual Grenade Launcher, firing four plasma-like bolts which stick like Plasma Grenades."
 * The Plasma Launcher can actually lock onto targets from incredible distances when using the 2.5X zoom capability; done right, it is fully capable of locking onto and hitting a slow moving vehicle from halfway across maps like Hemorrhage, for example.
 * With the recent addition of the Covenant Concussion Rifle as a counterpart to the Grenade Launcher, it appears that the Plasma Launcher can be considered more of a cross between the Spartan Laser and the Grenade Launcher than a direct counterpart to either weapon.
 * Unggoy Heavies can be seen wielding these on occasion in Campaign and Firefight depending on what difficulty has been picked. However in Firefight's Versus mode they can't be traded for a Plasma Pistol or a Needler, and most interestingly they're much smaller than the version wielded by the Sangheili. Unggoy SpecOps can also be seen wielding them on Legendary from time to time too, but not as commonly.
 * If the Operator begins the "Charge Up" sequence, then wishes to cancel the firing sequence for whatever reason, swapping to their secondary weapon (should they have one) will cancel any grenades that have already been loaded/charged, and unlike the Plasma Pistol, no loss in battery level occurs.
 * It is possible that the Plasma Launcher simply fires plasma grenades that are guided by a magnetic field, similar to the mechanism used by Plasma Torpedoes. The fact that it is referred to as the "Plasma Grenade Launcher" further supports this theory.