M400 Kodiak

"If you can see it I can shoot it."

- A Kodiak operator during the Banished occupation of Installation 00.

The M400 Artillery System, commonly referred to as the Kodiak, is a human-made wheeled self-propelled artillery vehicle manufactured by Hannibal Weapon Systems. The Kodiak is predominantly utilised by the ground forces of the United Nations Space Command.

Design details
The Kodiak consists of an 8x8 truck chassis - a contrast to the typical expectations of self-propelled artillery pieces such as the M145D Rhino which utilise a tracked chassis instead. The Kodiak's truck is designed with an armoured cabin located in the front of the vehicle and the aft mounting a 152mm M4131 rapid-fire howitzer - an indirect-fire electromagnetic catapult weapon system also used in static positions as part of the "Siege turret" system. Kodiaks are generally considered to be slow and ponderous on the move, though this is made up for by the M4131 howitzer - which is capable of firing standard 152mm high-explosive artillery rounds alongside more specialised payloads such as drones and precision-guided weapons. The gun is additionally capable of firing beacon warheads developed by Ellen Anders designed to serve as "lures" for Sentinels - attracting flocks of them into a given region to provide long-term hostility to any target of the Kodiak well after its shell has been detonated.

Similarly to the SP42 Cobra or the aforementioned Rhino, the Kodiak is designed with an ability to "lock down" once it is in place to fire. When doing so, four support braces extend from the sides and back of the vehicle to provide a larger ground cross-section and a more stable firing platform for the massive gun. The transition from moving to locked-down state is only a few seconds, allowing the Kodiak to fire and manoeuvre rapidly.

Operational history
Kodiaks are relatively modern vehicles in the UNSC inventory, and were introduced some time after 2531. They were used by UNSC ground forces during the Human-Covenant War with a number present on the Inner Colony world of Mesa prior to the planet's glassing in 2549. These Kodiaks were later salvaged by Ram Chalva in 2557.

During the Carrow Conflict in September 2558, the Surakan Militia Volunteers used multiple Kodiaks against the forces of the Voice of Maardoth. In April 2559, Kodiaks were introduced into circulation among the crew of on Installation 00 by the AI Isabel, with the crew quickly coming to favour the Kodiak's firepower. Kodiaks would see action on the Ark during the conflict between the Spirit of Fire and the Banished.

Known Kodiaks

 * G271: This Kodiak was used by the Spirit of Fire and saw action on Installation 00.
 * X038: This Kodiak was used by the Spirit of Fire and saw action on Installation 00.
 * X105: This Kodiak was used by the Spirit of Fire and saw action on Installation 00.
 * X120: This Kodiak was used by the Spirit of Fire and saw action on Installation 00.

Halo Wars 2
In Halo Wars 2 Kodiaks can be built by all UNSC leaders at the UNSC Garage. Kodiaks are effective against infantry, vehicles, and structures while deployed. They are only able to attack aircraft when not deployed and perform poorly against them. Due to the range of the Kodiak's artillery attack, a spotter is required to designate targets for the cannon. If the player picks Anders as their leader, the Kodiak's shells get an upgrade through the Sentinel Beacon Leader Power, which allows the shells landing to summon a Sentinel to encircle an area. If the player picks Serina as a Leader, the Kodiak can be upgraded with Cryo Shells through Cryotech Advances Leader Power, allowing the shells to give a chill effect to the area around it.

The Kodiak is a favored unit for the UNSC, especially in Firefight modes, since it is the only unit that can suppress any incoming ground unit from a long range.


 * Info: Artillery, Fires when deployed, Very long range, Strong against infantry.
 * Abilities: Artillery Deployment
 * Tier: 2
 * Cost:, ,

Production notes
The Kodiak bears many similarities to a vehicle cut from the first Halo Wars, the Fox Cannon. Like the Kodiak, one of the Fox Cannon design iterations was to be a wheeled indirect-fire artillery piece used by the UNSC. Unlike the Kodiak, concept art flavour text indicates that the Fox Cannon's gun would have been a 175mm weapon, with the design itself only bearing six wheels. The Fox Cannon's indirect-fire role was later used in the Halo Wars Alpha for the Cobra vehicle featured in the final game. However, the Cobra's behaviour would ultimately be changed into one of a tank destroyer - losing the indirect-fire capability altogether.

Trivia
Following the UNSC tradition of naming vehicles after animals, the M400 is named after the Kodiak bear, the largest species of brown bear native to the Kodiak Archipelago.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Smoke and Shadow
 * Halo Wars 2
 * Halo: Envoy