M274 Mongoose

"Speed is the only protection this vehicle provides; it is unarmored, noisy, and prone to roll-over. It demands a level of skill from its operator that is impossible to expect...during combat conditions."

- Anonymous E2-BAG/1/7 serviceman

The M274 Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle (abbreviated M274 ULATV), commonly known as the Mongoose, is a United Nations Space Command light ground reconnaissance vehicle designed by AMG Transport Dynamics.

Overview
The Mongoose is one of the fastest and most maneuverable ground vehicles in the arsenal of the UNSC Marine Corps. It is a highly effective vehicle for reconnaissance, rapid transportation, swift tactical versatility, and for shooting between positions. A smaller cousin to the ubiquitous M831 Troop Transport, the Mongoose is a small ATV capable of carrying a driver in the middle of the vehicle, and features a rear platform that can be used to carry one additional passenger.

Design details
Like the M12 Warthog, the Mongoose is a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle capable of going over any obstacle without any difficulty. The vehicle is powered by a 1,000cc liquid-cooled, mid-engine mounted, four-stroke, hydrogen-injected ICE, allowing it to reach at a maximum speed of 95 km/h.

As the vehicle carries no armament of its own, having a passenger is essential if engaging in a combat zone. Due to its smaller profile, the Mongoose is a difficult target for both slow and fast moving enemy weaponry, as opposed to the Warthog, whose size is somewhat substantial. For quick and practical deployment, the Mongoose can be transported by the Pelican dropship or the M313 Elephants.

This vehicle is considered to be analogous to the Covenant Type-32 "Ghost" Rapid Assault Vehicle, despite the lack of offensive and defensive capabilities and performance differences.

Disadvantages
The Mongoose's high speed, light mass, and practically non-existent armor make it unwieldy and difficult to control at high speeds and/or over unstable terrain, making the ULATV vulnerable to destabilization, crashes, and flips. Thus, the standard UNSC Marine Corps operating protocol in engagements against Covenant forces is to place a M41 Rocket Launcher-armed Marine in the passenger position to fire rockets against slow-moving hostile vehicles, while the driver uses the Mongoose's superior speed to evade enemy return fire. To make matters worse, the design of the vehicle and its lack of armor leave both the driver and passenger completely exposed. Furthermore, the Mongoose does not incorporate any offensive or defensive capabilities, making the Mongoose's only practical defenses an armed passenger and its speed. In a last resort situation, the Mongoose can be used to run over nearby enemies. Yet, attempting a splatter is usually an ineffective plan: The low width and height of the vehicle, combined with the aforementioned instabilities when driving, make it very difficult to successfully score an impact on an opponent.

M274-M Gungoose variant
The M274-M is an armed variant of the Mongoose. Colloquially known as the "Gungoose", the M variant is armed with a pair of M67 light anti-infantry weapons. Not much is known about it as of now, except that it will be featured in a new gamemode called Gungoose CTF, a gamemode in Halo 2 Anniversary.

Campaign

 * Due to its high speed, and low protection provided to its operator, it is usually not the best idea to take one for use if heavy combat is to be expected. Instead, use it to speed from one point of conflict to another, hopping off as soon as combat begins. If, however, there happen to be Marines in the area, and you have a Rocket Launcher, there's a different story...
 * If the player is having difficulty using the Mongoose in The Storm, take a Marine's Rocket Launcher and let him drive. He will drive erratically, but he will probably be better than your weaving and unstable movement.
 * In ODST, look for supply caches unlocked by obtaining audio logs. These will appear as the Superintendent's avatar on your VISR's NAV. Some of these supply caches contain Mongooses, which will greatly increase your travel speed and could turn 5 minutes of on-foot combat to one minute of cruising through the streets of New Mombasa.

Multiplayer

 * Never use the mongoose for combat. It is weak and frail and lacks any form of offensive weaponry. Not recommended to drive offensivly, unless you have a teammate with a power weapon, like the Rocket Launcher or Spartan Laser, though if your teammate has a Plasma Pistol it can become a powerful anti-tank weapon...assuming the driver can stay mobile enough to not be targeted.
 * Due to the high-speed and compact nature of the Mongoose, it is a very useful and effective vehicle for objective-based games, such as Capture the Flag or Assault. It is entirely possible in Assault for the attacking team for one player to drive a Mongoose while another player rides as the passenger with the bomb in-hand and rush the enemy base while the defenders are distracted for a quick plant. Similarly, a Mongoose with two players can get into an enemy base, snag the flag, and get out before the enemy know they're there. It is also possible to use the Mongoose for rapid tactical transportation as well, to relocate players to critical areas, to reach weapon spawns before opposing players, or to prevent enemies from scoring a flag.
 * As aforementioned, the Mongoose is extremely vulnerable to explosives of all kinds: grenades, or even the Brute Shot and Concussion Rifle can effortlessly flip over this low-mass vehicle, often times sending the rider tumbling to almost hilarious heights or into walls.
 * It is advised to not go full-speed over hilly terrain due to the vehicle's high center of gravity and low weight, making it easy to flip or lose control.
 * The Mongoose is an obvious target for snipers and vehicle gunners, and, even at close range, players can easily disable the Mongoose with a charged plasma pistol shot or out-right kill the driver. Additionally, use of sufficient suppressive fire can be effective in killing the highly vulnerable operators.
 * On the map "Sandtrap", you can use this vehicle to drive through the minefield around the perimeter: its speed is great enough to outrace the mines triggered by the towers. While opponents are usually concentrating on the center of the map, you and another player can grab a Sniper Rifle or another power weapon by traversing the exterior of the map, and dipping in for the weapon. The only thing you need to remember is to keep driving no matter what (something that any Mongoose driver, regardless of situation, should hold first and foremost).
 * Another advantage of the Mongoose is the weapon load out: a smart team can use one Mongoose to disable a Wraith, or Warthog with a plasma pistol, while a second or third Mongoose will use grenades against the downed vehicle, or will use some kind of anti-vehicle weapon. The rider can also hop out and board the enemy tank from close range. But one must not forget that an overcharged plasma pistol bolt can, and may shortly disable your vehicle too. Be sure you know where you're aiming.
 * The Mongoose is the main vehicle used when a player makes a Forge race map: Because of the Mongoose's small size, the player can forge small quarters where any other vehicle wouldn't fit. For example, players can easily drive a Mongoose through an open container, while other vehicles might be more awkward or too large in such a space.
 * A Mongoose, coupled with a passenger carrying a heavy weapon and a Brute Shot or Concussion Rifle (depending on the game), can make the tiny vehicle a veritable force on the battlefield. Using the Brute Shot to make the Mongoose fly into enemy territory, allowing the driver and passenger to catch enemies off guard. With a power weapon, such as a Spartan Laser or a rocket launcher, the two could potentially take out any vehicles before they had the chance to get mobile. Offsetting this is the amount of skill required, as the Brute Shot grenades can often be detrimental if used improperly, and the Spartan Laser can be hard to operate in the passenger seat (especially with the lack of a zoom function due to being in a vehicle).
 * In Halo: Reach, it is possible to be the flag carrier while driving a Mongoose. The flag will just end up being holstered onto the player's SPARTAN's back, much like a normal weapon. This is the only vehicle so far to allow a player to carry the flag while driving it.
 * A good team tactic in CTF gametypes is to place the Mongoose on top of where the flag spawns. This is helpful because players may accidentally get into the Mongoose instead of grabbing the flag. The tactic can also be done with a Warthog, but since Warthogs have guns and can be used offensivly, this is considered a waste. This is a small distraction that can easily be avoided by the other team by moving the Mongoose or by throwing a grenade and send it flying. It will, however, still cause a delay, letting your teams defenders have a better chance. Note, however, that if no one is there to take advantage of the lost time, this distraction will be nothing more than a free getaway vehicle back to their base. Additionally, the amount of time it takes to set up this defense can allow the enemy team time to close in and begin camping your base.
 * If you find yourself doing an out of control barrel roll on a Mongoose, pressing the jump button makes the Mongoose stop flipping and eventually land on its wheels. Do not get it mixed up for when you are sliding upside down in a Mongoose. This skill is highly effective in explosive games, such as Rocket Race. It also works effectively on bumpy maps like "Valhalla"/"Ragnarok" and "Hemorrhage"
 * With the strength of the SAW combined with the large magazine size, the M739 can serve as a portable turret. While participating in game types such as Team Slayer or Capture the Flag in which vehicles are involved, a teammate can ride on the back of a Mongoose with the SAW; converting the Mongoose into a downsized Warthog. Another advantage to this method is the increased looking mobility which is twice than that of a Warthog turret.

Changes from Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST to Halo Reach

 * The Mongoose handles better over rough terrain than its incarnation from Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST.
 * The chassis is more detailed and is slightly larger.
 * The windshield is absent, being replaced by a metal plate which features a mirror on either side.
 * When the Mongoose makes jumps, there is an effect of making the Mongoose appear as if it is traveling through the air very fast.
 * It is now possible to hijack a Mongoose.
 * In Forge mode, it is now possible to give the Mongoose red, blue, green, brown, yellow, pink, or purple decal. In team games, the mongoose is the color of the closest spawning team.

Changes from Halo Reach to Halo 4

 * Like most vehicles in Halo 4, it has a slight graphical change, giving it more detail and texture look.
 * The color cannot be changed in Forge.

Production notes
The Mongoose was originally intended to be put into Halo 2, but was eventually canceled. The Mongoose prototype did not fulfill Bungie's expectations for Halo 2, and although Bungie attempted to add dual coaxial machine-guns to it or an armed passenger, it remained unbalanced and didn't fit into the gameplay. Bungie at the time could not figure out a way to implement it into the campaign, and had trouble getting the physics for it right, stating that the whole thing had a tendency to flip very easily, and gameplay wise, had no purpose as it couldn't be driven with the flag and became virtually useless. The addition of the passenger seat gave rise to whole new possibilities and led to its inclusion in the third game. Other Warthog-related vehicles proposed in Halo 2 were also not featured in the final game.

During the production of Halo 3: ODST, an NMPD variant of the M274 "Mongoose" ULATV was originally going to be put in the game, but was cut before the game's final release.

UNSC remarks

 * "[The M274] is pretty nimble for its size; add to that the fact that it can do ninety plus kilo papa hotel over uneven terrain and you’ve got the ultimate commando hot rod."


 * "Speed is the only protection this vehicle provides; it is unarmored, noisy, and prone to roll-over. It demands a level of skill from its operator that is impossible to expect from the rank and file during combat conditions. Those not qualified as expert need not apply."


 * "That thing will go from zero to thirty in three seconds on anything short of snow-covered ice."


 * "The M274 doesn't have a radio of its own, isn't equipped with GPS, it doesn't even have any gauges. The only piece of equipment more primitive is the crate it ships in."


 * "The first thing everybody does is yank the front cargo cage – if you were to carry anything on it your forward visibility would be obstructed out to about six meters – that and less weight equals more speed… anyway it's the first thing everybody does."


 * "It's a super versatile ATV in the tradition of the Sperry FCMMagLEV and Willys Jeep; without the former’s vulnerable drive train or the latter's innards-rupturing suspension."


 * "If they're not gonna give us armor they should at least give us a mounted weapon. And you should be able to tow a trailer with it. And, God forbid, you try to ford bodies of water more than seven feet deep."


 * "The M274's range is excellent, and that's even before you consider that you can double or triple its range that without severely impacting its max load – just a couple of jerrys of slop and a carbon feeler."


 * "Some fellas piss and moan about the M274's lack of offensive capability, but it's not meant to be an AFV! Still; with a brave fella riding pillion you should be able to put out enough discouragement to break contact with all but the most bloodthirsty bravo kilo."


 * "The (M274) is definitely the most Buddhist land-based motive system in the UNSC's arsenal...I'll just let that sit with you for a while."

Trivia

 * A mongoose is used to refer to two types carnivorous mammals, in keeping with the UNSC's tradition of naming atmospheric vehicles after real animals, with the exceptions of the Cyclops and Gremlin, which are named after mythical creatures, and the Longsword, Shortsword, and Sabre, which are named after bladed weapons.
 * Its first appearance in a book was in The Cole Protocol during the Battle of Metisette. This is also its first appearance chronologically, meaning that the Mongoose entered UNSC service during or prior to 2535. Because Adriana-111 was surrounded by Covenant infantry on rocky terrain, she thought of the Mongoose as "useless" given her then-current situation, as it "just meant you were a biking target"; instead she used the vehicle as a melee weapon against several Grunts.
 * If the player manages to splatter an enemy player with the Mongoose in a ranked free-for-all Xbox Live playlist in Halo 3, the player will earn the Mongoose Mowdown achievement, Scout shoulders, and five Gamerpoints.
 * The Mongoose has a yellow instruction sticker on the deployable passengers seat, stating the maximum weight for the driver and passenger. It is interesting to note that the driver can weigh about 500 kilograms, the average weight for an actual SPARTAN-II soldier. The passenger can also weigh up to 450 kilograms. A SPARTAN weighs around a half-ton, which translates to around 454.5 kilograms, so carrying around another SPARTAN-II as a passenger is possible; however it would seriously damage the Mongoose's suspension under hard acceleration or braking and even the smallest bump or drop would render the Mongoose useless.

List of appearances

 * Halo 3
 * Halo: The Cole Protocol
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops
 * Halo: Mortal Dictata
 * Halo 2 Anniversary