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 UNSC colony. It was first mentioned in the UNSC DF 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:
 * Intercepted Covenant communications that refer to a UNSC colony by name.
 * Discovery of hard physical evidence of Covenant activity.
 * Abandoned or discarded matériel.
 * Residue and/or damage consistent with directed energy weapon usage.
 * Detection of multiple in-system Slipspace rupture events.
 * Engagement in combat with Covenant forces.

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