D20 Heron

The D20 Heron, also known as the Pod, is a United Nations Space Command atmospheric and space heavy-lift dropship.

Design details
Pods are massive in size, being big enough to carry half a UNSC Firebase. They are roughly square in shape, featuring a protruded area at the front of the ship which most likely serves as the bridge.

Pods feature four tilt engines, two mounted on opposite sides of the ship, and four conventional, rear-mounted engines. The configuration allows for easy maneuverability in space, especially amongst debris fields.

Pods were originally intended to deploy the infrastructure required to begin and sustain Humanity's colonization efforts. The necessities of the Human-Covenant War forced the UNSC to re-purpose the Pods for more of a combat support role.

Pods are capable of transporting and placing a firebase on a suitable landing zone designated by friendly ground forces. Similar in design to the Albatross, Pods are launched from the and are capable of flight in both vacuum and atmosphere. This maneuverability allows the Pod to risk entering contested LZs to deploy its cargo; integral weaponry was deemed unnecessary, since the Pod is not intended to linger in a combat zone.

Operational history
Ten D20 Herons could be stored aboard the and were extensively used to construct firebases on Harvest, Arcadia, and Shield World 0459 in February 2531. By 2559 the crew of the Spirit of Fire used D81-LRT Condors in place of Herons for building firebases on Installation 00.

Trivia

 * The Pod has a slight resemblance to the Troop Carriers used to transport troops in the film Starship Troopers.
 * There is an unknown number of pods attached to the Spirit of Fire, but some can be seen in the opening cinematic of Halo Wars, when 6 pods are visible on the Spirit.
 * Although they only build buildings in game, they are seen transporting troops in the opening.
 * The Pod is one of the few UNSC vehicles that see action on the surface whose names are not the names of animals or mythical creatures.
 * The Pod can potentially host a substantially large number of troops, given the multiple decks seen on the vessels in the opening sequence.
 * The circle in the middle of the top of the Pod can be seen rotating when it's landed, probably unscrewing the firebase.

List of appearances

 * Halo Wars