Kez'katu-pattern Phantom

Were you looking for the Spirit-class dropship used in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo Wars?

The Type-52 Troop Carrier, otherwise known as the Phantom or Type-52 TC, is a Covenant troop carrier and gunship. They are used primarily as troop transports, flying into combat zones and deploying soldiers while providing suppressing fire.

Design details
The Phantom is roughly equivalent to the Pelican Dropship in terms of function and performance. Phantoms are more heavily armed than the Spirit dropship, sporting three defensive weapons that offer 360-degree turning radius. Whereas the Spirit was designed primarily as a cargo transport, the Phantom is a dedicated troop carrier/gunship with superior maneuverability and firepower.

Crew and complement
The Phantom crew consists of a pilot, a co-pilot, a navigator, and an operations officer who is in charge of the defensive heavy plasma auto-cannons. The Phantom can carry twenty-seven passengers inside its troop bay (sixteen in Halo 2). Troops are deployed from the gravity lift installed in the bottom of the ship and the doors on either side. Like the Spirit dropship, the Phantom is capable of carrying vehicles such as Ghosts and Wraiths, as well as essential equipment such as Deployable Lookout Towers, and components of Anti-Aircraft Batteries using its gravity lift.

Armaments
The Phantom has several armor and armament configurations. In Halo 2, the Phantom sports three separate, fully rotational heavy plasma auto-cannons. In Halo 3, the Phantom retains the chin-mounted heavy plasma auto-cannon but replaces its internally-controlled side-cannons for two Type-52 Plasma Cannons. The third design, used in Halo: Reach, replaces the heavy plasma auto-cannon with a different variety of plasma cannon, and includes two Type-52 Plasma Cannons.

Variants
A variant of Phantom outfitted exclusively for space combat, known as the Phantom Gunboat, swaps its Type-52 Plasma Cannons for five plasma auto-turrets mounted around the hull, and a chin-mounted heavy plasma cannon.

The Covenant Separatists used customized Phantoms following the Great Schism. These Phantoms were green instead of the usual purple (to match the UNSC's vehicle color schemes) and were equipped with cloaking technology, something not seen on most ships of their size.

Known Phantoms

 * Glorious Advance - Used for a boarding action against the Infinite Succor.

Trivia

 * The Separatists Phantom resembles Romulan ships from Star Trek in both its lime-green color and its cloaking ability.
 * In the E3 2003 Preview of Halo 2, the Phantom does not possess any form of gravity lift and the troops are instead dropped off from the back. The Phantom is also capable of carrying a Spectre or a Wraith by using hooks located under its "belly". It also seemed to have only one Plasma Cannon.
 * It was noticeable that the Jiralhanae Chieftain Tartarus spent most of his time pursuing Thel 'Vadamee in a Phantom throughout Halo 2. The ship's ability to travel through space made it invaluable to the Covenant's strike teams when engaging the Heretics and Flood as they sought to uncover the mysteries of Installation 05.
 * In Campaign Scoring charts, it counts as both a "Heavy" and a "Giant" vehicle.
 * In the trailer for Halo 3: ODST, a Phantom is seen on patrol using two bright searchlights to sweep the streets. Oddly, the lights are located in the exact location as the Phantom's chin mounted gun, possibly meaning that this Phantom was specifically adapted for patrol or that its gun had a headlight mounted alongside it. In the cutscene where the Rookie receives a transmission from Dare, the Phantom that passes by has a searchlight mounted on the front turret. This headlight feature also appears in Halo: Reach.
 * In the Art of Halo, there is a Phantom render for Halo 2 which had its side doors down and sported heavy plasma turrets on them.
 * In the Halo Legends short film, Prototype, a Phantom is seen carrying a Wraith inside its troop bay, as opposed to hovering below it. This may be a means to protect the Wraith from being destroyed before it is deployed or it could potentially be an oversight made by the artists.
 * In Halo: Reach, a player can pilot a Phantom through the Flyable Pelican and Phantom easter egg.
 * In Halo Reach's Firefight mode, the Phantom cannot be destroyed.