M85 Scythe

For the terrestrial anti-air gun turret also known as the Scythe, see M71 Scythe.

The M85 Anti-Aircraft Gun is an automated anti-air craft/anti-spacecraft turret built by Misriah Armory. The system predominantly used by the United Nations Space Command for defending military bases and key facilities on the ground, alongside use as a point-defense gun mounted on UNSC starships. The M85 is one of the two major production variants of the Scythe line of air-defense systems built by Misriah, alongside the M71 variant designed for terrestrial use.

Design details
The M85 Scythe is a low-profile, conveyor-fed, twin-barreled, anti-aircraft/anti-spacecraft weapon. It is designed to be fixed to orbital and suborbital military stations, as well as the exterior battleplate of starships when deemed necessary. Unlike the M71 Scythe, it is not restricted to terrestrial defense, as the M85's fully sealed housing and nominal silhouette allows it to be used in the vacuum of space.

While the M85 shares a design lineage with the M71, it does differ in many ways. Unlike the M71, the M85 is not a rotary cannon but instead a twin-barrelled autocannon (albeit firing the same M175 20x102mm HEI/AP munitions). The M85 does not share the same mounting system as the M71 Scythe or its M95 Lance guided missile counterpart, but instead employs a modular point-defense mount with three legs used to affix the weapon into place. Above the mount is a hull with a spool genertor and a release latch for the interior-stored variable magazine, with a further hydraulic mounting system atop this used to place the gun itself.

What the M85 does share with the M71, aside from its ammunition commonality, is its predominantly automatic usage. The M85 is an automated defensive system that can be operate by a remote actuator of a non-volitional artificial intelligence system.

Usage
Unlike its M71 cousin, the M85 is designed for use in space warfare in addition to ground combat. It is fitted as a point-defense gun on several warships used by the CMA Navy and UNSC Navy - predominantly their massive supercarriers.
 * - 80x M85 Scythes
 * - 85x M85 Scythes

Operational history
M85 Scythes were in use in the Colonial Military Authority by around 2490, and were fitted aboard the s launched in that year. They were later fitted aboard the UNSC's next-generation, with employing them as of the end of the Human-Covenant War. Infinity would utilise its Scythe air-defense guns several times throughout its service life including in the Battle of Requiem in July 2557. During the conflict, Infinity crash landed on Requiem and was subject to a boarding action by the Covenant - who proceded to place three jammers on Infinity's hull to keep the M85s from firing. John-117 later fended off the attackers in a Mantis and destroyed the jammers, reactivating the M85s which soon opened fire on incoming s. Infinity's M85s later saw use in the Battle over Installation 07 in December 2559, though were unable to save the ship from its eventual destruction by the Banished.

List of appearances

 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops
 * Halo: The Rubicon Protocol