User:NightHammer/Sandbox3

"The M12 Force Application Vehicle, better known as the Warthog, is a highly mobile and adaptable platform serving the UNSC."

- Cortana

The M12 Force Application Vehicle (M12 FAV), more commonly known as the Warthog or simply the Hog, is a four-wheel, all-terrain vehicle produced by AMG Transport Dynamics. The M12 Warthog currently serves as the United Nations Space Command's primary ground transportation vehicle. Due to its versatility, the base M12 platform lends itself to many variants, the most ubiquitous model fielded by the UNSC Armed Forces being the M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle, which is equipped with a turret-mounted machine gun for a basic defensive capability.

The M12 FAV Warthog is employed by the UNSC for a variety of roles, used for its scouting and reconnaissance capacity, or as an integral part of a mechanized infantry unit; the M12 has been a part of the UNSC's armored vehicle fleet for fifty years, and is the most recognizable vehicle in their arsenal. The Warthog is a highly mobile, all-wheel-drive, all-wheel-steering, hydrogen-injected ICE-powered vehicle equipped with a manual transmission.

Design details
"I have yet to come up against an obstacle that the Warthog couldn't go right over."

- An unidentified UNSC Marine Corps serviceman

The M12 Force Application Vehicle is a four-wheel, all-terrain vehicle capable of maneuvering over nearly any environment or obstacle with little to no difficulty. The Warthog and all of its variants are designed to travel both on and off-road, in all weather conditions. At 6.3 meters (20.7 feet) in length and weighing 3 metric tons (3.5 tons), M12 Warthog is considered to be a huge, unwieldy, difficult to steer death trap. However, once operators learn how to drive the vehicle properly, driving the Warthog becomes a much simpler task. The Warthog's variety of built-in features, coupled with its rugged, in-field resiliency, have allowed the vehicle to maintain its renowned legacy for decades. With a large, lightly armored frame composed of ceramic applique armor, the Warthog is a rather resilient vehicle. However, many personnel of the United Nations Space Command believe that the Warthog would benefit from an armor upgrade. All military-grade Warthogs are coated with a programmable nano-prismatic paint designed to refract color at any chromaticity, depending on the vehicle's deployment destination. A security bit was designed to prevent UNSC personnel from modifying the finish.

The Warthog is outfitted with heavy grade, burst-proof nanotube-lined wheels; previously, the tires were of the inert-gas pocket inflation design. The nanotube design offers similar buoyancy to its gas pocket counterparts, with the added benefit that the tires are practically indestructible, allowing the M12 to easily roll through situations that would leave other vehicles disabled and vulnerable. Each wheel has an independent drive by wire electric engine, with power generated by the Warthog's engine. The tires are 51 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter, with the wheels being composed of magnesium alloy. The massive tires feature a reactive tread pattern that provides traction on nearly any surface. The tires are a joint project between AMG Transport Dynamics and Michelin-Vance. The Warthog has a 400 millimeter (16 inch) front rotor. The front of the Warthog bears a hydraulic towing winch system with hooks somewhat resembling the tusks of a warthog, from which the vehicle derives its nickname.

The standard Warthog features two front seats for the driver and a single passenger, with a cargo bed for carrying personnel or equipment or for attaching a weapon. Additionally, several variants of the Warthog remove the cargo bed in favor of additional seating or other systems. The standard Warthog lacks doors, which subjects its occupants to greater risks while providing them with a fast means of escape as they can quickly eject themselves from the vehicle. Interior features of the Warthog vary, depending on how the vehicle is purposed by AMG's factories. Though most Warthogs feature a fuel temperature gauge, a navigation point strength indicator, multi-function display screens, and a vehicle status computer.

Design changes
Over the many years of the M12 Warthog's existence, after its original creation and design, the M12 Warthog has underwent numerous changes and advancements, though the vehicle's overall appearance has gone unchanged. The 2554 model of the Warthog, unlike models deployed throughout the Human-Covenant War, uses a swing-axle system, a redesigned transmission and drive shafts, and constant-velocity joints. This version features a more angular body style, utility bars over the hood and around the bed, and several other largely cosmetic changes. Newer Warthogs typically carry several jerrycans filled with water to be rendered into hydrogen for the engine.

The M12B Warthog appears to be a model of the Warthog, unique from the many variations of the baseline M12 Force Application Vehicle which differ in roles and equipment. Having entered service sometime after the Requiem Campaign in February 2558, the M12B Warthog is outfitted with the UNSC's latest armaments

Engine
"The M12 uses a dependable low profile 12L 1H-injected ICE power-plant. In standard 1 G environments, the Hog has a maximum range of 490 miles before it needs to refuel. It can achieve a top speed of 78 miles per hour, no matter the terrain."

- Cortana

The M12 Warthog is powered by a dependable 12 liter liquid-cooled, hydrogen-injected internal combustion engine (ICE), which powers an automatic infinitely variable transmission (IVT). The engine is located in a forward-housed, low-profile compartment. With a maximum speed of 125 kilometers per hour (78 miles per hour) on virtually any terrain, the Warthog's hydrogen tanks can power the vehicle for up to 790 kilometers (490 miles) in standard 1 G environments before refueling is required. In field conditions, operators can utilize the Graf/Hauptman solar-powered electrolysis and compression system to filter or convert up to twelve liters of fresh, brackish, or salt water into hydrogen for fuel. Detritus from the process is compacted on board and disposed of manually by the crew. The M12 Warthog is capable of achieving 720 horsepower, with eighty percent of the torque available from 2000 revolutions per minute.

The Warthog is equipped with a steering-linked emergency brake and, with proper application of the hand, the Warthog is actually capable of turning within a comparatively small area. Powerful 35 centimeter (14 inch) carbon ceramic disk brakes allow the Warthog to come to a near-immediate halt from the vehicle's top speed. Highly mobile and equipped with a manual shifted transmission, the Warthog features all-wheel-drive and all-wheel-steering, allowing for greater maneuverability. The Warthog's enhanced high suspension system makes for smooth rides over even the rockiest terrain. The M12 Warthog's independent swingarm suspension is tuned for relatively slow speeds and, depending on the vehicle's load-out, for hard breaking, high G forces and variable centers of gravity. The Warthog is equipped with an automatic braking system that will bring the vehicle to a sudden, though controlled, stop in the event that the driver is ejected from the Warthog—either by choice or unwilling—while it is in motion.

Armaments
"On the battlefield speed is life and the M12 has that in spades–having a great big damn gun don’t hurt, either."

- An unidentified UNSC Marine Corps serviceman

While the standard M12 Warthog features a cargo bed rather than armaments, a variety of weapons can be mounted on the vehicle's cargo bed. When a weapon is utilized on a Warthog, it is of the utmost importance for the driver and gunner to be copacetic while in combat to allow the driver to move the Warthog into positions to complement the gunner. The standard mounted weapon is equipped with a battery for short-term operation when removed from the Warthog, though the weapon typically operates on the vehicle's power supply. The weapon is mounted on a 360-degree hydraulic-powered swivel mount. However, many personnel of the UNSC desire greater versatility in mounted weaponry for the vehicle.

Several variants of the Warthog are differentiated by their mounted weapon systems. The most common armament mounted onto the M12 Warthog is the M41 and M46 Vulcan machine gun turret, forming the M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle variant. However, recently, LRV Warthogs have been armed with the M343A2 chaingun, which serves as the successor to Vulcan weapon systems. The M12G1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle variant is either armed with the M68 or M555 Gauss cannon, fulfilling anti-armor roles.

Military
"The Sarge hates it when we ram stuff, says the 'hog ain't indestructible. But it sure feels like it when you're plowing through a crowd of startled Grunts, though."

- An unidentified UNSC Marine Corps serviceman

Ubiquitous within the Unified Earth Government's martial organizations, the M12 Force Application Vehicle serves as the primary ground transportation vehicle of the United Nations Space Command's Armed Forces, as well as the Colonial Military Administration prior to the organization's fall. The vehicle's wide variety of models allow the Warthog to fill numerous roles within the military, as the standard M12 Warthog can be easily configured to fill roles as such as an ambulance to a communications vehicle. The primary roles of the Warthog are reconnaissance, anti-vehicular, anti-infantry, and anti-aircraft actions.

The Warthog's overall purpose has been described as multi-faceted. Ostensibly, the Warthog was primarily designed for advanced scouting, carrying equipment, personnel transport, or as an integral part of a mechanized infantry unit. However, the Warthog is capable of impressive offensive capabilities when outfitted with certain weaponry. When armed with the proper weaponry, the Warthog is capable of shattering infantry lines, softening heavy armor, and shooting light airborne vehicles out of the sky. In addition, for objective-based missions, the Warthog's high speed and performance allows the vehicle to serve as an effective getaway vehicle when a skilled driver is operating it. Aside from scouting and transportation purposes, the Warthog can also be utilized to apply direct fire towards opponents. The vehicles are even capable of operating in a hunter-killer capacity. Valued as the most reliable piece of equipment in the UNSC's armory, the Warthog is also capable of participating in excursions in extreme environment or weather conditions. The UNSC Navy's Office of Naval Intelligence also utilizes heavily armed Warthogs for their agency's own purposes.

The Warthog is considered to be a popular symbol of UNSC ground forces. Due to how commonplace the Warthog is, all UNSC personnel are required to know how to operate and maintain a M12 Warthog, regardless of military speciality or branch of service. Overall, the Warthog is well-received among UNSC personnel.

Civilian
"…best driving utility vehicle on the market."

- Car & Pilot Magazine, referring to the 2556 edition of the Hog

AMG Transport Dynamics also manufactures civilian editions of the M12 Warthog. Known as the "Hog", the vehicle is widely popular and has been in existence for at least twelve vehicle generations since 2549. The latest known edition of the Hog is the 2558 model. Competing with vehicles such as the hydrogen skiff and the hyperlight glider, the Hog serves as a comfort and luxury vehicle while also filling the consumer demand for off-road recreational vehicles.

The motorsports division of AMG Transport Dynamics has also produced variants of the Warthog to compete in competitive motorsport events. Most notably, the dynamic and durable Rally Warthog, or the "RallyHog", models which have famously achieved class victories in both the New Carthage Sprint Series and 24 Hours of Quezon. The # 550 Scuderia StarSpeed M-12R is a recently manufactured Rally Warthog with heavy armor and greatly increased speed, operated by AMG's most experienced factory team. This Rally Warthog is considered to be an exemplar of heavily modified Rally Warthogs homologated for interstellar racing series, fitted with the latest hydrogen-burning turbines and ceramic applique armor. AMG Motorsports Manager Erik Burch once attempted to create a Warthog with blamite afterburners dubbed the Needlehog, though the project was denied funding by Special Projects Director Tyse Jenkins.

In addition, some corporations have also purchased Warthogs for their own purposes. The Liang-Dortmund Corporation fields their own Warthogs, including variants armed with military-grade weaponry. The corporation obtained M12 LRV and M12G1 Warthogs, citing the need to defend their operations from insurrectionists, Kig-Yar pirates, and large, aggressive animals. In reality, these Warthogs are typically deployed to keep out large, unruly crowds. Liang-Dortmund also obtained M12R Warthogs, apparently through bribery. Liang-Dortmund supplements their Warthogs by adding additional armor.

Variants
Numerous variants of the Warthog exist, both in the military and private sector. The M12 Warthog can be configured to become a troop carrier, armament carrier, ambulance, reconnaissance vehicle, or communications vehicle. Some Warthogs are intended solely for transportation, though most variants provide exceedingly versatile anti-aircraft or anti-armor options, which further optimize the vehicles' light armor and deft mobility.


 * M12 LRV: The M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle is the most common variant of the Warthog, fitted with a pneumatically powered, 360-degree rotation multi-purpose light anti-aircraft machine gun.
 * M12A1: The M12A1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle saw limited use. Equipped with a heavy M39 rocket turret, this variant boasted a large amount of firepower.
 * M12G1: Equipped with either an M68 or M555 Gauss cannon, the M12G1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle serves as the primary light anti-armor variant of the M12 Warthog platform.
 * M12R: The M12R Light Anti-Aircraft Vehicle is equipped with either the M79 or M80 Multiple Launch Rocket System, serving as a light anti-aircraft variant.
 * M831: The M831 Troop Transport replaces the cargo bed with four side-facing passenger seats and a protective roll-cage, serving as the standard non-combat Warthog used for personnel transport. The M831 TT has four sub-variants of its own.
 * M862: The M862 "Arctic Hog" is designed for extreme environmental conditions and features an enclosed-cabin and quad-tracks that allow the variant to drive up icy heights or travel over deep snow.
 * M864: Camouflaged and modified for cold-weather operations, the M864 A does not have the extreme mobility modifications of the M862.
 * M868: The M868 T Warthog is a hostile-environment variant camouflaged and equipped particularly for tropical expeditions. The M868 T variant has improved suspension and double the regular amount of anti-corrosion coatings applied to Warthogs.
 * M914: Equipped with a towing winch and a heavy duty motor and gear system, the M914 Recovery Vehicle is a faster, stripped down version of the Warthog, built for troop and equipment recovery. A rare variant, the M914 RV is designed for extraction of Warthogs that have become immobilized, and for use as a mobile repair bay.
 * Hog: The streamlined variant of the M12 Warthog built for civilian use.
 * GT: The M12 GT is designed for motorsport competitions and features an enclosed-cockpit monocoque for increased structural rigidity.
 * An armored personnel carrier variant of the Warthog, with an unknown designation, that contains a heavily armored passenger section to carry troops and supplies.

Development history
AMG Transport Dynamics designed the first Warthog prototype in 2319, dubbed the "Z-12". The Z-12 prototype quickly proved to be popular due to a well-crafted advertising campaign and adept engineering team which demonstrated the prototype's impressive feature set and unparalleled functionality in the unpopulated remote territories of both Luna and Mars. AMG Transport Dynamics marketed the vehicle by boasting that the Z-12 could "go anywhere and do anything".

Within the first eight months of the Z-12 prototype's existence, AMG received over three dozen exclusivity contracts; the largest and most lucrative of these contracts came from the Unified Earth Government's Colonial Military Administration. By 2321, AMG Transport Dynamics worked with the CMA and established a deal to cover all of their land-based transportation needs. Around the time of this deal, the Z-12 prototype became fully integrated into the M12 Force Application Vehicle. In addition, a pneumatically-powered swivel mount and armored body panels were added to the vehicle.

By 2329, the M12 FAV had become the most common all-terrain vehicle in service with the military—closely followed by the Mongoose and Civet vehicle lines that were also produced by AMG. CMA personnel began to refer to the M12 as the "Warthog", first establishing the vehicle's nickname. Eventually, the Warthog was adopted by the United Nations Space Command. Over the following two centuries, more than a dozen iterative changes were added to the Warthog. AMG continues to produce the Warthog, with manufacturing facilities in the city of Promesa on Andesia.

Operational history
"Famed for its toughness and sturdy design, stories of Hogs surviving numerous tours of active combat duty abound. But none is more well-known than the tale of the Daedalus."

- Cortana

Warthogs were deployed heavily throughout the Human-Covenant War between 2525 and 2552, being utilized by Staff Sergeants Avery Johnson and Nolan Byrne against Covenant forces during the first battle of the war on Harvest. One of the more famed stories of the Warthog during the war occurred the frigate crashed on the surface of the high-gravity planet Galgalia. The only survivors of the crash were a group of UNSC Marines that managed to strap themselves into four Warthogs strapped to the frigate's deck moments before the ship's impact with the planet; the sturdy Warthogs remained intact and their occupants survived. For months, the Marines survived on Galgalia by using the Warthogs to desalinate water and search for food, eventually being rescued by programming the vehicle's radios to broadcast a distress signal. Warthogs also played a notable role in the final months of the Covenant War. During the Fall of Reach, a UNSC Army unit largely consisting of Warthogs—along with other Army vehicles—initiated an attack on Covenant forces at Szurdok Ridge. M12R Warthogs proved invaluable during this operation. Shortly after, during the Battle of Installation 04, Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 and smart AI Cortana utilized a Warthog to aid in his escape of to reach a GA-TL1 Longsword, allowing him to flee the Halo's destruction. Warthogs were also used heavily during the final battle of the war on Installation 00. Ultimately, John, Cortana, and Arbiter Thel 'Vadam used a Warthog to escape widespread destruction on the Ark and Installation 04B's destruction, allowing them to reach relative safety aboard.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: Combat Evolved
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo: First Strike
 * Halo 2
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo: Landfall
 * Arms Race
 * Combat
 * Last One Standing
 * Halo: Uprising
 * Halo 3
 * Halo: Contact Harvest
 * Halo Wars
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo Legends
 * Prototype
 * Homecoming
 * Origins
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * Dirt
 * Palace Hotel
 * The Return
 * Halo: Blood Line
 * Remember Reach
 * Patrol


 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Fall of Reach
 * Boot Camp
 * Covenant
 * Invasion
 * Halo: Glasslands
 * Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
 * Terminals
 * The Commissioning
 * Halo: The Thursday War
 * Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops
 * Halo: Spartan Assault
 * Halo: Initiation
 * Halo: Escalation
 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Halo: New Blood
 * Hunt the Truth
 * A Hero Falls
 * Halo: Spartan Strike
 * Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series
 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Halo: Ground Command
 * Halo Online
 * Halo: Tales from Slipspace