D77-TC Pelican: Difference between revisions

|manufacturer=[[Misriah Armory]]<ref>'''[[Halo: Arms Race]]'''</ref><ref name="OSFM206"/>

|engine=*Four [[Fusion drive|hybrid fusion drives]] {{C|two primary, two secondary}}<ref name="Warfleet"/>

*[[Gravitics|Gravitic]] assist generator<ref name="Warfleet"/>

*[[Radar|RADAR]]/LIDAR detectors<ref name="Warfleet"/>

**70mm heavy rotary cannon<ref name="flood3"/> or

**[[M460 Automatic Grenade Launcher]]<ref name="Warfleet"/> or  

**[[M68 Gauss cannon]]<ref name="Warfleet"/>

|consumables=Enough fuel for two ground-to-orbit trips<ref name="Warfleet"/>

|introduced=[[2392]]<ref name="OSFM206"/><ref name="Halo Waypoint: Pelican">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/vehicles/pelican ''Halo Waypoint'': Pelican]</ref>

The '''D77-TC Pelican''', formally known as the '''Dropship 77-Troop Carrier''' and commonly known as the '''Pelican''', is an extremely versatile space-to-ground capable craft used by the [[United Nations Space Command]], as well as being marketed toward [[law enforcement]], security, corporate and civilian markets.<ref name="OSFM206"/> In its role as a [[tactical aerospace lifter]], the Pelican is mainly for the pickup and transportation of personnel, vehicles and equipment, though some variants are capable of serving in the role of a gunship. The UNSC also uses Pelicans as civilian vehicles for quick evacuations.<ref>'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[Exodus]]''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Uprising'''</ref>

The Pelican is crewed by two personnel who occupy the cockpit at the front of the dropship. The [[pilot]] sits on the right side, with the electronics operator or gunner taking up the station on the left. All flight controls are a digital fly-by-light with no manual backups; an integral expert system optimizes stability and adjusts the thruster profiles under all regimes and cargo profiles. Unlike on the later [[D79-TC Pelican]], the cockpit is only accessible from the cargo-bay. Motion trackers, [[Radar|RADAR]]/LIDAR sensors and a computerized mapping system allow the pilot to plan their way to nearby staging areas as well as to warn of incoming threats.<ref name="Warfleet"/>

The cargo-bay, colloquially dubbed by Marines as the "blood tray", usually accommodates up to ten personnel in jumpseats, with a small overhead compartment for their weapons and equipment. Additional infantry can be carried standing up, and increased seating for ten more people can be installed in the center aisle. Otherwise, this space can be used to carry cargo pallets, casualty litters, or even small utility vehicles such as two [[M274 Mongoose|M274 Mongoose ULATV]].<ref name="Warfleet"/> The Pelican is also equipped with an onboard weapons locker, which can hold enough weapons and ammunition to arm thirty troopers.<ref name="secrets">''[[Halo: Combat Evolved: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets]]''</ref> At least one pelican has been modified to act as a boarding craft for [[Operation: RED FLAG]], which has enough room to ferry twenty-five [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-IIs]] to their target, as well as carry the cutting gear needed to cut through the hull of a Covenant warship. Pelicans equipped for "[[soft-seal]]" [[boarding]] actions have an extendable cover that folds down around the entrance to the troop bay. This configuration was refined during the last days of [[Operation: TREBUCHET]].<ref name="HWG">''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''</ref>

The large aft overhang provides a magnetic and physical attachment point for additional cargo and ordnance. Possible payloads include a [[troop deployment pod]], a single large vehicle such as an [[M808B Main Battle Tank]] or [[M12 Force Application Vehicle]], or eight [[resupply canister]]s. It is discouraged for pilots to transport objects in the clamp during orbital insertions, as it can complicate reentry.<ref name="Warfleet"/>

The Pelican's primary armament consists of one or more nose-mounted projectile weapons, typically autocannons or machine guns. Commonly known as "chin guns" due to their placement,<ref name="EVG"/> these weapons are controlled via an [[Integrated Helmet and Display Sight System]] (IHADSS), which links to the pilot's or co-pilot's [[heads-up display]] and allows them to target the gun by head movements.<ref name="flood3">''Halo: the Flood'', Chapter 3</ref><ref name="secrets"/> The Pelican's standard armament is a chin-mounted [[M370 autocannon]], which is sometimes linked with another such weapon;<ref name="GOO1">''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx'', Chapter 1</ref> the M370 fires 70mm high-explosive armor-piercing (HEAP) rounds as standard ammunition,<ref name="Warfleet"/> with depleted-Uranium slugs also being an option.<ref name="GOO1"/> This replaced the older [[40mm chain gun]] that was common prior to [[2525]].<ref name="TFoR"/> Some Marine Corps Pelicans are armed with a single 70mm rotary machine gun instead of a chain gun.<ref name="flood3"/>

In addition to its primary armament, the Pelican has four externally-mounted missile hardpoints,<ref name="OSFM206"/> which typically hold eight [[ANVIL-II Air-to-Surface Missile]]s. However, they can carry a variety of weapon systems or specialized equipment pods. A turret can be placed at the back of the cargo-bay to provide covering fire for embarking personnel, and can range from [[M247 General Purpose Machine Gun|machine guns]], to [[M460 Automatic Grenade Launcher|grenade launchers]], and even a [[M68 Gauss cannon|gauss cannon]].<ref name="Warfleet"/> While some weapons can be folded against the roof when not in use, others such as the [[AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun]] can not.

Pelicans utilize a complicated propulsion system that combines vectored-thrust fusion ram-rockets with air-breathing hyperfans, divided between two primary and two secondary articulated engine pods. While ideal for use in an atmospheric environment, they require a [[Hydrogen]] reaction mass in order to operate.<ref name="Warfleet"/> The two main engines have four nacelles each, two on the bottom and two at the back. The aft engines being similar but lack a nacelle at the bottom. Because both modules are mounted on rotating blocks, they can redirect themselves from directing the thrust downwards to any direction required. A basic [[gravitics|gravitic]] control system is used in-atmosphere to supply further stability and supplementary lift.<ref name="Warfleet"/> Although fully capable of orbital transit, the D77 is too small to be equipped with a [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]], and is thus incapable of slipspace travel.{{citation needed}}

The D77-TC Pelican, like most other UNSC aerospace vehicles, is fitted with a suite of countermeasures to warn the dropship of incoming attacks, break target locks, and mitigate the effects of electronic warfare. These include wide-spectrum flares, microdrone decoys, rainbow laser blinders, [[Radar|RADAR]]/LIDAR sensors, directional jammers, and "hard chop" guillotines on data processing modules that could be susceptible to cyber-intrusion agents.<ref name="Warfleet"/> To prevent them from being easily taken out by [[electromagnetic pulse]]s, the Pelican's electronic systems are hardened against such phenomena.

As the most ubiquitous Pelican model in service, the Pelican has seen extensive deployment and modification, and is widely marketed to police, security, corporate and civilian markets.<ref name="OSFM206"/>

The ''D77C'' is a variant of the D77H-TCI that was utilized by the law enforcement agencies on [[Earth]],<ref name="Halo Waypoint: Pelican"/> with a specialised model - the [[D77C-NMPD Pelican|D77C-NMPD]] - employed by the [[New Mombasa Police Department]] in [[Kenya]], [[Africa]].<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/nmpd-pelican/a08fd318-4bef-4c32-9741-6d15b5f1180d ''Halo Waypoint'': NMPD Pelican] (defunct, archive [[Archive:Halo Waypoint/2009 to 2014/Universe/Vehicles#NMPD Pelican|here]])</ref> It is differentiated from its military counterpart by a black and white color scheme, with the word "POLICE" replacing the traditional "MARINES" on the external hull, and a noted lack of armament. Under the craft's chin, where a machine gun turret or autocannon would normally be installed, are various interchangeable sensors used by the police for aerial surveillance and crowd control. An AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun can be mounted in the personnel bay of the D77C-NMPD, similarly to the D77 and D77H models.

Although the [[D79-TC Pelican]] largely supplanted the D77 in post-war service, surviving hulls would be upgraded with improved avionics and thrusters, redesignated D78-TC and continuing to serve.<ref name="Halo Waypoint: Pelican"/><ref>''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]'', p.112</ref>