Orbital defense platform: Difference between revisions

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=== Armament ===
=== Armament ===
The primary and crucial armament is a Mk. V "''Super''" [[MAC]] gun capable of causing near-fatal damage to even a shielded [[Covenant]] capital warship with a single slug. It can shoot a shell at enormous velocities, plus the shell usually weighs 3,000 tonnes which is a factor to whether or not it can penetrate a enemy ship's shields in one shot.<ref name="armory"/> As with starship-mounted MACs, a platform's cannon is commonly controlled by an [[AI]].
The primary and crucial armament is a Mk. V "''Super''" [[MAC]] gun capable of causing near-fatal damage to even a shielded [[Covenant]] capital warship with a single slug. It can shoot a shell at enormous velocities, plus the shell usually weighs 3,000 tons which is a factor to whether or not it can penetrate a enemy ship's shields in one shot.<ref name="armory"/> As with starship-mounted MACs, a platform's cannon is commonly controlled by an [[AI]].


Curiously, no sources indicate the presence of additional weapons, such as point defense cannons commonly mounted on [[UNSC]] warships(the absence of such weapons may explain why so many Covenant Boarding Craft were able to latch onto the Platforms orbiting Reach and Earth). However, the possibility that ODPs are armed with such weapons cannot be ruled out yet. The apparent lack of point-defense cannons may be explained by the fact that transient magnetic bursts tend to magnetize the weapons.
Curiously, no sources indicate the presence of additional weapons, such as point defense cannons commonly mounted on [[UNSC]] warships(the absence of such weapons may explain why so many Covenant Boarding Craft were able to latch onto the Platforms orbiting Reach and Earth). However, the possibility that ODPs are armed with such weapons cannot be ruled out yet. The apparent lack of point-defense cannons may be explained by the fact that transient magnetic bursts tend to magnetize the weapons.
=== Power plant ===
=== Power plant ===
ODPs do not possess the power generation equipment necessary to fire their main armament. Instead, they receive power from [[Orbital Defense Generator|ground-based generators]]. A possible strategy to neutralize the formidable ODPs would be to disable the generators via ground assault. This would disable the platform's weaponry without destroying it, allowing this valuable prize to be captured. The Covenant used this strategy during their invasion of [[Reach]], dropping troops to the planet's surface and destroying these generators. This paved the way for Covenant forces to completely overwhelm the [[UNSC]] forces in the space battle over Reach.
ODPs do not possess the power generation equipment necessary to fire their main armament. Instead, they receive power from [[Orbital Defense Generator|ground-based generators]]. A possible strategy to neutralize the formidable ODPs would be to disable the generators via ground assault. This would disable the platform's weaponry without destroying it, allowing this valuable prize to be captured. The Covenant used this strategy during their invasion of [[Reach]], dropping troops to the planet's surface and destroying these generators. This paved the way for Covenant forces to completely overwhelm the [[UNSC]] forces in the space battle over Reach.