MLRS-1 Hydra

Hydra redirects here. For other uses of the word Hydra, see Hydra (disambiguation).

The Multiple Launch Rocket System-1 Hydra Gyroc Launcher,^[1] often simply referred to as the Hydra MLRS,^[2]^[3] is a UNSC airburst rapid-fire guided munitions launcher,^[3] manufactured by Chalybs Defense Solutions.^[1] It is capable of locking onto enemy targets similar to the Covenant's Type-52 plasma launcher.^[4] The Hydra is capable of killing a fully shielded Spartan-IV with two locked on shots in War Games.^[5]

Specifications

Design details

The MLRS-1 Hydra Gyroc Launcher is the result of decades of development in refining micro-missile technology to create a highly versatile guided missile launcher that can not only operate in a variety of environmental contexts, but also be used against both infantry and vehicle targets. The Hydra is designed to be as easy to operate as a conventional rifle, albeit one that fires gyroscopically stabilized HEAB (High-Explosive Air Bursting) rockets from a six-chamber, rotating cylinder. Highly effective in both close-quarters combat and medium-range engagements, the Hydra can be used in a direct-fire mode though it is most deadly when using a real-time VISR connection to lock-on and guide missiles to the target. The Hydra’s elegant semi-automatic targeting and tracking system allows the user to target not only individual infantry, but even distinct parts of enemy vehicles to effect a clean and efficient kill.^[1]

Variants

Typhon

The Typhon is a variant manufactured by the Office of Naval Intelligence's Watershed Division that features upgraded and improved recoil compensation, warhead damage, and reload speed.^[1]^[6]

Echidna

The Echidna is a variant, also produced by the Watershed Division, that features experimental, non-nuclear warheads capable of generating an electromagnetic pulse.^[1]^[6]

Operational history

The Hydra MLRS entered service in the United Nations Space Command in 2556, though the weapon has yet to see widespread usage beyond the Spartan branch as of October 2558. The Hydra had been utilized in a number of combat roles, including close-quarters infantry engagements, urban pacification, and ship boarding maneuvers.^[1] Hydras were aboard UNSC Argent Moon during Blue Team's mission to recover the research ship in 2558.^[7]

Trivia

In Episode 6 of The Bulletin, fans were given the opportunity to vote for which weapon they wished to be featured in the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta: the Hydra or the rocket launcher.^[3] The Hydra won the vote.^[8]
In Greek mythology, the Hydra was a large serpent-like water monster that possessed multiple heads.
The weapon's two variants, Typhon and Echidna, are named after the Lernaean Hydra's father and mother.

Gallery

H5-ConceptArt-HydraMLRS.jpg

Concept art of the Hydra for Halo 5: Guardians.
A Spartan-IV wielding the Hydra in a promotional image for the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta.
The Hydra being used in the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta.
The Hydra being zoomed in.
A Spartan-IV using smart scope with the Hydra.
The Hydra being used on the map Regret.
A Spartan using a Hydra on Escape from ARC.
First-person view of the Hydra in Halo 5: Guardians.
Smart scope with the Hydra.
Jameson Locke using a Hydra on Sanghelios.