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| {{Ratings}}
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| {{Era|H2|H3|RE|FOR|FS|GOO|HE|LE}}
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| {{Ship
| | [[Category:UNSC]] |
| |name = Orbital Defense Platform
| | [[Category:Orbital Defense Platforms| ]] |
| |image = [[Image:Macstationcairolarge1ki.jpg|300px]]
| | [[Category:UNSC]] |
| |manufacturer = [[United Nations Space Command]] [[United Nations Space Command Defense Force|Defense Force]]
| | [[Category:Orbital Defense Platforms| ]] |
| |class = Weapon Platform
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| |height = 1336 meters (4383.20 feet)
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| |slipspace drive =
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| |hull =
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| |countermeasures =
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| |armament = 'Super' [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]] (1)
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| |complement = UNSC Marines, Naval crewmen
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| |crew =
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| |role = Defensive Weapons Platform
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| |era = Human-Covenant War
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| |affiliation = [[United Nations Space Command]] (Defense Force)
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| }}
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| {{Quote|That [[MAC]] gun can put a round clean through a [[Covenant]] Capital Ship.|Avery Johnson}}
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| An '''Orbital Defense Platform''' is a class of large [[UNSC]] space stations used to defend locations of great importance, typically planets of high strategic value.
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| Stations are frequently placed in [[Geosynchronous]] orbit and deployed in groups, or clusters, of 2 to 5. The well-equipped and large bridge of an ODP is suitable for directing large-scale engagements. Such was the case when [[Lord Hood|Fleet Admiral Sir Terrence Hood]] directed UNSC forces from an ODP during the [[Battle of Earth]]. The most effective method to destroy these great Platforms is via Covenant Boarding Craft. These craft would avoid the heavy slugs, and then plant a bomb. In order to avoid this, the UNSC would attempt to repel the boarders. <ref>''[[Halo 2]]'', [[Cairo Station (Level)]]</ref>
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| == Facilities ==
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| [[Image:Nassau.png|thumb|150px|left|[[Nassau Station]] firing its MAC.]] | |
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| Internally, the stations are remarkably spacious, complete with high ceilings and a monorail system to move personnel and equipment. In addition to numerous small craft bays, there are two docks for larger ships, such as [[freighter]]s, or even [[UNSC Frigate|frigates]]. These docking bays could possibly be used to hold [[Longsword fighter]]s used to protect the station from hostile spacecraft. The design incorporates many features against potential hostile boarding action, including security stations and small arms racks situated at strategic locations.<ref name="armory">Halo 2, [[The Armory (Level)]], Cutscene</ref>
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| === Armament ===
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| 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. The slug can weigh up to 3,000 tons and is launched at hypersonic velocities, almost ensuring complete annihilation of Covenant starships.<ref name="armory"/> As with starship-mounted MACs, a platform's cannon is commonly controlled by an [[AI]].
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| 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.
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| === Power plant ===
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| 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.
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| {{ODF Locations}}
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| == Deployment ==
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| ===Reach===
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| By August [[2552]], [[Reach]] was protected by 20 ODPs. At least some of these platforms were in place as early as [[2527]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', page 50</ref> During the [[Fall of Reach]], [[Marines]] and [[SPARTAN-II|Spartans]] were deployed to protect the orbital platforms' planetside power generators but were ultimately unable to do so against determined enemy assaults. The disabling of the defense platforms was a major factor on the battle's outcome<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', page ''??''</ref>.
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| ===Earth===
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| The outbreak of the [[Human-Covenant War]] prompted a massive expansion of [[Earth]]'s defenses. Even as late as the [[Battle of Reach]] preparations had not yet been completed.<ref>''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', page 104</ref> By October 2552, some 300 ODPs were operational.<ref name="armory"/> Many of Earth's ODPs were named after points of interest that they roughly kept station over.
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| A portion and small section of the 300 platforms first saw action at the early stages of the [[Battle of Earth]]. ''[[Athens Station]]'' and ''[[Malta Station]]'' were each destroyed by conveniently placed [[Covenant Bomb]]s installed by [[Covenant]] boarding parties, while ''[[Cairo Station]]'' only narrowly avoided the same fate as the other platforms thanks to [[John-117|Master Chief]]'s [[Cairo Station (level)|removal]] of the Covenant bomb on board.<ref>''[[Halo 2]]'', [[Cairo Station (Level)]]</ref>
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| The ODPs were also used later in the Battle of Earth, but the Covenant might have already destroyed numerous stations when Truth led a second fleet to Earth.<ref>''[[Halo 2]]'', [[The Great Journey (Level)]]</ref>
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| == Known ODPs ==
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| *''[[Athens Station]]'' UNSCDF-ODA144 (Destroyed)
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| *''[[Cairo Station]]'' UNSCDF-ODA142 (Damaged)
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| *''[[Malta Station]]'' UNSCDF-ODA143 (Destroyed)
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| *''[[Nassau Station]]'' (Unknown)
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| ==Sources==
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| <references/>
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| [[Category:UNSC]] | | [[Category:UNSC]] |
| [[Category:Orbital Defense Platforms| ]] | | [[Category:Orbital Defense Platforms| ]] |
| [[Category:UNSC]] | | [[Category:UNSC]] |
| [[Category:Orbital Defense Platforms| ]] | | [[Category:Orbital Defense Platforms| ]] |
