SPARTAN-II program
The emblem of the Spartan-IIs A Spartan-II fireteam
Branch:	UNSC Navy Naval Special Weapons[1][2]
Type:	Special operations
Size:	Class I: 75 before augmentation; 33+ after augmentation Class II: unknown numbers
Engagements:	Insurrection Human-Covenant War Great Schism Post-Covenant War conflicts
Commanders:	LCDRKurt-051 LTJGFrederic-104 MCPOJohn-117 SCPOJerome-092 SCPOFranklin Mendez Dr. Catherine Halsey

"You have been called upon to serve. You will be trained - and you will become the best we can make of you. You will be the protectors of Earth and all her colonies."

— Dr.Catherine Halsey to the Spartan-II recruits

TheSPARTAN-II program was the first major success of theSPARTAN programs, an effort to produce elite soldiers through mechanical andbiological augmentation. Originally envisioned as the second generation of theORION Project under "Generation-II ORION"^[3] and "The ORION Project Generation Two",^[4] SPARTAN-II would be the first in the series to meldadvanced exoskeleton technology with the soldiers' superior physiques.^[5][6]

Spartan-IIs experienced the most extensive and invasive physical augmentations out of all the Spartan generations, starting augmentation at early pubescent ages increased their physical mass and height to around seven feet by adult age.

History

"From the beginning Spartans were a weapon of last resort. We were built for combat and raised for war."

—Master Chief Petty OfficerJohn-117^[7]

Background

In the years following the deactivation of the original ORION Project in2506^[8] the effectiveness of small special forces combating theInsurrectionists became too difficult for the UNSC to manage. As insurrectionist forces become more effective and the military's responses consequently become more forceful, the need for large scale military campaigns became more and more obvious.

Around2510, theOffice of Naval Intelligence began to reexamine theCarver Findings, which had warned of instability in theOuter Colonies years earlier.^[9] The report rationalized that the instability would continue to escalate, and unless drastic military measures were taken, would result in a massive war between theInner and Outer Colonies. ONI's own projections at that time and up to 2525^[10] concluded the same as Dr. Carver's findings. Meanwhile, then-eighteen year old civilian scientistDr. Catherine Halsey had been improving upon Carver's report on her own. Her independent conclusions predicted an even darker future than Carver's model, with UNSC inaction against the rebel leadership resulting in a minimum of thirty years of war and five billion dead; the maximum was a conflict of indeterminate length potentially leading to the downfall of human civilization. Halsey presented her results toVice AdmiralMichael Stanforth of ONI Section III, finding that they had come to the same conclusions. Determined to prevent the predicted carnage, Halsey agreed to work for ONI, specifically Section III's Special Projects Division, on creating a solution.^[6]

Creation

Dr. Halsey contemplating the methodology of the SPARTAN-II program inher journal.

Generation II of the ORION Project was initiated in2511 as the best possible solution to end the widespread insurgency that raged throughout UNSC space.^[6] The project was created with several goals in mind. The first goal was to create a group of elite soldiers meant to subdue insurrections in their infancy, without substantial military casualties. The second goal was to minimize civilian casualties and avert civil war. The third goal was to substantially reduce the cost of conventional means of pacification.

Dr. Halsey's proposal for the project detailed radical changes from the original ORION in many different fields. The first and most controversial was the subjects themselves, who were selected by a gene-candidate pool, and must fit into a certain age restriction protocol. They must also have possessed superior physical and mental attributes. The trainees must be instilled with military value, and the understanding of war; something that cannot be taught to enlisted soldiers. This narrowed the candidates down to children who would be raised and taught in the art of warfare and military values, from a young age. Using such controversial means of creating a soldier meant that the project would have to be carried out in the highest form of secrecy.^[6]

Though conventional body armor had protected soldiers for centuries, the Gen-II project's second radical change involved integrating the subject with a new powered exoskeleton device, designed to help keep its user safe and provide a powerful means of combating enemy forces. The drawback of this new armor is its requirement for augmenting the subject, effectively turning the participants into human guinea pigs.^[6]

Despite the tremendous risk and the unethical means of creating new soldiers, ORION Generation II was greenlit by the top brass within the Office of Naval Intelligence, who concluded that the lives that could be saved far outweighed the risks involved. The project was initially granted funding for 300 candidates, though funding was later reduced to half this number.^[6] By2517, 150 suitable candidates had been identified through DNA gathered from the UNSC'sOuter Colony vaccination program, though funding had been further reduced to support only half that number. 75 children, all around six years old and of both sexes, were kidnapped. In order to preserve the program's secrecy, the children were replaced byflash clones, which would die soon thereafter due to numerous medical complications associated with flash-cloning an entire human being.^[6]

ONI agents abducting John-117 into the program.

Dr. Halsey's use of cloning, following the dissemination of information on the project to the rest of ONI, came to be regarded one of the most controversial decisions involved with the program. In particular, the decision drew the anger ofAdmiralMargaret Parangosky, Commander in Chief of ONI, who interrogated Halsey after her capture and demanded to know her reasoning for the use of flash clones. Parangosky viewed the clones as unnecessary, maintaining that Halsey replaced the abductees with clones for personal, moral reasons, believing that she was giving the families closure and thus easing her own conscience.^[6]

Halsey was not satisfied with the project's original name of ORION Project, Generation II; thus, she renamed it out of personal preference, as well as to distance the project from the failures of ORION in the minds of the politico and military bureaucrats who controlled the project's budget. In order to pay homage to the sacrifice of the ORION project, she chose to call the project SPARTAN-II. She considered several other "bellicose" names, includingPraetorians,Landsknecht,Immortals,Minutemen,Titans,Argonauts,Odysseus,Olympians,Zulu,Kronos,Promethean,Armor,Nemesis,Daedalus,Hercules,Viking, andHyperion; the latter two were quickly excluded.^[6]

Training

Spartan-II candidates, around 14 years of age, lined up before their augmentation procedures.

Main article:SPARTAN-II training

After being kidnapped and sedated, the Spartan-II candidates were taken to the colony worldReach, where they began their training underChief Petty OfficerFranklin Mendez and the AIDéjà, who also acted as an aide for Halsey on the program. To marginalize the civilian lives they had once led, their names became a combination of their given names and a number, with family names being discarded.^[11] Based mainly within theReach FLEETCOM Military Complex, the Spartans endured a great deal of hardship during their first years of training: they were placed into situations and drills that pushed their abilities to their very limit and beyond. Their hard training was complemented with high-level education, which included mathematics, science, history, reading, writing, and military tactics.

Although his training methodology was tough, even brutal in some regards, Chief Petty Officer Mendez always instilled discipline, honor, and respect into the Spartans. He taught the Spartans how to kill, but at the same time he taught them the difference between right and wrong. During this time,John-117 rose to be thede facto leader of the Spartans. Mendez trained the Spartans until2525 when, at the age of fourteen, they would go through the toughest part of their training: thebiological augmentation procedures, which would kill 30 of the 75 conscripted children and cripple twelve others who would "wash out" of the SPARTAN-II program, going on to join the Office of Naval Intelligence. Only 33 survived the procedures without physiological deformities, of whom two would commit suicide in the following weeks upon encountering theirflash clones.^[12][13] The bodies of those candidates who "washed out" were placed in cryonic suspension in the hope that they could some day be resuscitated. At least some of the candidates who were crippled may have been physically rehabilitated in later years.^[6]

Human-Covenant War

Red Team during the early Human-Covenant War.

TheHuman-Covenant War marked a change in objectives for the program; originally intended to quell rebellions, the Spartans were now forced into battle against a superior opponent to theinsurrectionists: theCovenant. This new threat accelerated the Spartans' training to its final phase: Project MJOLNIR. With the Mjolnir armor, the Spartans would be the first major UNSC response to the alien threat.^[14] The Spartans continuously proved highly effective against all threats; their heroic rearguard and delaying actions saved countless human lives from the genocidal Covenant onslaught. In2547,^[15] the SPARTAN-II program was revealed to the public in an effort to boost morale among the UNSC.^[16] The Spartans' prowess was not lost on the Covenant, who came to fear, and in the case of theSangheili, respect the Spartans asDemons.

Inevitably the small number of Spartan-IIs dwindled as casualties were sustained. As the exploits of the Spartans were a majorpropaganda boon to the UNSC, Section II of theOffice of Naval Intelligence issuedDirective 930,^[16] which stated that Spartans killed or wounded would be listed as "missing in action" (MIA) or "wounded in action" (WIA), thus maintaining the illusion of the Spartans' invincibility. ByAugust 27, 2552, 25 of the 28 remaining Spartan-IIs assigned to NAVSPECWEAP,^{[17][18][19][20][21]} exceptGray Team, had been recalled to Reach, some from combat,^[17] to receive new orders forOperation: RED FLAG, a mission thatHIGHCOM hoped would end the war.^[22] They would commandeer a Covenant vessel, locate the Covenant homeworld, and return with capturedCovenant leadership to force a ceasefire. Theartificial intelligence constructCortana, carried withinJohn-117'sMark V Mjolnir armor, would serve as the strike force's hacker and technology specialist.

However, all preparations were interrupted and subsequently canceled by the Covenant'sinvasion of Reach. In the ensuing disaster, most of the Spartan-IIs were killed, although some took shelter in ONI'sCASTLE Base. Two escaped aboard theUNSCPillar of Autumn,one of whom was place in cryostasis aboard the ship after sustaining life-threatening injuries during the battle onGamma Station. ThePillar of Autumn soon arrived atHaloInstallation 04, which John-117 ultimately destroyed to prevent the spread of theFlood. Following theBattle of Installation 04, the survivors returned to Reach and were able to rendezvous with the remaining Spartans. The survivors then carried out araid that resulted in the destruction of a Covenantfleet anchorage, stalling a Covenant plan to invadeEarth. SPARTAN-IIs would go on to play pivotal roles in theBattle of Earth, theBattle of Installation 05, theOnyx Conflict and theBattle of Installation 00. UltimatelyJohn-117 would eliminate the Covenant leadership with the help of theFlood andThel 'Vadam, effectively defeating the Covenant and ending the war. However, he ended up trapped in space on the back half of theUNSCForward Unto Dawn and was declared missing in action.

Post-war survivors

The reunitedBlue Team in the post-war era with updatedMJOLNIR armor.

Sixteen Spartan-IIs are known to have survived the Covenant War:John-117,Frederic-104,Kelly-087,Linda-058,Naomi-010,Jai-006,Adriana-111,Michael-120,Leon-011,Robert-025,August-099,Randall-037,Otto-031,Victor-101,Margaret-053,Roma-143 andJames-005; the last six have since been killed. There was also the crippled candidates, some surviving past the war's end, such asMusa-096, orSerin-019. The early composition ofRed Team:Douglas-042,Jerome-092 andAlice-130, spent most of the war in cryo-sleep and were not awakened until2559, nearly six years after the war's end.^[23] The members ofGray Team were left drifting in space after their latestoperation in late 2552 and went to cryo-sleep. In mid 2558, their lifeboat was recovered by a Sangheili fleetmaster,Rojka 'Kaasan, who held them in stasis until their release a few months later. After being transferred to highly covert ONIKilo-Five unit in 2553, Naomi-010 continued to serve on highly classified operations as of 2558. Though being missing in action since2532 and discharged from service by ONI in2546, Randall-037, now a Colonel of theSedran Colonial Guard, participated in amission to capture the smugglers of a highly dangerous element used as a weapon inaterrorist attack, and sacrificed himself to ensure the operation's success.^[24] At least three members ofOmega Team managed to survive the war, though their current status is unknown.^[25] Following the ceasefire, the surviving Spartan-IIs were offered the choice of integrating into the newly formedSpartan Operations branch along with the remaining Spartan-IIIs.^[26] Some Spartan-IIs are known to have taken part in the training ofSpartan-IV personnel.^[27]

In 2557, after being missing in action for nearly five years, John-117 stopped theUr-Didact'sattack on Earth after linking up with theUNSCInfinity onRequiem. John subsequently reunited with Blue Team, whofaced the Didact again shortly afterward; after defeating the Promethean for the second time,^[28] the team continued to serve in the field in a number of classified operations.^[29][30]Team Black was stationed onInstallation 03,^[31] until they were killed by the Didact, dwindling the known number of active Spartan-IIs at the moment, down to eight.^[32]

On September 1, 2558, Gray Team were awakened from cryo and found themselves in the middle ofa battle between two Sangheili factions, a Jiralhanae faction and the citizens ofSuraka on the planetCarrow. The Spartans joined forces with localmilitia and remnants of one of the Sangheili groups to protect civilians from the Jiralhanae invaders. Together they managed to destroy an underground Forerunner facility housing hundreds of thousands ofSharquoi under the control of Brute ChieftainHekabe, preventing their deployment to other inhabited worlds and eliminating Hekabe's faction in the process, a dangerous force made up of several Jiralhanae war packs. The conflict also eliminated both Sangheili factions with onlyRojka 'Kasaan surviving. Rojka gave up his hatred and thirst for vengeance upon Gray Team and agreed to act as an envoy to the human population of the world forAkato 'Dakaj, the new rulingKaidon ofRak. After their return to the UNSC, Gray Team were offered a choice to join a specialized interspecies strike team under the Office of Naval Intelligence, to continue operating deep in theJoint Occupation Zone as before. In exchange, they would receive a pardon fromThel 'Vadam for their actions. The Spartans reluctantly agreed to work for ONI, asking for a prowler of their own.^[33]

Red Team during theSecond Ark Conflict in 2559.

In October 2558, Blue Team tried to prevent the rise of theCreated, a faction of rebellious AIs and Promethean forces led byCortana and theWarden Eternal, who used ForerunnerGuardians to enforce theMantle of Responsibility on the galaxy.^[34] However, their attempts proved to be unsuccessful.^[35]

In February 2559, after 28 years of drifting in space theUNSCSpirit of Fire found its way to the ForerunnerInstallation 00, also known as the Ark. Awakened from cryo-sleep, the members of Red Team, in an attempt to establish contact with the UNSC, encountered on the surface of the Ark a hostile mercenary faction known as theBanished, led by theJiralhanae warlordAtriox.^[23] TheSpirit of Fire subsequently entered intoan ongoing conflict with the Banished for control of the Ark.^[36]

As of April 2559, there are fourteen active Spartan-IIs, of whom only the members of Blue and Red teams remained under NAVSPECWAR's operational command, while Gray Team and Naomi-010 continued operating under authority of the Office of Naval Intelligence.^[29] The status of Omega Team remains unknown.^[25]

In October 2559, Blue Team was sent back toReach onOperation: WOLFE to retrieve assets from the ruins ofCASTLE Base which held the key to defeating Cortana.^[37]

In December 2559, CaptainThomas Lasky redeployed the rest of Blue Team on a separate operation of some kind as theInfinity prepared to deploy the Master Chief andthe Weapon toInstallation 07 to stop Cortana. As a result, they were not on the ship when it wasattacked by the Banished and the Master Chief was thrown into space. Rescued inMay 2560, the Master Chief played a vital role in theBattle for Zeta Halo against the Banished and theHarbinger.^[38]

In December 2559, during theBattle of Boundary,Adriana-111 discovered thatJames-005, who was presumed killed in theFall of Reach, was actually still alive and working for ONI. Adriana agreed to keep this information a secret and to tell ONI that James andChloe Hall, whom he was protecting, had been killed by the Banished.^[39] Shortly thereafter, James sacrificed himself to help Chloe get off of the planet to safety.^[40]

Personnel

"Die? Didn't you know? Spartans never die."

—Lieutenant CommanderKurt Ambrose toFleet Master'Mantakree, referencingONI Directive 930^[41]

Publicity

A statue of John-117 on a human colony.

ONI publicly unveiled the SPARTAN-II program in2547 in order to boost morale,^[15][42] though the supersoldiers' true origins remain classified to the general public as of2558.^[43] The 2547CAA Factbook entry on the Spartans states that the supersoldiers are "recruited from all corners of UNSC governed space" and that "each of them is a highly decorated veteran with literal decades of combat experience", but omits the program's ethically problematic background.^[44] At leastJohn-117, who was elevated to a legendary status as the "Master Chief" in the final months of the war, was given an elaborate, inspiring origin story to hide his true background, promoted by several individuals claiming to have known or interacted with John at some point.^[43] However, as of2553, there were pervasive rumors among the UNSC military that the Spartans had been kidnapped as six-year-old children and replaced by flash clones.^[45] Admiral Parangosky planned to unveil the SPARTAN-II program's classified aspects to the UEG defense committee by early 2553,^[46] although any information on their origins remained unconfirmed among military personnel as of2555.^[47] The information is not public knowledge as of2558,^[43][48] although some of the Spartan-IVs were made aware of their predecessors' origins.^{[notes 1]} At some point in 2558, journalistBenjamin Giraud uncovered the origins of the program and uploaded his findings to the public network, along with delivering an unsanctioned testimony on the matter to theUnified Earth Government Senate's Armed Forces Committee. This compounded an increasing distrust against ONI and the Spartans generated by a recentattack on a peace conference apparently perpetrated by the Master Chief.^[13]

To marginalize the civilian lives they had once led, their names became a combination of their given names and numbered service tag, with family names being discarded. The identities of the Spartans' full names have been deleted from all military records. Only Dr. Halsey had secret files that contained the full names of all the Spartans on Reach; unfortunately, the records were destroyed after the planet wasglassed.^[11] The only other copy of these records is in the possession ofAdmiralMargaret Parangosky.^[49] Within the military and to the public the Spartans are only known by their service tags, consisting of "SPARTAN" followed by a numerical ID; only a select few outsiders know even their first names.^[50]

Psychology

Spartan-IIs upon completing one of their post-augmentation Capture the Flag exercises.

While many outsiders view them as single-minded, the Spartan-IIs remain independent thinkers;^[51] from early on, Dr. Halsey's intent was to mold the candidates into effective soldiers through "persuasion and acclimation" as opposed to the brainwashing suggested by some of her colleagues within ONI, believing that in order to be truly efficient, the Spartans must be able to properly understand and embrace the significance of their mission.^[6] As such, the Spartans possess a profound understanding of their role as weapons and the weight of the life imposed on them. Most of them do not hold grudges over their abduction and treatment, instead having come to embrace their lives as Spartans as both a necessity and something they were born to do.^[52]

The Spartan-IIs' training emphasized dedication to one's duty as well as winning at any cost, values most of the active Spartan-IIs remain committed to. They have frequently been shown to ignore concerns over their personal health as long as there remains a mission to complete^[53] and tend to become incredibly frustrated when prevented from acting in a combat situation; because of this they generally prefer planetary operations to being based aboard starships with no way to contribute to an engagement.^[54][55]

The Spartan-IIs enjoy a great deal of solidarity and camaraderie within their group due to them having grown up together; indeed, they consider their fellow Spartans family,^[56][57] something that was encouraged in their indoctrination from a young age.^[58] Having been taught to refrain from overt emotional displays, the Spartan-IIs most commonly convey their emotions through subtle body language and cryptic gestures. They possess numerous unique internal habits andsignals conveyed through simple gestures or statements, making interactions among their group largely indecipherable to outsiders.^[59] Only a select few outsiders, includingDr. Halsey andDéjà, are privy to some of the best-held secrets within the group. Their familiarity with each other's body language allows the Spartan-IIs to function in perfect synergy in combat, their teamwork abilities having been described as borderline telepathic.^[60] Although the Spartan-IIs often have difficulty socializing with baseline humans outside situations of a strictly military nature, they are rather gregarious among themselves and habitually cluster together while out of the battlefield, commonly engaging in activities such as playing cards, exercising together, reading, or maintaining their personal equipment.^[61]

Most humans view the Spartan-IIs with awe, sometimes even revulsion, due to both their reputation and intimidating presence,^[62] the latter complemented by the seemingly unnatural speed, precision and grace of their movements.^[63] Few outsiders are willing to as much as touch a Spartan, such as shaking one's hand.^[64]

Organization

Red Team during theBattle of Trove.

The majority of the Spartan-IIs serve under Naval Special Weapons,^[1][2] a division of theUNSC Special Forces with heavy ties toSection Three of theOffice of Naval Intelligence, which initiated and operated the SPARTAN-II program.^[65] This remains unchanged despite the formation of the newSpartan Operations branch in the post-war era.^[29] All Spartan-IIs graduated to the rank ofpetty officer second class at the conclusion of their training,^[66] though many have since risen to a higher rank. In particular,John-117, the Spartans'de facto leader rose to the rank ofMaster Chief Petty Officer in2526^[67] whileFrederic-104 was promoted toLieutenant, Junior Grade in2552 byLieutenant CommanderKurt Ambrose, himself a Spartan-II who had been recruited to lead theSPARTAN-III program years before.^[68]

The Spartan-IIs enjoy a large degree of operational autonomy in the field and typically operate in teams of three to five and even individually,^[27] although the size and composition of these teams is heavily mission-specific; a team leader will typically pick the Spartans best suited for the mission at hand according to their personal talents.^[69][70][71] However, with the original Spartan-II group dispersed across the battlefields of the Covenant War over the decades, certain team arrangements became more established than others.^[72] Spartan-II teams are assigned color-based designations on a mission-specific basis, Blue, Red and Green teams being the most prominent of these.^[70] On some missions, Red Team has formed smaller splinter units (designated with Greek alphabet) to better suit the mission objectives at the time. Some Spartan-II teams appear to have been more well-established since their training, namely Black and Gray teams which continued to operate with their compositions unchanged over the Covenant War.^[57]

Known Spartan-II fireteams

• Black Team - Unconventional warfare unit of the Office of Naval Intelligence.
• Blue Team - Strike team.
• Gold Team - Strike team.
• Gray Team - Deep infiltration unit. Later reorganized into a part of a specialized interspecies strike team of ONI.
• Green Team - Strike team.
• Omega Team - Fast reaction unit.
• Red Team - Strike team.
• Silver Team - Strike team.
• Yellow Team -Combat engineers unit.

Class I

Dr. Halsey looks over the profiles of the selected candidates.

The following is the list of all known Spartan-II subjects conscripted in 2517. Of the 150 children considered for the program, only 75 were conscripted. The only known candidate who was not conscripted wasCaleb Aagard, who would have been designated SPARTAN-095.

Successfully augmented

Deceased Spartans are assumed to be officially listed missing in action or wounded in action, even if known with certainty to be KIA. This is for morale purposes, to enable the claim that no Spartan has ever been killed. Those who truly are missing are listed as such.

Washouts

12 Spartan-II candidates were officially discharged from the program after failing the augmentation procedures, most becoming severely crippled. The majority of these former candidates were later reassigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence. However, Dr. Halsey hoped that some might be rehabilitated and enter service as fully functional Spartans.^[6]

Officially, 30 Spartan candidates were killed when they failed to adapt to their physical enhancements; the only identified fatalites areSPARTAN-013^[74] andEdgar-150.^[75] However, at least one of the candidates allegedly killed by the augmentation procedures -Serin-019 - actually lived and were pressed into ONI service, their survival kept secret from their peers.

This was presumably made possible by Halsey's insistence that no invasive autopsies be performed and that the funeral for those killed by the procedures be closed-casket, the cadavers instead remaining in cold storage. The doctor considered that some of the deceased Spartans may some day be resuscitated and placed into active service; by June 27, 2525, rehabilitation protocols were in development for 80% of the washouts, with AIs predicting a total survival rate as high as 50%. Halsey also noted her consternation over what ONI may do with a secret team of officially deceased Spartans.^[6]

Musa-096, a Spartan-II crippled by the augmentations.

Unknown status

• The status of candidates 116, 118, 119, 121, 123, and 124 afterSeptember 10, 2517 is unknown.^[85]
• Carris-137's status afterSeptember 27, 2520 is unknown.

Class II

After the graduation of the first class of Spartan-IIs in 2525, Dr. Halsey began planning for the next wave of Spartans; her efforts, however, ran into problems. There were too few candidates that were in sync with her age and genetic restriction protocols and a majority of her funding was going towards Mjolnir maintenance and construction; this left little room for continued training efforts. By 2531, the majority of her funds had been diverted to other projects, most notably the top-secret, eyes-onlySPARTAN-III program.^[86] Halsey eventually gave up on Class II and left the program, after she judged the candidates to be of an inferior standard.^[87] The Office of Naval Intelligence would ultimately cancel Class II due to the lack of sufficient candidates.^[88]

ONI Directive 930

In order to maintain morale among the other forces of the UNSC, the Office of Naval Intelligence createdDirective 930. According to it "any Spartan casualties are to be listed as Missing In Action (MIA) or Wounded In Action (WIA), but never Killed In Action (KIA)." The protocol is not applied to members of theSPARTAN-IV program and theSpartan Operations branch, the UNSC opting to honor their sacrifices accordingly rather than maintaining an aura of invincibility for propaganda purposes.

Equipment

The Master Chief gets ready to take off his armor.

Project MJOLNIR

Main article:MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor

The Mjolnir armor was created in parallel to the SPARTAN-II project and is the most technologically advanced piece of hardware in human hands. It can provide a Spartan with an incredible amount of protection and strength. The onboard computer system relays basic tactical information including IFF tags, a motion tracker, weaponry information, and health and energy shield level readouts. Later models of the Mjolnir system are capable of carrying a starship-grade AI which can provide tactical data in the field.

Specialized neural interface

Main article:SPARTAN neural interface

This specialized version of the neural interface is implanted into the skull of a Spartan-II. The standard neural interface provides the neural link between the Spartan-II and the Mjolnir armor. This device allows a starship-grade AI to be carried "between" the host's brain and later models of the Mjolnir armor.John-117 was outfitted with this upgrade due to his need to carry the AICortana ona mission to capture the Covenant leadership.

Spartan augmentation procedures

Main article:SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures

One of the essential and most dangerous aspects of the SPARTAN-II program was the biological augmentation procedures. The process consisted of many injections and surgeries. Only a small percentage of subjects survived the process and fully recovered.

Facilities

The SPARTAN-II program was based in a dedicated compound within theReach FLEETCOM Military Complex. Most of the Spartans'training was carried out in the various facilities within the complex as well as the surrounding wilderness ofReach'sHighland Mountains, with classroom sessions provided byDéjà in theReach Naval Academy. They were also given training in various offworld locations, includingEmerald Cove andChiron Station. TheSPARTAN-II augmentation procedures were conducted in anONI medical facility in orbit over Reach.

Non-canon and dubious canon appearances

Silver Team on Madrigal in theSilver Timeline.

i love bees

Spartan-IIs make an appearance ini love bees, the dubiously canonalternate reality game used for the marketing ofHalo 2. The program's most notable divergence ini love bees is the notion that Class II received training and augmentations. Around 2537, enough candidates were within the right age range to begin a second class. One of the most notable candidates, six-year-oldYasmine Zaman, was abducted and replaced by a flash clone. However, she died during the augmentation procedures. Another girl,Janissary James, was selected as a suitable candidate for training. However, her father, an ORION Project member now known as "James James," killed the would-be kidnapper.^{[89][notes 2]}

Dead or Alive

In the fighting gameDead or Alive 4,Nicole-458 is teleported back to the 21st-century aboardNassau Station. Intriguingly, Nicole has been noted to be "based on a 'real' and properly defined Spartan," but her appearance inDead or Alive 4 is non-canonical.^[90]

Odd One Out

In theHalo Legends episodeOdd One Out,SPARTAN-1337 was active and participated in combat atCronkee.

Silver Timeline

This article contains information about theSilver Timeline, and is not a part of the establishedHalo canon.

Main article:SPARTAN-II program/Silver

Gameplay

Halo Wars

A Spartan-II inHalo Wars.

"Summoning a Spartan to the battlefield is not a guarantee of victory, nor is it something to be taken lightly. It requires a significant investment of time and energy to field Spartans, so they’re not a commonplace sight. When they do end up on the scene though your opponent will have to learn to take the threat of a Spartan on the battlefield seriously, or suffer the consequences."

—Halo Wars website

InHalo Wars, Spartan-IIs are infantry units for the UNSC faction. They can be built from aBarracks and are perhaps the most versatile units in the game. A Spartan is equipped with energy shields, can wield different weapons, command friendly vehicles, hijack enemy ones, and gain up to 14veterancy points while other units cap at 3. Any vehicle piloted by a Spartan gains an extra 15% to their defense and damage, with additional stat boosts for every upgrade the Spartan has.^[91]

Spartans cost 300 resources each and require a tech level of 1. Only three can be deployed for an army but they do not take up population. By default they are equipped witha pair ofsubmachine guns. Spartans can receive the following upgrades.

• Chaingun: 300 resources and a tech level of 2.Equips anAIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun for increased damage.
• Neural Implant: 600 resources and a tech level of 3.Allows Spartans to jack enemy vehicles quicker.
• Spartan Laser: 1,000 resources and a tech level of 4.Gives Spartans more range to their attacks and lets them deal out more damage.

In the campaign, SpartanRed Team is recruited onArcadia and available for all missions afterArcadia City.^[92] They count ashero units and therefore cannot be killed, only knocked out and slowly healing until they are revived. By defaultJerome-092 wields a Spartan Laser,Douglas-042 uses a rocket launcher, andAlice-130 uses a chain gun. Six more Spartans are available during the missionArcadia Outskirts, identified asTeam Omega.^[93]

Halo Wars 2

InHalo Wars 2, the Spartan-IIs of Red Team are Hero Units units for the UNSC faction. They can be built from theArmory. Each Spartan now uses a different weapon:Douglas-042 wields therocket launcher,Alice-130 wields themachine gun turret andJerome-092 wields theSpartan Laser when fully upgraded; however, all of them start with dual wieldedM6C magnums and the "Spartan Slam" ability. Each Spartan is assigned to a different leader: Alice toIsabel, Douglas toProfessor Anders, and Jerome toCaptain Cutter. All Spartans receive upgrades equally for Tier 1 and 3 but only in Tier 2 will each Spartan receive their personal weapon based on the Leader that the player picked. In the new DLC, Jerome is a leader himself, using Mark IV GEN2 armor obtained from Isabel and Hydra MLRS as a loadout, along with a new mech.

In-game models of Red Team inHalo Wars 2

• Info: Ranged hero, Ground pound area attack, One active hero limit.
• Tier: 1
• Cost: 0, 500, 400
• Red Team upgrade: Hijack
  • Info: Hijack vehicles, Health boost, Damage boost
  • Tier: 1
  • Cost: 0, 400
• Douglas-042 upgrade: Rocket Launcher
  • Info: Equips a Rocket Launcher, Health boost, Damage boost
  • Tier: 2
  • Cost: 0, 600
• Alice-130 upgrade: Heavy Machine Gun
  • Info: Equips a Heavy Machine Gun, Health boost, Damage boost
  • Tier: 2
  • Cost: 0, 600
• Jerome-092 upgrade: Spartan Laser
  • Info: Equips a Spartan Laser, Health boost, Damage boost
  • Tier: 2
  • Cost: 0, 600
• Red Team upgrade: Neural Implant
  • Info: Increases hijack speed, Health boost, Damage boost
  • Tier: 3
  • Cost: 0, 800

Trivia

• The SPARTAN-II program's methodology mirrors theagōgē of the ancient Greek city-state ofSparta, where every male child underwent extensive military training from an early age.
• The SPARTAN-II seal closely resembles the modernSeal of the President of the United States. The Halo 3achievements "UNSC Spartan" and "Spartan Officer" are represented by the SPARTAN-II seal. A cloth patch bearing the SPARTAN-II program's insignia is included with the Limited and Legendary Editions ofHalo: Reach.
• The SPARTAN-II program is reminiscent of the Adam Project depicted in the 1998 filmSoldier. Both feature children brutally trained and indoctrinated (in the film, the candidates are selected as infants) to become stoic and ruthless commandos to be deployed against human insurgents. The Spartans' naming also echoes that shown in the film: a first name followed by a numeric designation (Soldier's protagonist is named Todd 3465). Certain aspects of the soldiers' training also show close similarities; in the film, the children are forced to watch a pack of dogs devouring a boar whereas inHalo: The Fall of Reach, the Spartans are shown a display of wolves hunting a moose.
• Despite Spartans being listed as Missing in Action when they are killed, several have actually gone MIA. In2552, DoctorCatherine Halsey listed the three who had actually gone MIA at that point asKurt-051 in2531,Randall-037 in2532 andSheila-065 in2544. Despite being listed MIA, Sheila was killed in theBattle of Miridem with her demise witnessed by Halsey. Kurt was secretly abducted for theSPARTAN-III program and Randall was stranded on the planetVodin following theBattle of Vodin until the UNSC reestablished contact with the planet ten years later. In addition,Kelly-087 was listed as MIA byJohn-117 following her abduction by Halsey, a status which ended when the UNSC gained control of theSarcophagusshield world in2553 and the survivors there were reunited with UNSC forces. John himself went MIA following theBattle of Installation 00 at the end of theHuman-Covenant War and remained that way until2557 when he returned to Earth following theNew Phoenix Incident.Gray Team went missing followingOperation: SUNSPEAR until2558 when they were rescued byMelody Azikiwe and reunited with UNSC forces following theCarrow Conflict.

Gallery

• 

  A blank Spartan-II candidate record.

• 

  Side A of the candidate record.

• 

  Blue Team inHalo: The Fall of Reach.

• 

  Blue Team duringOperation: FIRST STRIKE inHalo: First Strike.

• 

  Kelly-087, Kurt-051, and another Spartan during theOnyx Conflict inHalo: Ghosts of Onyx.

• 

  A member ofGray Team during theBattle of the Rubble inHalo: The Cole Protocol.

• 

  Spartan-IIs with M7 SMGs inHalo Wars.

• 

  Daisy-023 faces her clone inHalo Legends:Homecoming.

• 

  Blue Team being briefed onthe mission to rescue Dr. Halsey inHalo Legends:The Package.

• 

  Black Team inHalo: Blood Line.

• 

  Jorge-052 inHalo: Reach.

• 

  Déjà instructing the Spartan-II children to their seats in a classroom inHalo: Fall of Reach.

• 

  Fred-104, Linda-058, John-117, and Joshua-029 wearing various iterations of the Mark IV armor.

• 

  Blue Team during theBattle of Circinius IV inHalo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.

• 

  A Spartan backflips off aJiralhanae Chieftain inHalo 4.

• 

  The Master Chief among a group of Marines.

• 

  The service record of Randall Aiken, a retired Spartan-II.

• 

  John-117 inHunt the Truth.

• 

  Fred-104 withOlivia-G291 andVeta Lopis inHalo: Last Light.

• 

  The SPARTAN-II candidates being taught by Déjà inHalo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series.

• 

  The Spartan-IIs attend the funeral for those killed in the augmentations.

• 

  Blue Team and other Spartan-IIs.

• 

  Blue Team inHalo 5: Guardians.

• 

  Naomi-010 wearing herMark VII armor inHalo Mythos.

• 

  Red Team inHalo Wars 2.

• 

  Blitz card of Omega Team inHalo Wars 2.

• 

  Spartan-IIs in theHalo Encyclopedia (2022 edition).

List of appearances

Notes

Sources

• Spartan-IIs
• Spartans
• UNSC projects
• UNSC Special Forces
• Human characters

• User-protected articles
• Pages containing missing template parameter warnings
• Pages using page number in novel citations
• Articles with incomplete sections