By VinceHoffman
Aug 22, 2015
Build completed and originally publicly posted April 2013. 1st prize winner in the MB Worldwide facebook page's "Imagine your own original Halo vehicle" contest Spring 2015.
This vehicle is referenced during gameplay on Halo Reach. While playing as Noble Six you hear radio chatter from the shot up remnants of a small retreating UNSC force which counts a radio van as being amongst its few remaining vehicles. So you are told a "radio van" exists but never see it giving a builder lots of leeway to create a unique vehicle that need only incorporate the "look and feel" of other better documented UNSC ground vehicles.
This particular UNSC Rado Van features a number of upgrades from the stock version to suit the NAVSPECWAR unit that uses it. Hence the covert ops themed colors. The mission commander typically resides in this vehicle and oversees his team of Spartan and ODST operators using the compliment of encrypted communications and data gathering equipment the vehicle is equipped with. While its upgraded suspension and powerful six wheel drive drive train provides the radio van with robust all-terrain capability, it is only lightly armed and armored. Thus the vehicle is typically situated at a distance from the mission AO alongside the unit's artillery and anti-air support assets. The radio van then uses it's extended range Super Argus aerial drone to gather battlefield data and facilitate communications so as to direct mission assets.
While the UNSC Radio Van would never intentionally engage enemy forces directly, it is not defenseless. A roof top mounted automated variant of the M247H Heavy Machine Gun can be brought to bear in the vehicle's defense in the unlikely event that it is engaged by enemy forces. Typically operated by the vehicle driver, the M247H can be manually aimed using it's thermally enhanced optic sensors or set for autonomous operation using it's IFF sensor to actively ping targets so as to differentiate hostiles from friendlies. As a last resort there is a rack of MA5B assault rifles mounted behind the driver's seat along with the commander's helmet.
The Radio Van typically has a crew of three- two data acquisition officer/drone pilots and the Mission Commander. One of the data acquisition officer/drone operators will be arbitrarily assigned to drive the vehicle and operate the defensive weapon system if necessary. The crew redundancy was deemed necessary to ensure continued operation in the unlikely event one of the crew were to be wounded or killed.
Mission data which the vehicle collects obviously includes strategically significant info like the precise geographical position of friendly forces and their comms, the nature of the terrain and artificial structures in the AO, enemy force disposition, defenses, and armament, but also critical info like individual date feeds from the ground team with helmet cam video and telemetry on the individual operators' physical well being. This is largely facilitated through a combination of several smaller and one really large touch screen holographic displays.
The accompanying compliment of Super Argus drones is an extended range version of the smaller standard Argus recon drone. The Super Argus uses a stacked pair of counter rotating turbine blades for lift and propulsion like some helicopters. They are shrouded and use electric motors to ensure the quiet operation. At typical operational altitudes of 300 meters or higher, the drone's propulsion system is inaudible on the ground. The Radio Van only ever operates one drone at a time but carries a spare in the event that one was damaged in transit, suffered an inflight failure, or succumbed to enemy fire. They are released and recovered from a pair of rooftop crane mounts which use electromagnetic coupling for the docking process and a more secure mechanical coupling for transit.
The Super Argus acts as a communications hub and stealth enabling cutout between the ground assault teams and the Radio Van. While the encrypted radio communications between the ground forces and Argus drone are in theory trackable, the primary line-of-sight laser based tight beam data feed between the drone and the van are not. This allows the nearby command and control team to freely communicate with the ground assault units without fear of their position being identified. And the Argus with its curvy composite construction and radar defeating low visibility paint is a small highly maneuverable target, difficult to locate even if you know where to look. In the unlikely event that the Argus comes under fire, the remote operator can choose to either retreat or engage with the drone's defensive weapon, a 4 barreled micro-mini gun fed with a 500 round magazine containing the same 5x23mm M443 Caseless FMJ rounds used in the M7 SMG.
This vehicle is referenced during gameplay on Halo Reach. While playing as Noble Six you hear radio chatter from the shot up remnants of a small retreating UNSC force which counts a radio van as being amongst its few remaining vehicles. So you are told a "radio van" exists but never see it giving a builder lots of leeway to create a unique vehicle that need only incorporate the "look and feel" of other better documented UNSC ground vehicles.
This particular UNSC Rado Van features a number of upgrades from the stock version to suit the NAVSPECWAR unit that uses it. Hence the covert ops themed colors. The mission commander typically resides in this vehicle and oversees his team of Spartan and ODST operators using the compliment of encrypted communications and data gathering equipment the vehicle is equipped with. While its upgraded suspension and powerful six wheel drive drive train provides the radio van with robust all-terrain capability, it is only lightly armed and armored. Thus the vehicle is typically situated at a distance from the mission AO alongside the unit's artillery and anti-air support assets. The radio van then uses it's extended range Super Argus aerial drone to gather battlefield data and facilitate communications so as to direct mission assets.
While the UNSC Radio Van would never intentionally engage enemy forces directly, it is not defenseless. A roof top mounted automated variant of the M247H Heavy Machine Gun can be brought to bear in the vehicle's defense in the unlikely event that it is engaged by enemy forces. Typically operated by the vehicle driver, the M247H can be manually aimed using it's thermally enhanced optic sensors or set for autonomous operation using it's IFF sensor to actively ping targets so as to differentiate hostiles from friendlies. As a last resort there is a rack of MA5B assault rifles mounted behind the driver's seat along with the commander's helmet.
The Radio Van typically has a crew of three- two data acquisition officer/drone pilots and the Mission Commander. One of the data acquisition officer/drone operators will be arbitrarily assigned to drive the vehicle and operate the defensive weapon system if necessary. The crew redundancy was deemed necessary to ensure continued operation in the unlikely event one of the crew were to be wounded or killed.
Mission data which the vehicle collects obviously includes strategically significant info like the precise geographical position of friendly forces and their comms, the nature of the terrain and artificial structures in the AO, enemy force disposition, defenses, and armament, but also critical info like individual date feeds from the ground team with helmet cam video and telemetry on the individual operators' physical well being. This is largely facilitated through a combination of several smaller and one really large touch screen holographic displays.
The accompanying compliment of Super Argus drones is an extended range version of the smaller standard Argus recon drone. The Super Argus uses a stacked pair of counter rotating turbine blades for lift and propulsion like some helicopters. They are shrouded and use electric motors to ensure the quiet operation. At typical operational altitudes of 300 meters or higher, the drone's propulsion system is inaudible on the ground. The Radio Van only ever operates one drone at a time but carries a spare in the event that one was damaged in transit, suffered an inflight failure, or succumbed to enemy fire. They are released and recovered from a pair of rooftop crane mounts which use electromagnetic coupling for the docking process and a more secure mechanical coupling for transit.
The Super Argus acts as a communications hub and stealth enabling cutout between the ground assault teams and the Radio Van. While the encrypted radio communications between the ground forces and Argus drone are in theory trackable, the primary line-of-sight laser based tight beam data feed between the drone and the van are not. This allows the nearby command and control team to freely communicate with the ground assault units without fear of their position being identified. And the Argus with its curvy composite construction and radar defeating low visibility paint is a small highly maneuverable target, difficult to locate even if you know where to look. In the unlikely event that the Argus comes under fire, the remote operator can choose to either retreat or engage with the drone's defensive weapon, a 4 barreled micro-mini gun fed with a 500 round magazine containing the same 5x23mm M443 Caseless FMJ rounds used in the M7 SMG.