Project EXCALIBUR

It has always been readily apparent that, technologically, the UNSC has always been inferior in comparison to the Covenant, and that this has been their largest disadvantage. While their grasp of tactics and strategy is marginally better, and the general condition of their soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are superior to the general infantry of the Covenant, they have never been able to surmount the technological gap. Project EXCALIBUR was intended to rectify, incorporating a wide number of upgrades, modernisations, and new techniologies into service to significantly boost humanity's effectiveness in combating the Covenant.

History
Originally, Project TEMERITY had its own separate division for development and incorporation of advanced reverse-engineered technologies. While most of its successes were minor upgrades and improvements, it was ultimately deemed too small to effect the changes so desperately needed by the UNSC. When the last of the Outer Colonies fell in 2536, it was decided that the entire UNSCDF needed modernisation to better defend the remaining Inner Colonies, setting up Project EXCALIBUR.

Drawing from all departments and branches of the service, including the Army, Air Force, and civilian scientific consultants, EXCALIBUR was headed by former TEMERITY project leader Colonel Jeremy Wallace. Its earliest design proposals were largely updates or improvements of current technology, using innovations adapted from Covenant technology, with the most significant made to computer and electronic systems. After 2541, however, EXCALIBUR began to churn out more important proposals - the replacement of the M12 LRV was an unpopular one, though it did generate interest in ways to extend the Warthog's service life and improve its effectiveness. Likewise, the Tortoise LCV never made it beyond planning. Other designs had more success - pulse lasers recovered from crashed Covenant ships provided the basis for the development of the LX-7 deuterium-fluoride chemical laser, as well as improvements made to the W/AV M6 G/GNR "Spartan Laser"'s efficiency, and captured Jackal energy gauntlets assisted in the understanding and development of rudimentary energy shield devices. For the most part, EXCALIBUR's effectiveness was restricted to its innovative aircraft and spacecraft - the AC-709 Longsword-D was a proposed update for the standard Longsword Interceptor, incorporating a small CEMPF for protection against plasma weapons, and carrying a higher payload capacity. The AD77H-CAS Pelican Gunship was a proposed replacement for the Hawk Gunship, meant to standardise the UNSC's aircraft arsenal, allowing cheaper production and more interchangability of parts. The MQ-33 Venator and RQ-34 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles were popular designs among the UNSC Marine Corps and Army, and freed up personnel from air strikes for more important tasks.

With little success in developing a viable energy shield for use with UNSCDF equipment, EXCALIBUR would later bring Doctor Elizabeth Halsey onboard, head of the SPARTAN-II and MJOLNIR Programs, to assist. By 2541, the development of energy shields was transferred entirely to Halsey's MJOLNIR Program, including personnel from Excalibur. Halseys research would eventually lead to the development of energy shields used on the MJOLNIR Mark V and VI Powered Exoskeletons, while EXCALIBER developed the SS-X CEMPT parallel.

The most famous (or infamous, depending on one's point of view) developments made by EXCALIBUR were the refits made to last of the Herald-class colony ships, converting them into state-of-the-art assault carriers that served as testbeds for technologies meant for use on other classes. After the demonstated success of the Herald ships, the go-ahead was given for the Audacious-class battleships and Heracles-class destroyers, intended to be "war-winners" - ships designed exclusively for engaging Covenant warships in battle, intended to improve the UNSC Navy's ability to fight the enemy, using advanced technologies to counter or negate many of the Covenant's advantages - the fitting of the CEMPF served as an energy shield-like defensive system, negating plasma torpedoes entirely and lessening particle beams, and the addition of point defence laser turrets, the Anubis anti-ship missile and an improved Magnetic Accelerator Cannon were all intended to be more effective against Covenant shielding. While the Heralds entered service in 2549, the latter two ships would only enter the war during its dying months, far too late to deal any significant damage to the Covenant. A number of technologies, particularly prototype fusion reactors and upgraded MAC's, were used in the recommissioned Halcyon-class cruisers in far larger numbers than the Herald-class carriers, though they lacked DEW point defence turrets or CEMPF's.

A large majority of the EXCALIBUR personnel were killed during the attack on Reach by the Covenant, with less than a dozen managing to escape. More still were killed during the invasions of Earth and Mars, though a number survived, using prototypes that had been developed for testing in offensive roles, sometimes creating entirely new applications - an M808B Scorpion tank with its turret damaged by a Wraith morter had it replaced by an LX-7 laser turret, creating perhaps the first UNSC main battle tank using a directed energy weapon. Other equipment, such as the Bubble Shield, were pressed into service, and although rare, proved effective in their roles.

Unadopted Prototypes

 * M13-X Cougar Light Reconnaissance Vehicle
 * M77A-X Jaguar Armoured Personnel Carrier
 * M809 Tortoise Light Combat Vehicle

Weapons

 * LX-7 Deuterium-Fluoride Chemical LASER
 * SS-X Compressed Electromagnetic Protective Field
 * GX-1 Energy Shield

Equipment

 * AShM-442 Anubis anti-ship missile

Aircraft

 * MQ-33 Venator UAV
 * RQ-34 Seeker UAV
 * AD77H-CAS Pelican Gunship
 * AC-709 Longsword-D

Warships

 * Halcyon-class Cruiser
 * Herald-class Assault Carrier
 * Audacious-class Battleship
 * Heracles-class Destroyer