User:Rotaretilbo/M314 Uromastyx Multiple Launch Rocket System

Conception
The Uromastyx was designed when it became apparent that Covenant infantry could win ground battles through sheer numbers. The UNSC needed something that could deal a lot of damage to a large area, and they needed it to be mobile. A Navy engineer, Petty Officer Second Class Richard Cobbold, was the first to conceptualize the Uromastyx in 2541. During a trip in Slipspace aboard the destroyer UNSC Erwin Rommel, PO2 Cobbold welded Pelican ANVIL-II missile pods to a platform and attempted to mount it onto a Warthog chassis. While it didn't work, officers of the Erwin Rommel took note of the design and sent them to UNSC officials. Using decomissioned Cougar chassis and the M159 Launcher Module built specifically for the vehicle, the UNSC perfected the first prototype Uromastyx in 2542. The Uromastyx was adopted, over other prototypes, to fill the roll needed by the UNSC: doing massive damage over a wide area quickly while maintaining complete mobility.

M159 Launcher Module
The M159 LM offered a wide variety of options to the crew, including firing rockets at an area marked on a built-in real-time map relayed from intelligence satellites, firing manual, firing at a target out of line of sight that had been "lazed" by friendly ground forces, or the new "smart" barrage. Missiles could also be fired in barrage mode (in quick succession) or one at a time, depending on the situation.

M265 Launcher Loader Module
An update that came in 2547, the M265 LLM replaced the loader, making the vehicle easily operated by a single or two people. However, the new module required much more upkeep than the previous, and so was not very popular among the Marine Corps, especially among ODST units, who preferred the simpler M159 LM.

"Smart" Barrage
The smart barrage was probably the Uromastyx's winning feature. Special two-stage missiles that were implanted with very basic "dumb" AI could be launched that, once in the second stage, would scan the battlefield, matching all silhouettes to a database, and, coordinating with all other "smart" missiles currently in the second stage, lock onto different enemy silhouettes to ensure massive enemy casualties and minimal friendly fire.

Description
The Uromastyx, painted desert yellows and browns, was fast for its payload, tough for its size, and packed a serious punch. Because the Uromastyx was versatile in this way, it could fit into roles other than that it was originally intended for, like tactical air support. The Uromastyx uses a six-wheel system to grant it better stablity than the traditional four-wheel system. The crew is comprised of three people: a driver, gunner, and loader, though the loader was made obsolete by the M265 LLM in 2547 and the gunner was only necessary for firing on the move. With the M265, the vehicle can be effectively run by one person with a nueral interface. Because firing on the move is not advised, the turret can be sunk down into the bed to be stowed, with the pod openings facing backward. The Uromastyx was decomissioned in 2568 and was later replaced by the M20 Firefly.