M12 Warthog

The M12 Warthog FAV is a lightly armored ground vehicle in use by all branches of the United Nations Space Command, in addition to many colonial forces. Although lacking in armor and firepower, the Warthog's rugged construction and versatility has led to it being deployed in every environment that mankind has set foot in.

Role
A Force Application Vehicle is a light, highly-mobile vehicle that gets troops and firepower to where they're needed the most. The Warthog and vehicles like it were not originally intended to be frontline units. Rather, the Warthog was meant to supplement the mobility of and provide fire support to infantry squads on patrol. In the words of General Warren Slocum, the FAV "... is meant to be a better boot and a bigger gun."

As the single most common armored vehicle in the UNSC inventory, the Warthog was often pressed into use outside of its intended role. In the Insurrection, the Human-Covenant War, and the conflicts that were to follow, the Warthog could be found in the heart of the battle.

Development
In 2533, Warthog production peaked at AMG Transport's main facility in Crisium City, Luna. The month of February saw 91,253 Warthogs of all models roll off the assembly line.

M12 Warthog
The independent swing arm suspension (ISAS) of the M12 'Warthog' line provides the platform with a remarkable off-road ability which can be matched by few vehicles in the UNSC. This is primarily by virtue of the high degree of wheel travel offered by the independent arms which also allows the vehicle to remain stable on rough terrain at high speed as well as making sizeable jumps which may damage most other vehicles. However, this remarkable off-roading ability comes at a cost. The high sitting design of the Warthog, a symptom of the ISAS, results in the vehicle being unstable when fully loaded and carrying a turret in the rear, the M12s most common configuration. Furthermore, the high level of wheel travel and soft suspension results in a greatly limited top speed lest the vehicle start to rock under high speed maneuvering which could result in a fatal crash.

M13 Warthog
The M13 Warthog line features a significantly different suspension from the standard M12 featuring a suspension layout more akin to competitive trophy trucks with 4 independent wheels, rather than full arms, and dual suspension springs at each wheel. The off-road capabilities of the M13, while still remarkably and better than most UNSC vehicles, is less capable than that of the M12 due to the more limited wheel travel, lower ride height, and more traditional suspension design. However, this also holds several advantages. The stability of the M13s suspension allows for the vehicle to be far more nimble without having to use its handbrake as the suspension design and lower ride height results in a lower center of gravity which decreases the roll risk of the vehicle. This also offers the M13 a greatly improved top speed, around 110mph, but is largely limited to the same 78mph of the M12 to allow operators greater ease in use.

Minor variants

 * A: Anti-aircraft guns
 * A1: Armed with a 12.7mm machine gun, typically an M41 Vulcan model. Widely considered the closest thing a Warthog has to a 'standard' model.
 * A2: Armed with a 40mm autocannon, typically an M288 model.
 * C: Construction vehicle
 * C1: Portable crane for medium-duty lifting
 * C2: Aerial work platforms
 * C3: Digger
 * D: Drone surveillance, usually in the form of an MQ-96 Support Drone.
 * E: Electronic warfare & countermeasures
 * F: Turret-mounted napalm flamethrower
 * G: Light cannons
 * G1: Armed with a 25mm Gauss cannon, typically an M68 model.
 * G2: Armed with a 40mm autocannon, typically an M288 model.
 * J: Fire director, with an improved radio and telescope mount.
 * K: Recovery vehicle
 * L: Laser and energy weapons
 * L1: Armed with a small pulse laser
 * L2: Armed with a variant of the Pek-pattern plasma cannon. Only issued after the Covenant War.
 * M: Indirect Fire and Conventionally Fired Explosive weapons
 * P: Radar and Sensor Platform
 * R: Guided-missile
 * R1: Armed with a M39 turret firing M19 102mm anti-armor missiles.
 * R2: Armed with a M79 turret firing 65mm Argent V anti-aircraft missiles.
 * S: Communications vehicles
 * S1: Company Level communication, command vehicle. Usually reserved as a backup to a dedicated APC.
 * S2: Battalion-level communications, support. Again reserved as a backup to dedicated command vehicles.
 * W: Field replenishment for troops
 * W1: Water purifier
 * W2: Meal preparation
 * W3: Basic machining equipment for repairing firearms.
 * Z: Research vehicle.