Type-52 Anti-Aircraft Artillery

Anti-Air Artillery Wraith

The Type-52 Anti-Aircraft Artillery (abbreviated Type-52 AAA), often referred to as the Anti-Air Wraith, is a specialized variant of the Type-25 Wraith tank.

Introduction
The Type-52 Anti Aircraft Artillery is a variant of the mainstream Covenant "Wraith" tank, but differs in its primary armament: while the standard Type-25 model is equipped with a Plasma Mortar which is used mainly against slow-moving ground targets, the Type-52 model is equipped with a "rapid fire" dual Fuel Rod Cannons as its main armament, and has high effectiveness against nearby air targets and also ground targets. The Type-52 shares the Type-25's secondary plasma turret, a non-detachable stationary turret emplacement fixed at the midsection of the vehicle that is optionally manned for point defense against "medium to close" range ground targets.

The triple sets of fuel rod cannons are devastating to all forces, airborne or otherwise. Dozens of shots can be put out in rapid succession, laying waste to enemy emplacements, leveling fortified bunkers in a matter of seconds. Luckily, however, the anti-air wraith seems to be used almost exclusively for destroying and harassing air vehicles and use against ground targets is very rare.

The Type-52 is also distinguished from the Type-25 by its red crimson color scheme instead of the standard Wraith's blue-purple armor color. Upon the driver's exiting the anti-air wraith, it's triple flak cannons fold inward and contract into the body of the tank, presumably to keep them protected from enemy gunfire or saboteurs and possibly to allow more compact storage. It might even be necessary in order to travel at high speeds or be air-lifted by a Phantom dropship.

Hijacking
The Type-52 can be driven by the player if it is hijacked properly. Although intended to be an Anti-Air unit the Type-52 is devastating against ground units; able to rain huge amounts of projectiles on enemy forces. Although not particularly accurate, the Anti-Air Wraith's projectiles are much easier to aim then the standard Wraiths'. Within a few hits the Anti-Air Wraith is able to rip apart small vehicles, like Choppers and Ghosts. The Anti-Air Wraith is also very capable of fighting much larger vehicles, including other Wraiths and even Scarabs. See How to Pilot an AA Wraith to find out how to drive one of these powerful tanks.

Appearances
The Type-52 Anti Aircraft Artillery saw widespread deployment by the Covenant Loyalists in the occupied Inner Colony worlds of the United Nations Space Command.

Multiple Type-52 vehicles were deployed in the African city of Voi during the Loyalist occupation of Voi in the Second Battle of Earth in the level The Storm although all were eventually destroyed in the UNSC counterattack, and the glassing of half of Africa.

Several more were deployed against a possible UNSC threat when the Loyalists secured the Forerunner facility known as the Ark, in the levels The Ark and The Covenant.

Trivia

 * Initially, the Wraith is unable to be driven, and if the Driver is killed, the Wraith is instantly destroyed. This is much like the Wraith in Halo: Combat Evolved, which was unusable until Halo 2.
 * It is possible to drive this vehicle through a glitch. first bash open the hatch on top so you can see the driver. Bash off his armor then get into a spot were the "push RB" icon disapears. When this is done hold down RB, crouch down and kill the driver and it should work.
 * An easy way to defeat a Type-52, is to snipe the turret gunner; then it will be defenceless as it only shoots into the air, although it is possible to be splattered. However, if you remain around the Wraith long enough, the Brute or other driver will note you are there and will charge you, using boost. And, if you stay near it longer, it will begin to fire the cannons at you.
 * If you are playing on Co-op with more than one other person, do make sure you are careful when driving or standing on the front of the Wraith, like its blueish counterpart, the projectiles can kill you instantly if you are caught in the way of the shot. This seems to happen more often with the AA Wraith.
 * It seems like Bungie originally considered making the AA Wraith a drivable vehicle, since when you take control of it with a glitch and then jump out of the Wraith, you can see an animtion of the cannons folding together and going down trough the hatch, much like the normal Wraith. In fact, the fact that the AA Wraith is drivable at all proves this fact, but it was likely made unusable due to it being significantly overpowered. It also contains its own special reticule which is seen nowhere else.
 * The vehicles cannons are less powerful than a normal Fuel Rod Cannon.
 * If you take up the positioned as turret man in the AA wraith (glitch controlled), you will find that you have no aiming reticle.
 * The Anti Air Wraith controlled by the player isn't as effective at destroying aircraft as one that is computer controlled.
 * The AA Wraith's model number is a reference to the number 7, since 5+2=7.
 * Recently, Bungie has shown that the AA Wraith will be in the new game, Halo Wars.
 * A better way to destroy the tank is to destroy the spinning mechanism at the back with melee or grenades.
 * The AA Wraith may have been a planned drivable vehicle (Without glitching) in Halo 3 due to it's unique aiming retecule.
 * The anti-air tank will mostly ignore you while walking on the ground.