Project HAYABUSA



Project: HAYABUSA was a UNSC project similar to Project: MJOLNIR.

Background
While it had different aims than its rival project, MJOLNIR, both programs resulted in powerful battle armor that boasted energy shields. It is unknown though wheather or not the original version had energy shields. The HAYABUSA's project was to develop self-contained power armor, and the project eventually culminated in the development of the Hayabusa Armor, which was developed by RKD on Earth in 2536 and apparently accepted by the UNSC Ordinance Committee.

The Hayabusa Armor's advanced materials decreased its weighty bulk by one-third and aesthetically is Japanese in design, with a Samurai-like design and spiked shoulder pauldrons (commonly referred to as s'ode' for the shoulder armor, and kabuto'' for the helmet in more correct terminology for Japanese armor of the era). ''The most likely reason for the aesthetic features of the armor might be to inspire fear to enemy soldiers.

Although initially developed as its own powered armor system, it seems that the Hayabusa armor has been modified and adapted to be compatible with the next generation MJOLNIR armor system. This allowed it to be available for use by the SPARTAN-II supersoldiers, although its field deployment appeared to be limited.

Trivia

 * The Armor has been nicknamed Ninja armor by many people, which is ironic, however, as it in fact resembles the armor of Samurai. However, the Ninja nickname for the armor also arises from the fact that the Hayabusa helmet has many similarities in appearance to that of Ryu Hayabusa's mask in the Ninja Gaiden series (also made by Team Ninja, see below). The shoulder armor is what resembles Samurai armor. Because of this, the Hayabusa armor carries a resemblance to both the Ninja (helmet) and the Samurai (shoulders) and therefore the Ninja nickname is not entirely incorrect.
 * Hayabusa is Japanese for "peregrine falcon," and is also the name for an unmanned space mission conducted by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency set to return to Earth in 2010.
 * Project HAYABUSA is the Japanese rival project to Reach's and Doctor Catherine Halsey's Project MJOLNIR.
 * This armor, along with Katana, is the most commonly used armor permutation in Halo 3 Multiplayer.
 * Even if it was a counterpart of the MJOLNIR, in the Hayabusa Halo 3 Action Figures it says it's a MJOLNIR armor.