Project CHRYSANTHEMUM

Project: CHRYSANTHEMUM is a set of SPARTAN-III bio-augmentation procedures, similar to those of the SPARTAN-II's. With advances in technology, however, the casualty rate for SPARTAN-III candidates was usually 0%, as opposed to the 56% casualty rate of the SPARTAN-IIs.

Results
Gamma company also received the following in addition to the above.

In Comparison To Spartan-II's
"This was always the moment when Mendez fully appreciated just how different a Spartan-II was from a regular soldier and even from the Spartan-III's."

- Halo: Glasslands Page 206.

Spartan-III candidates came from a much wider gene pool than Spartan-II candidates did. Unlike the Spartan-III's, all the Spartan-II candidates possessed "perfect" genes that allowed their augmentations to have the greatest effects. This means that, even though the Spartan-III's received most of the Spartan-II's augmentations (Other than the Catalytic Thyroid Implant, which produced significant gain in muscle mass and strengthened bone structure), the "perfect" genes of the Spartan-II candidates produced superior results.

For example, as stated in Ghosts of Onyx the augmentation that supposedly gave Spartan-II's a 300% boost in reflexes (Superconducting Fibrification of Neural Dendrites) in reality caused a 1400% boost in reflexes, due to the genes of the Spartan-II candidates.

An exception to this would be Noble Team. The members of Noble Team, although most were Spartan-III's, possessed the same, or similar, extraordinary genes of the Spartan-II candidates (This, in turn, resulted in superior augmentation effects and superior physical characteristics), and thus were formed into a team and equipped with MJOLNIR armor.

Performance
Spartan-IIIs were physically inferior to Spartan-II's, however they were still capable of superhuman feats. During the battle of Pagasi Delta, Tom-B292, 12 years old at the time and equipped only with SPI Armor, engaged a Covenant Elite armed with a Plasma Pistol and an Energy sword in hand to hand combat. The Spartan's enhanced reflexes allowed him to dodge a Plasma Pistol bolt and sword swing at point blank range. He then proceeded to throw the Elite to the ground and finish it off with his Assault Rifle. It is also stated that during the battle, Elites and Jackals moved out of cover because they realized that it was suicide to face Spartans in close quarters.

Spartan-IIIs were also described to have been moving with "speed and reflexes that no Covenant could follow". "They dodged, snapped necks and limbs, and with captured energy swords, they cut through the enemy until the field ran with rivers of gore and blue blood". The 300 or so Spartan-III's faced thousands upon thousands of Covenant, including Covenant air support, and were described to have been winning the battle until 7 Covenant Cruisers emerged as reinforcenments.

It was stated by Mendez that as Spartans grew older, they only grew stronger and faster as their bodies grew accustumed to their augmentations. During the battle on Pegasi Delta, Beta Company ranged from age 7 through 12. If the Spartan-III's lived long enough to mature, their physical abilities would have improved significantly.