: Well, remember that Last Light takes place in mid to late 2553, at which
: point there's only one Spartan IV class (and I dunno if we have a precise
: date they went into active service, but given Spartan Assault I assume
: it's around 2554). The -IIIs might be equipped with GEN2 armor by the time
: of Halo 4 or 5, we don't really know.

The Initiation comics take place in January 2553 and they have plenty of GEN2 armors on the Infinity by then. I get that Initiation is a horrible piece of garbage, but going by its logic, the UNSC should've easily been able to supply the IIIs with GEN2 by July when Last Light happens.

Besides, shouldn't pre-existing Spartans be prioritized over new ones when it comes to new equipment? Especially the ones who are serving in the same team as MJOLNIR-wearing S-IIs; you'd think they'd give them similar gear at the first opportunity so they can coordinate and keep up with each other more effectively.

Mind you, I still think it was a big mistake to introduce the S-IVs and the GEN2 armor this early; they shouldn't have appeared until years later, giving enough time for the momentum of the S-III program to grind to a halt and the new augmentation technologies to become established and safe for use. As it stands the transition from nearly extinct war-era UNSC to "we're the giants now" post-war UNSC is jarringly abrupt.