So it flies, but it can't fly well. It has less crew protection than a Ghost. It relies on big, exposed fans with thin little blades when the enemy deploys plasma weapons.

See, this is what I'm getting stuck on. It's big, it's showy, it's completely impractical, and I'm at a loss for why the UNSC would deploy it.

And really, it looks like it functions identically to the Ghost, maybe with the Chopper's guns. I'm getting real tired of duplicates in Halo's arsenal, and I don't see why the UNSC should have a Ghost equivalent. If a heavier-hitting Ghost is desirable, why not a Ghost variant with concussion rifles in place of plasma cannons?