Project Letalis

Project: LETALIS was a top secret program by the ONI Section Three subsidiary Delta-7 Division. They attempted to enhance SPARTAN super soldiers through furthered mechanical and bio-mechanical augmentation as well as furthered psychological indoctrination. These elite super-soldiers were former Spartans kidnapped from SPARTAN-III companies Gamma and Delta, taking full advantage of the entirety of the 200 Delta orphans. Exactly twenty-three Gamma members were abducted after their augmentation.
LETALIS was not intended to succeed or supplement the dwindling numbers of the Spartan-IIs or even the devastated Spartan-III programs, but to be an entity of its own. Delta-7 was not restricted by a policy of expendable soldiers, or the small numbers of fully-able bodies like the second generation. LETALIS operatives would be fully armed, suited, and trained by the time they engaged the Covenant. 
Similar to the SPARTAN-II program, a large amount would not survive the augmentation process furthered by the project. With exception of one, all of the Gamma Spartans would survive due to their already-enhanced state, while only forty-five former Delta members would survive. The Deltas received all enhancements the Gammas had, but had been subjected to further stress and augmentations. The Gammas would serve as mentors and instructors to the young Deltas, and would eventually receive the full augmentation process.