Vice Admiral Cole, writing Hypodermic-FXT-J, the predecessor of the Cole Protocol, c. 2531 (Halo Wars: Genesis)

Summary   LEARN MORE ▶

In an effort to limit the ability for the Covenant to discover human colonies, including the inner colonies and Earth, the Cole Protocol was established to wipe all ship navigation data when the UNSC came into contact with any Covenant forces.  The Cole Protocol also demanded that any human vessels retreating from battle perform slipspace jumps to a random location to ensure the Covenant couldn't follow any ships back to another colony.  This protocol was first developed by Vice Admiral Preston Cole as Hypodermic-FXT-J following the Battle of the Great Bear in 2530, but did not become standing orders to all UNSC vessels until 2535.  

Related Media

These events are referenced in the short story The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole in the anthology Halo: Evolutions and referenced in the comic Halo Wars: Genesis.