25 Talk

Splinter Cell

Splinter Cell

Official Name	Splinter Cell Program
Part of	Third Echelon
Type	Covert Operations Unit
Field Runners	Vernon Wilkes, Jr.† Frances Coen William Redding
Known Members	See List of Known Members
Active	2004 - Present
Appearances	All Splinter Cell games

Splinter Cell is the codename for a black-ops training program created by the National Security Agency's top-secret sub-branch Third Echelon. Its also the codename for an operational unit composed of lone field operatives called "Splinter Cells". The program produces and deploys units of highly-trained forward operators as the ultimate intelligence gathering force, with the support of a cutting edge technological team to retrieve information through traditional espionage techniques, but with 21st century technology. Sam Fisher was the first person selected into the program to operate in this role. The Splinter Cell program is also responsible for the creation of a derivative program known as SHADOWNET, which is another highly classified unit within the NSA.

"The choice between leaving a witness or a corpse is no choice at all."
− Sam Fisher, Third Echelon’s first Splinter Cell.

1 Overview
2 Background
3 Recruitment and Training
- 3.1 List of Known Members
4 Splinter Cell (Designation)
5 Equipment
6 See Also
7 References

Overview Edit

When intelligence deemed critical to national security cannot be obtained by traditional means, Third Echelon is granted clearance to conduct physical operations. Its existence denied by the U.S. government, Third Echelon deploys units of Splinter Cells. Like a sliver of glass, a Splinter Cell is small, sharp, and nearly invisible. These units can operate while remaining completely undetected, from human and electronic means. Splinter Cells are the NSA's "boots on the ground" tasked with collecting intelligence for the sake of national security. In some cases, Splinter Cells are given the "Fifth Freedom" - essentially allowing them to complete operations by any means necessary (lethal or otherwise). These elite soldiers are America's best equipped and most highly-trained covert operatives, sent alone into politically-sensitive areas as well as crisis flashpoints all over the world to gather intelligence where electronic intrusion by the NSA is not possible. Relying on the most advanced espionage tools, amazing physical abilities and support from Third Echelon's elite team of technical specialists, these agents execute sensitive operations that the U.S. government cannot officially acknowledge. During the Third Echelon Conspiracy, a unit of Splinter Cells were dispatched by the "new" Third Echelon to hunt down Fisher, almost succeeding.

Background Edit

The "Splinter Cell" program was an initiative developed as part of Third Echelon's formation in response to ever improving digital protection of information. As cyber security became increasingly advanced, there came a recurring need for traditional espionage methods to physically recover intelligence otherwise unobtainable. The purpose of the program was to acquire information critical to the national security of the United States by combining highly-trained individuals, ranging from field operators to support and intelligence personnel, as singular units. It recruits special operators from the U.S. Special Operations Forces communites of the Navy, Army, Marine Corps and Air Force, and turns them into the "ultimate covert soldiers" by teaching them how to move through areas completely undetected, both from human eyes and ears as well as technological detection methods. Colonel Irving Lambert, Third Echelon's initial Director, selected Sam Fisher as the very first candidate for the prototype position ("Splinter Cell") of this experimental program. Fisher's successful completion of the training, coupled with his ability to utilize his extensive skills in the field, would give Lambert the reasoning to expand upon the program for further operations in the future. Since his first mission during the Georgian Information Crisis in 2004, Fisher and his support team's accomplishments have been invaluable in maintaining the national security of the U.S. and it was inferred that his recommendation to Lambert about the "Splinter Cell" program was a positive one. As of 2011, the Splinter Cell program was extended under the management of former Director Tom Reed into areas that seem to extend beyond the purposes for which it was originally conceived. Numerous corrupt Splinter Cells were terminated during the crisis of 2011 while under his command.

Recruitment and Training Edit

3E's training facility at Fort Meade, Maryland, shown in *Chaos Theory*.

Due to the highly classified and extremely secretive nature of Third Echelon, potential candidates cannot apply to join the Splinter Cell program, as they are unaware of its existence. Instead, they are selected by Third Echelon and must go through an evaluation before they are given the green light to be fielded as the program's forward operative. It is unknown what exactly this evaluation consists of, but it is suggested that candidates must have an impressive background in their field, with the operators requiring extensive experience in special clandestine operations. Just as special forces units recruit from regular infantry, the field operators of the program are generally recruited from U.S. Special Operations Forces units. The case of Archer may suggest that NSA analysts with no military training or field experience may also become Splinter Cells, though his high level of intelligence obviously plays to his advantage along with the Splinter Cell training he receives before being deployed into the field. Other support and technical staff are also selected specifically for their role within the program and must be deemed "elite" within their field to be considered for the role. Third Echelon selects specific individuals for the program based on their service merits and capabilities. Afterwards, a recruit will go through extremely rigorous and very extensive training necessary in their conditioning to serve in the covert war on Information Warfare. From hand-to-hand combat

, interrogation resistance, explosives handling and defusal, moderate computer hacking (cryptography), covert intelligence gathering (special recon), advanced stealth tactics (i.e. concealment, infiltration techniques, exfiltration, silent movement, and silent combat on a solo operating scale), to advanced escape and evasion (SERE) methods, among many other useful skills vital to their survival in the field. Having completed the initial training program, a recruit may be joined with a partner where they will learn further co-operative infiltration techniques. One such instance was when rookie John Hodge paired up with veteran operator Sam Fisher during the Iceland operation, which ended tragically for Hodge, who was not trained for such a mission. These teams are deployed to high-risk areas. They have also been known to assist other Splinter Cell field operations in the same AO (Area of Operations). Agent One and Agent Two operated as one such team during the Korean conflict, when they assisted Sam Fisher during his mission in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

Splinter Cell training also incorporated uncoventional warfare techniques borrowed from the U.S. Special Forces as well as hand-to-hand combat techniques like Krav Maga, borrowed from the Israelis.^[1] Parkour is also studied as a way to get over obstacles, and newer, more controversial training from Chinese acrobats.

List of Known Members Edit

Sam Fisher (Status: DISAVOWED) was the program's first recruit. He completed the program successfully. Fisher served as the primary Splinter Cell. He left Third Echelon after Director Lambert's death in Double Agent. He went to Malta to investigate his daughter's murder which later led him to expose a conspiracy within Third Echelon. Fisher's status within the Program is undetermined at this time.
Agent One (Status: ACTIVE) and Agent Two (Status: ACTIVE) were two "Splinter Cells-in-training" who formed the program's first Splinter Cell team. They assisted Sam Fisher during the East Asian Crisis in 2007 and the JBA Crisis in 2008. They appeared in Chaos Theory and Double Agent (Xbox/PS2/GC/Wii version).
John Hodge (Status: KIA) was a "Splinter Cell-in-training" who accompanied Sam Fisher during an operation to investigate a geothermal plant in Iceland. Hodge was killed by guards during the mission after disobeying Lambert's direct orders of covering Fisher's infiltration. He appeared in Double Agent (Xbox360/PS3/PC version).
Daniel Sloane-Suarez (Status: KIA) was initially an NSA analyst when he was selected for the program. He was transferred after he grew tired of the "bureaucratic nature" within the NSA. Sloane-Suarez was later assigned with hunting down EMP bombs with Mikhail Loskov (callsign Kestrel) two months prior to the events in Splinter Cell: Conviction. He was killed by Andriy Kobin after he eliminated Kestrel in a fight to the death. Sloane-Suarez went by the callsign "Archer".
Dan Lee (Status: KIA) was a Splinter Cell stationed in China. He was killed while tracking illegal arms sales conducted by The Shop. Lee was mentioned by Sam Fisher during his mission in Macau in the novel version of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.
Rick Benton (Status: KIA) was a Splinter Cell stationed in Iraq. He asked Lieutenant Colonel Dirk Verbaken to give him a file on Gerald Bull but was murdered along with Lt. Colonel Verbaken by Vlad and Yuri in his hotel room in Brussels. He appeared in the beginning of the novel version of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.
Marcus Blaine (Status: KIA) was a Splinter Cell stationed in Israel (presumably). Blaine was killed by members of The Shop (most likely Vlad and Yuri). He was briefly mentioned by Andrei Zdrok in the novel version of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.
Ben Hansen (Status: ACTIVE) first appeared in the novel version of Splinter Cell: Conviction as one of the agents assigned to hunt down Sam Fisher. He appeared in the game version serving as Archer and Kestrel's commanding officer during their takedown of Valentin Lesvosky.
Kimberly Gillespie (Status: ACTIVE) appeared in the novel version of Splinter Cell: Conviction as one of the agents assigned to hunt down Sam Fisher.
Nathan Noboru (Status: ACTIVE) was a Splinter Cell who appeared in the novel version of Splinter Cell: Conviction.
Maya Valentina (Status: ACTIVE) was a Splinter Cell who first appeared in the novel version of Splinter Cell: Conviction in which she appeared in the game version as Archer and Kestrel's handler in Moscow.
Allen Ames (Status: DISAVOWED) was one of the agents trained by Sam Fisher who later turned rogue and became a fugitive. He appeared in the novel version of Splinter Cell: Conviction.
Leon Coltrane is a Splinter Cell who appeared in a report of Endwar.
The novel Endwar: The Hunted features two twin sibling Splinter Cells named George and Thomas Voeckler working with a Ghost Recon team. George is killed during an operation in the United Kingdom.
It is unknown how many members of the Splinter Cell program there are after the Indonesian Crisis. Though it is heavily suggested in a report that between 2008 and 2011 there might be more than a dozen.

Note: Kestrel is a Voron (Russian for "Raven") operative on loan to Third Echelon. In terms of role and training, he is considered on-par with Splinter Cell operatives.

Splinter Cell (Designation) Edit

Candidates become an official-unofficial Splinter Cell agent after what seems to be a limited time of training in the field. They are sent (either individually or as a team) to politically-sensitive areas of the world with a support team from Third Echelon to carry out extremely difficult covert operations. Splinter Cell teams have shown extensive skill in hand-to-hand combat, weapons combat, tracking, stealth, and recon. They extensively showed these skills in 2007 during the war between the U.S./South Korea and North Korea proving their worth.