Power Armor research
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Design note: while this tech is referred to via several names in game ("tank suit" "powered exoskeleton" etc.), "Power Armor" is the best designation to use for organizational purposes (ie, to avoid confusion).
News Reports
THE SOLDIER OF THE FUTURE, AT LAST. The military's latest powered infantry exoskeleton has been released for widespread, non-testing use. Although numbers are still very limited, official sources say that within two years every infantry unit will have access to two powered exoskeletons for heavy operations. Within five, light exoskeletons will be the standard issue armor for US ground forces. "This is going to put our military so far ahead of the rest of the world, it's like we have guns while they have spears," General Alex Findlay said in a press release. The new armor is powered by a proprietary fuel cell developed by the military and hoped to be ready for civilian distribution in the next few years.
MEET THE SOLDIER OF THE FUTURE. [Photograph: Colonel Andrea Sylver poses in her powered combat exoskeleton.] The new wave of military exoskeleton, or 'power armor', has been unveiled to the public after extensive testing on battlefields in Afghanistan and in police actions in South America and Indonesia. "These suits are like being a real-life super hero," Colonel Sylver announced to a gathered press. "I'm immune to all but the heaviest weapons, but just as mobile and light as any infantry soldier. With an attached hauling rig, I can carry as much as a civilian cargo exoskeleton. I'm basically a bulletproof forklift in a human-sized package." We attempted to inquire about rumors of bionic-enhanced supersoldiers deploying alongside the new power armor, but Colonel Sylver declined to answer those questions.
TANK SUIT! In a press conference on Tuesday, General Ariel Dabrowski was proud to unveil the new military "tank suit", a powered exoskeleton capable of resisting small arms fire and most heavy weapons. "Tank suits have been used in limited deployment in Afghanistan for several months now," General Dabrowski informed the gathered press. "We're proud to be at a point where we can formally introduce them to the public. These suits are just the first stage in a new generation of mechanized infantry."
Timeline
- June 2017: The first powered exoskeletons are approved for military use, in limited test deployments. Although incredibly powerful against small arms fire, these “tank suits” are too large, expensive, and heavy to gain any advantages from their humanoid shape. They do not see full scale production.
- July 2021: The first military grade heavy power armors are released for field testing. Unlike the tank suits, these are light and small enough to allow close quarters maneuvering in urban environments, and remain almost impervious to all but the heaviest of conventional weaponry. Development on smaller, less expensive suits becomes a priority.
- July 2024: Several smaller powered exoskeletons, including both the private defense contractor Rivtech’s version and a US government one, are released for field use.