MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor

The MJOLNIR (Pronunciation: ˈmjɔlˌnɪɹ 'my-all-'nhr) Powered Assault Armor is an advanced combat armor system designed to improve strength, speed, agility, reflexes, and protection of a Spartan-II supersoldier. It has seen many different iterations, ranging from the crude and primitive Mark I, II and III suits, to the first version to see deployment, the Mark IV, and later iterations that incorporated shielding systems, the Mark V and Mark VI. The MJOLNIR system and its Spartan occupant possessed an average combined weighed of half a ton, around 1,000 pounds. Only the Spartans possessed the physical ability necessary to wield the armor.


Introduction
Created alongside the development of the SPARTAN-II Program, MJOLNIR is the name of a series of Powered Armor suits designed to significantly improve the abilities of its wearer, giving superior physical strength, response time, velocity, and defensive capabilities. Originally designed only to protect its wearer from the projectile weaponry, later variants, including the Mark V and Mark VI, would be equipped with an advanced personal energy shield technology. Between the external armor plating and the inner fabric suit is a layer of force-amplifying liquid crystal, used to increase speed, strength and reflexes.

The suit also possesses other features that enhance its wearer's abilities. It has numerous clips, belts, and magnetic holsters for the attachment of additional weapons and ammunition; an advanced Heads-Up-Display(HUD) linked to sensors in the gloves to detect the type of weapon held, and to project shield strength, ammunition count, a targeting reticule, waypoints, and other helpful data; a radio uplink for communication; and, with the Mark V and Mark VI variants, a layer of memory crystal capable of supporting a ship-grade artificial intelligence.

The armor line is named for the mythical weapon Mjöllnir, the hammer of Thor, the Norse god of lightning, thunder, wind, and rain. The origin of the word "Mjöllnir" is unknown. The Icelandic verbs mölva (to crush) and mala (to grind) have been suggested as possible translations. Another theory suggests that MJOLNIR might be related to the Russian word молния (molniya) and the Welsh word melt (both words being translated to the term as "lightning"). This second theory parallels with the idea that Thor, being a son of the Chief God, Odin, and the God of Thunder himself, might have used lightning as his weapon.


Armor Versions

Mark I Prototype Exoskeleton
The Mark I Exoskeletons were one of the Navy's first experiments with powered exoskeletons. The Mark I battle armor were bulky exoskeletons that improved the strength and stamina of the user's muscles. A user could lift two tons (4,000 pounds) and run at 32 KPH (19.88 MPH). The armor was nearly impervious to standard light weapons. It could mount a 30mm mini-gun that fired on self-targeting armatures. It could also be equipped with motion sensors and infrared scopes. The armor used a hydraulic system for movement. The suit consumed enormous amounts of energy, so it required a connection to a fusion generator (which hindered movement) or the use of inefficient broadcast power, and was thus never seen in battle. It was, however, used to carry heavy equipment in docking bays, and mines.

Mark II Prototype
The Mark II battle armor incorporated a dramatically slimmed-down profile, but still required a tethered connection to a fusion reactor for power. Although the Mark II prototype had this flaw, it was the strongest type of armor in the entire human arsenal at the time.

Mark III Prototype
The next prototype, the Mark III, incorporated a wireless power transmitter and receiver so that power could be transmitted directly to it, much like the Orbital Defense Platforms used to defend some colonies. This design was quickly rejected for two reasons: first, the main reason being that the armor still had a limited operational range as it had to remain within range of a bulky, immobile generator, and second, the destruction of the generator would result in the incapacitation of the unit.


MJOLNIR Mark IV
The Mark IV was a radical redesign of the suit taking advantage of many technological innovations. This battle suit was the first to feature full integration with the user's body. The suit plugged directly into the user's nervous system through a standard issue Neural Interface. The suit's many functions utilized the user's thoughts for commands, greatly speeding up the user's movements and reflexes. Its normal color is olive green, though gray armor was worn by Gray Team.

This was also the first design to successfully utilize the reactive metal liquid crystal as a means of enhancing locomotion. It enhanced the speed and power of the wearer, a sharp contrast to previous versions, which required powered motors to allow the user's mobility. Because of this advancement, the design more closely resembled an actual suit of armor, as opposed to a powered exoskeleton; the user moved the suit, and in return the suit moved the user. This allowed for an incredibly compact design when compared to the previous incarnations.

The success of this version was also dependent upon the parallel development of the Spartan-II program, which produced troops with the physical prowess required to drive the system. Previous attempts to wear the prototype suit by non-augmented troops resulted in their deaths or severe injury due to the extreme reactivity of the system.

The Mark IV armor contained an integrated computer system which continuously monitors weapons, biological function, and motion (through intelligent motion-sensing radar). It should be noted that the Mark IV did not have energy shields.

The suit was airtight, hardened against vacuum, and featured air-filtration systems as well as a built-in re-breather that could last for up to 90 minutes. The suit's helmet also featured a standard mounted flashlight with its own separate power supply. This helmet seems nearly identical or at least very similar to the later Mark V helmet. Concealed side compartments in the upper thigh plates allowed the user to holster a sidearm.

The armor plates were resistant to plasma-based weaponry extremely well; a Spartan soldier wearing the Mark IV could survive approximately three times as much damage from plasma weapons than an ODST could in full ballistic re-entry armor. The armor also provided almost complete immunity from small arms ballistic firearms.

The suit also had a number of other features, including recoil-compensating actuators, hydrostatic gel (to regulate and monitor temperature and dampen impact force), and biofoam injectors. However, the biofoam injectors and medical care systems of the Mark IV had to be provided with a direct supply of biofoam, medicines, and stimulants from a standard Marine first aid kit when the user was injured, as the suit would not hold or generate a supply of medicines and biofoam, unlike the Mark VI.


MJOLNIR Mark V
The newer Mark V replaced the Mark IV Assault Armor. It had hundreds of minor technical improvements over the Mark IV as well as two major modifications. It could hold an Artificial Intelligence and had energy shields.

The Mark V was powered by a larger fusion pack than the Mark IV. This was necessary due to the fact that the Mark V had an integrated dynamic, self-recharging, energy shielding system, that repels mass objects and energy bursts. While impacts on the shield place a substantial drain on the system's power supply, the system's energy regenerates quickly once the user is no longer under fire. However, the process of adapting the shield to cover the entire body weakened the energy field, making the Mark V's shield system vulnerable to ballistic fire, unlike some other shields, which are nearly impervious to ballistic weaponry. The armor was made up of layers of dense material and the outside was coated with an energy-absorbing coating that could ablate when under intense fire.

In addition, the Mark V featured a weave of memory-processor super-conducting material (the same material as an AI's core) beneath its armor. This gave the suit nearly the same capacity as a ship-borne AI system. This along with an upgrade to the standard-issue neural implant, allowed an AI to inhabit the suit of armor and interface with the mind of its user, greatly enhancing the interface between the suit and the wearer as well as boosting real-time data processing power, which was intended to assist the user in real-time by monitoring communication channels, computer relays, and friendly combat updates. The AI could translate thought into motion quickly, thus boosting the reaction time. Since without the armor, a SPARTAN's reaction time is charted at twenty milliseconds, the AI boost could render it almost instantaneous. The AI could "use" the person whose suit they were installed as "memory." The AI can use some of the human's wet-ware biological processing for some of its functions.

The MJOLNIR Mark V, along with its successor, the Mark VI, are equipped with magnetic pads placed throughout the suit, on the belt, thighs and back. This allows the user of the MJOLNIR suit to attach weapons, grenades, tank mines or a HAVOK Tactical Nuclear Warhead if the situation demands the use of it.


MJOLNIR Mark VI
The Mark VI battle armor addressed some of the weaknesses of the earlier models. The energy shielding system recharged significantly faster and was notably stronger. The armor plating, while less bulky, was more dense, therefore offering as much if not more protection than previous models. The suit was more streamlined than the Mark V, eliminating a number of grapple points that an enemy could use in close-quarters battle. This version of the armor could track the status of more active weapons at the same time, and also included a visual magnification system, allowing the user to see distant objects with ease.

An improved reactive metal liquid crystal layer had been developed for this suit, increasing the mobility of the Spartan even further, although this has yet to be confirmed.

The armor was also capable of healing minor to moderate injuries over a course of time, due to an inboard supply of biofoam, which was automatically injected into the wearer's body, filling and sealing wounds, and numbing the pain. This new capability eliminated the need to manually apply a medkit or seek a field medic in order to tend to injuries. The biofoam effectively treats all but the most critical wounds, and its use was capable of stabilizing the user and allowing him to perform his duties even while injured until such a time as more extensive medical attention was possible. It is also likely that the suit was capable of automatically increasing the pressure level of its hydrostatic gel as the user was falling. The Mark VI also included a "lockdown" mode, where the suit retained a rigid form upon sustaining heavy trauma, most likely to avoid further injury.

The MJOLNIR is an adaptable suit of armor with many variations and modifications available, optimizing it for certain functions. This was also the first suit to contain Automatic Biofoam Injectors, which negated the need for Spartans to use Health Packs. The Mark VI has a 25 meter motion tracker.


Armor Components
* Luminous Green Refractive Titanium Alloy (Exterior)
* Matte Black Alloy (Exterior)
* Shields (Mk. V, and Mk. VI only)
* Hydrostatic Gel
* Reactive Metal Liquid Crystal Layer
* Pressure Seal
* Automatic Biofoam Injectors (Mk. VI only)

Helmet
One of the most important parts of the MJOLNIR armor units was the MJOLNIR Helmet and Visor with its HUD. The helmet also had a small flashlight, which was useful in combat situations that are in poorly lit areas. It was solar-powered, recharging its energy from the sun when possible, or from the armor itself if necessary. Like the previous marks, the helmet of this armor features a small cap-like protrusion above the visor. This "cap" may serve to deflect rain from the visor, protect the visor should the wearer fall on his face, or serve to psychologically impact enemies.