Snake Eaters
20-12-2005, 21:46
War brings great advances in technology. Some would say that this is a paradox, but we at Cobra Weapons Incorporated (CWI) say that this is the natural progression of things. The recent civil war, that ravaged our nation and left many millions dead, has highlighted serious flaws in the current protection of our troops, both at home and abroad. The Mobile Envirosuit Armour (MEA) has been shown to lack the capabilities that were boasted of it, and thus it is to be replaced by the latest in wartime technological development, the Tactical Infantry Warfare System (http://starwars.wikicities.com/images/e/e1/00912.jpg) (TIWS).
The TIWS’ aim is threefold in nature: Increasing the lethality of an individual solider, increasing the survivability of an individual solider, and providing full TripleC (Command, Control and Communications) to an individual solider. As such, is divided into a number of subsystems, all of which shall be addressed here. In order, these are: Weapon, Integrated Helmet Assembly, Armour, Power, Computer, Navigation, and Communication.
Weapon
The weapon selected for this project is a weapon that has served Snake Eaters well since it’s inception, and will continue to do so in spite of this latest development. The PR-10 (http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a6/SnakeEaters/Colonial%20Marines/Pulserifle.jpg), developed by Cobra Weapons Incorporated, is derived from Tau pulse weapons, and thus works on the same basic principles. A particle is propelled using an induction field and reacts by breaking down into a plasma pulse which then leaves the barrel. This plasma pulse is capable of doing severe damage to most humanoid species, and pentrating up to medium body armour with minimal reduction in power. The weapon is fitted with a 1.5x optical sight, which supplements the targetting sensors within the helmet (see Integrated Helmet Assembly). However, in order to increase the level of customisation avaliable, there are two RIS’ (Rail Interface Systems) on the foregrip and atop the barrel to allow for various add-ons, which at this stage include: laser rangefinder, white light, 35mm grenade launcher*, and others besides. In an effort to allow bullets to be employed, all CWI weapons are able to be quickly altered to fire 5.56mm or 7.62mm rounds by replacing a few parts of the weapon, and introducing a bolt mechanism.
*Only fitted to the handguard.
Integrated Helmet Assembly
The helmet will feature a voice-activated drop-down screen to access battlefield information without having to put down the weapon. The screen will be embedded in the quartz visor of the solider, and will be of a scale to give the impression of a 25 inch screen. The screen itself will be capable of providing maps of the area, as well as real-time videos being transmitted by satellite, aircraft or a forward-position scout team. The physiological monitoring system will also provide information displayed on the screen, allowing each solider to keep a close watch on his physiological condition. The helmet also incorporates an inbuilt GPS system, which is combined with a personal IFF system to provide the solider with knowledge of his fellow soliders current positions, estimated numbers of enemy soliders in the areas and other such data that may contribute to the solider’s survival. There is also an inbuilt microphone which allows the solider to communicate without the need for an external microphone (see Radio for more details). The helmet can also sense cranial cavity, which also controls the voice-activated screen.
The quartz visor also incorporates, by way of nanomachines, a variety of vision modes that increase the chances of surviving or killing the enemy. These include thermal, x-ray and ultra-violet, however others are possible. There is also an onboard camera, which is connected wirelessly to the onboard computer and relaying live action pictures to the commanders. Finally, through a connection to the weapon, a solider can tell at a glance how many shots he has remaining on his current powerpack.
Finally, the helmet also functions as part of the armour as a whole, in that it contains filters to eradicate any toxins in the air, which is coupled to an air reserve, with each solider capable of carrying up to twelve hours of air at a time. The helmet is also capable of sealing itself fully from the outside world, allowing the solider to operate in a vaccum, or underwater, should the need arise.
Armour
The armour is primarily an exoskeleton constructed of titanium, Kevlar and trace amounts of adamantium, containing tiny nanomachines that mimic muscle movement. As a result, the solider is gifted with up to a 150% increase in strength, but field testing has shown this to be closer to 90-100%. Also, in theory, the exoskeleon attached to the lower body can provide 750% more power, but this is unlikely due to the weight of the final product.
The armour itself is comprised of four major components. The first of these is a form-fitting undergarment, designed to reduce muscular fatigue. This suit applies varying levels of pressure to various parts of the body to safeguard and maximise their functions during combat. Testing by soliders has caused this layer to be dubbed the ‘Skull Suit’, as the construction of the main body makes if outwardly similar to a skeleton.
The three main parts of the armour are worn over this, and as such consist of armour for the legs, torso and arms, and head respectively. The exoskeleton is designed to resist kinetic and energy based weapons, functioning in a similar method to Eldar armour. When the armour itself is struck, the surface becomes momentarily rigid, spreading the shock over a wider area, and thus reducing the risk of pentration. The armour has proven capable of stopping a 7.62mm round at twenty-five metres. If the suit is breached at all, self-diagnostic systems located throughout the armour detect and respond to this change, in a manner not dissimilar to a network of autonomic relfex nerves. This acts as limited damage control system, performing functions as rerouting signals through auxiliary circuits. At the same time, any holes or tears in the armour are ‘repaired’, to a very limited degree, by a kind of ‘nanopaste’, created from the same nanomachines present within the suit itself, which is secreted automatically from valves near the damaged area. This cause the visual effect of a suit to be ‘bleeding’. Whilst the armour is capable of stopping many rounds, heavy sustained fire will penetrate the armour, having rendered the rigidity unimportant due to the sheer amount of firepower.
Power
The suit is powered by two hydrogen fuel cell power sources, located at various points within the armour. However, they are able to remain stable due to safety precautions taken to ensure that they do not explode, as an explosion of such power sources can result in the power of a miniature nuclear weapon being detonated in a very small area. The average lifespan for these two fuel cells when combined is no more than a week of combat operations. Both power cells can be removed, and the assembly will continue to function for a short time, thanks to a capacitive energy reserve.
Computer & Software
The onboard computer systems of the TIWS project consists of two parts. The first of these is a series of intraveneous nanomachines, with which all Snake Eater citizens are injected at birth. However, when they join the military during National Service, these nanomachines are reprogrammed to enable a smooth interface with the onboard systems. As a result, the nanomachines fulfill a number of tasks, including monitoring of the solider’s physiological condition, repairing flesh wounds and other such functions. This data can then be transmitted to the field HQ, the suit itself and also the battlefield commanders. In extreme circumstances, the nanites are capable of acting as a defibrillator which can administer a life-saving shock if medical aid is still too far away. They are also capable detecting toxins within the blood of the soilder, and releasing drugs into the bloodstream to counter the effects of these toxins.
The second part of the system is responsible for interfacing with all the other systems of the unit, whilst also providing the neccesery processing power and storage capacity for the systems. The unit itself is based around an ARM VFP, powered by a custom-built OS, developed by CWI specifically for this project. The operating system has been designed with a modular, open architecture for future improvement. So far, the reliability of this system has been extremely high.
For information exchange, the system also has access to the Joint Tactical Information Distribution Network. This system allows for an unprecendented level of battlefield coordination and cooperation between air, ground and naval units. For example A solider can request mission updates for himself as an individual or an entire unit, which are then transmitted from the local field HQ on a secure 512-bit security code. These codes are one-time only, generated at random and are never actually seen by either the commander or the man/men receiving the information. Once the information is decoded by the suit, the original message is deleted from the system core. The system operates on a low frequency broadband network.
Navigation
As detailed earlier, the TIWS is equipped with an up-to-date GPS system, using information broadcast from orbiting Snake ships and ground based command posts to create a picture of the land and terrain in which they are operating. When fully operational, the system is capable of locating a solider to within two square metres of his current position. However, the coverage of this system is not universal, and thus the unit is also equipped with a Dead Reckoning Module (DRM) in order to maintain accurate location where GPS signal is not avaliable.
Communication
The final subsystem is that of communications. As previously detailed, the helmet of the TIWS is equipped with a inbuilt microphone to enable communication. The radio is capable of broadcasting on more than one channel at any one time, and the unit is capable of saving up to one hundred separate frequencies at any one time, which can be accessed via the screen within the helmet. The primary system is a combined VHF/GPS antenna system, which is supplied by Comrod. This system allows for VHF radio communication. Neither of these systems is affected by the use of the other. The suit is also fitted with an UHF antenna, in case of failure of the VHF system, along with its back up. As a final resort, a miniature HF antenna is fitted, although the range is extremely limited. There is also capacity for satellite communications, which can be routed through the GPS system in order to maximise functionality and reduce costs
OOC: Comments welcome. In fact, they are fully encouraged. OOC or IC, either is good.
The TIWS’ aim is threefold in nature: Increasing the lethality of an individual solider, increasing the survivability of an individual solider, and providing full TripleC (Command, Control and Communications) to an individual solider. As such, is divided into a number of subsystems, all of which shall be addressed here. In order, these are: Weapon, Integrated Helmet Assembly, Armour, Power, Computer, Navigation, and Communication.
Weapon
The weapon selected for this project is a weapon that has served Snake Eaters well since it’s inception, and will continue to do so in spite of this latest development. The PR-10 (http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a6/SnakeEaters/Colonial%20Marines/Pulserifle.jpg), developed by Cobra Weapons Incorporated, is derived from Tau pulse weapons, and thus works on the same basic principles. A particle is propelled using an induction field and reacts by breaking down into a plasma pulse which then leaves the barrel. This plasma pulse is capable of doing severe damage to most humanoid species, and pentrating up to medium body armour with minimal reduction in power. The weapon is fitted with a 1.5x optical sight, which supplements the targetting sensors within the helmet (see Integrated Helmet Assembly). However, in order to increase the level of customisation avaliable, there are two RIS’ (Rail Interface Systems) on the foregrip and atop the barrel to allow for various add-ons, which at this stage include: laser rangefinder, white light, 35mm grenade launcher*, and others besides. In an effort to allow bullets to be employed, all CWI weapons are able to be quickly altered to fire 5.56mm or 7.62mm rounds by replacing a few parts of the weapon, and introducing a bolt mechanism.
*Only fitted to the handguard.
Integrated Helmet Assembly
The helmet will feature a voice-activated drop-down screen to access battlefield information without having to put down the weapon. The screen will be embedded in the quartz visor of the solider, and will be of a scale to give the impression of a 25 inch screen. The screen itself will be capable of providing maps of the area, as well as real-time videos being transmitted by satellite, aircraft or a forward-position scout team. The physiological monitoring system will also provide information displayed on the screen, allowing each solider to keep a close watch on his physiological condition. The helmet also incorporates an inbuilt GPS system, which is combined with a personal IFF system to provide the solider with knowledge of his fellow soliders current positions, estimated numbers of enemy soliders in the areas and other such data that may contribute to the solider’s survival. There is also an inbuilt microphone which allows the solider to communicate without the need for an external microphone (see Radio for more details). The helmet can also sense cranial cavity, which also controls the voice-activated screen.
The quartz visor also incorporates, by way of nanomachines, a variety of vision modes that increase the chances of surviving or killing the enemy. These include thermal, x-ray and ultra-violet, however others are possible. There is also an onboard camera, which is connected wirelessly to the onboard computer and relaying live action pictures to the commanders. Finally, through a connection to the weapon, a solider can tell at a glance how many shots he has remaining on his current powerpack.
Finally, the helmet also functions as part of the armour as a whole, in that it contains filters to eradicate any toxins in the air, which is coupled to an air reserve, with each solider capable of carrying up to twelve hours of air at a time. The helmet is also capable of sealing itself fully from the outside world, allowing the solider to operate in a vaccum, or underwater, should the need arise.
Armour
The armour is primarily an exoskeleton constructed of titanium, Kevlar and trace amounts of adamantium, containing tiny nanomachines that mimic muscle movement. As a result, the solider is gifted with up to a 150% increase in strength, but field testing has shown this to be closer to 90-100%. Also, in theory, the exoskeleon attached to the lower body can provide 750% more power, but this is unlikely due to the weight of the final product.
The armour itself is comprised of four major components. The first of these is a form-fitting undergarment, designed to reduce muscular fatigue. This suit applies varying levels of pressure to various parts of the body to safeguard and maximise their functions during combat. Testing by soliders has caused this layer to be dubbed the ‘Skull Suit’, as the construction of the main body makes if outwardly similar to a skeleton.
The three main parts of the armour are worn over this, and as such consist of armour for the legs, torso and arms, and head respectively. The exoskeleton is designed to resist kinetic and energy based weapons, functioning in a similar method to Eldar armour. When the armour itself is struck, the surface becomes momentarily rigid, spreading the shock over a wider area, and thus reducing the risk of pentration. The armour has proven capable of stopping a 7.62mm round at twenty-five metres. If the suit is breached at all, self-diagnostic systems located throughout the armour detect and respond to this change, in a manner not dissimilar to a network of autonomic relfex nerves. This acts as limited damage control system, performing functions as rerouting signals through auxiliary circuits. At the same time, any holes or tears in the armour are ‘repaired’, to a very limited degree, by a kind of ‘nanopaste’, created from the same nanomachines present within the suit itself, which is secreted automatically from valves near the damaged area. This cause the visual effect of a suit to be ‘bleeding’. Whilst the armour is capable of stopping many rounds, heavy sustained fire will penetrate the armour, having rendered the rigidity unimportant due to the sheer amount of firepower.
Power
The suit is powered by two hydrogen fuel cell power sources, located at various points within the armour. However, they are able to remain stable due to safety precautions taken to ensure that they do not explode, as an explosion of such power sources can result in the power of a miniature nuclear weapon being detonated in a very small area. The average lifespan for these two fuel cells when combined is no more than a week of combat operations. Both power cells can be removed, and the assembly will continue to function for a short time, thanks to a capacitive energy reserve.
Computer & Software
The onboard computer systems of the TIWS project consists of two parts. The first of these is a series of intraveneous nanomachines, with which all Snake Eater citizens are injected at birth. However, when they join the military during National Service, these nanomachines are reprogrammed to enable a smooth interface with the onboard systems. As a result, the nanomachines fulfill a number of tasks, including monitoring of the solider’s physiological condition, repairing flesh wounds and other such functions. This data can then be transmitted to the field HQ, the suit itself and also the battlefield commanders. In extreme circumstances, the nanites are capable of acting as a defibrillator which can administer a life-saving shock if medical aid is still too far away. They are also capable detecting toxins within the blood of the soilder, and releasing drugs into the bloodstream to counter the effects of these toxins.
The second part of the system is responsible for interfacing with all the other systems of the unit, whilst also providing the neccesery processing power and storage capacity for the systems. The unit itself is based around an ARM VFP, powered by a custom-built OS, developed by CWI specifically for this project. The operating system has been designed with a modular, open architecture for future improvement. So far, the reliability of this system has been extremely high.
For information exchange, the system also has access to the Joint Tactical Information Distribution Network. This system allows for an unprecendented level of battlefield coordination and cooperation between air, ground and naval units. For example A solider can request mission updates for himself as an individual or an entire unit, which are then transmitted from the local field HQ on a secure 512-bit security code. These codes are one-time only, generated at random and are never actually seen by either the commander or the man/men receiving the information. Once the information is decoded by the suit, the original message is deleted from the system core. The system operates on a low frequency broadband network.
Navigation
As detailed earlier, the TIWS is equipped with an up-to-date GPS system, using information broadcast from orbiting Snake ships and ground based command posts to create a picture of the land and terrain in which they are operating. When fully operational, the system is capable of locating a solider to within two square metres of his current position. However, the coverage of this system is not universal, and thus the unit is also equipped with a Dead Reckoning Module (DRM) in order to maintain accurate location where GPS signal is not avaliable.
Communication
The final subsystem is that of communications. As previously detailed, the helmet of the TIWS is equipped with a inbuilt microphone to enable communication. The radio is capable of broadcasting on more than one channel at any one time, and the unit is capable of saving up to one hundred separate frequencies at any one time, which can be accessed via the screen within the helmet. The primary system is a combined VHF/GPS antenna system, which is supplied by Comrod. This system allows for VHF radio communication. Neither of these systems is affected by the use of the other. The suit is also fitted with an UHF antenna, in case of failure of the VHF system, along with its back up. As a final resort, a miniature HF antenna is fitted, although the range is extremely limited. There is also capacity for satellite communications, which can be routed through the GPS system in order to maximise functionality and reduce costs
OOC: Comments welcome. In fact, they are fully encouraged. OOC or IC, either is good.