NationStates Jolt Archive


Shamshir Mk.III Personal Armored Combat Augmentation (FT, reference)

Feazanthia
01-12-2007, 01:42
Historical Overview
The Shamshir-series of personal armored combat augmentations (commonly known as "power armor"), like nearly all technology of the Dominion, traces its origins to the Collective War. During the war, ground conflicts between the Human-Asrengarde alliance and the Collective were far too common, and typically resulted in devastating losses for the allies. The Collective's ability to infect and convert an individual soldier into a killing machine in less than an hour quickly overwhelmed allied fortifications, and FleetCom soon learned that even a small infection would inevitably lead to the planet having to be “sterilized” from orbit.

As the number of habitable planets in the future Dominion's sphere of influence dwindled to critical levels, it was proposed that a way for allied marines to not only resist infection but also to match Collective combat forms in terms of strength and combat endurance should be implemented. The project took four years of research and development due to numerous setbacks, but eventually the Shamshir Mk.I was put into service along remaining border worlds. While not perfect, it succeeded in protected soldiers from Collective infection spores and even gave the allied ground forces a fighting chance should the enemy close to melee range. As victories on the ground began to strengthen the resolve of the allied space forces, FleetCom began pouring more resources into ground warfare research. The Shamshir Mk.II was deployed shortly before the end of the Collective War, and Mk.II equipped soldiers eventually took place in what many consider the war's "final" battle.

Research into the development of the Mk.III variant of the Shamshir PACA began a mere few months before Phia'sa Terrance Hood's departure from Feazanthian space and into the mysterious and alien Milky Way galaxy. Once contact was established between the home galaxy and the task force, and FleetCom learned of the dangers it now faced, the project was given new life. A spin-off project for a "Mark Four" variant was also begun.

Technical Overview
The Shamshir is a complete body suit protecting the wearer from numerous different attacks. It also possesses augmentation systems that give the user greatly enhanced strength, agility, and stamina while decreasing reaction time. It offers protection many magnitudes greater than standard infantry titanium-A battleplate and kevlar-diamond bi-weave systems, and wearers have been reported of nearly superhuman feats of strength and speed. The suit's systems are detailed below.

"Carbonan" outer shell - Armor made from interlocking, benzene-like rings of carbon atoms and segmented into geometric patterns that are capable of deflecting force. Tests have shown that even a few centimeters of ring-carbon armor is capable of protecting the wearer from even light anti-tank weaponry. The greatest threat to suit users is, in fact, being pulverized from the sheer force of the attack, leaving the outer shell completely unscathed.

Ceramic shell - Interlocking silicone-impregnated ceramic ablator plates just beneath the Carbonan shell provide unmatched protection from thermal and directed-energy attacks below a minimum strength.

Porous inner "soft" shell - capable of deflecting shock from small-arms fire. Aids in bodily heat dissipation and waste reclamation. Draws perspiration away from the body, storing it in sandwiched "catch pockets" accessible via mouth tube. Layered design includes heat-exchange filaments and salt precipitators. Water circulation and osmosis is maintained by body movement, such as breathing. Urine and feces are processed by pads in the thighs, and are filtered into clean drinking water. Heel pumps power filtering mechanisms. Helps prevent dehydration, especially in arid environments and vacuum.

Strength augmentation - "bucky gel" actuator consisting of a polymer-supported layer of polyelectrolyte material. Ionic liquid is sandwiched between two ionic gel electrode layers containing single-walled carbon nanotubes (commonly called buckytubes). This allows for exponential increase of strength, speed, and dexterity. Upper level speeds of 55 KPH have been recorded. 1 in 100,000 chance of incompatibility between suit and user, resulting in catastrophic bone pulverization. Largely solved through marine screening process and, if necessary, genetic modification.
Note: Gel layer is also capable of further absorption of impact force and recoil.

Movement control - SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) detects minute magnetic fields created by humanoid brain activity. Supplemented by data uplink to FDMC-standard issue neural interface. Data is processed and fed into the actuator gel layer in the form of electrical pulses, which manipulate the gel actuators. In one way, the soldier moves the suit. In another, the suit moves the soldier.

Environment systems - Suit is fully hardened against NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) attacks and is self sealing, with on-board supply of oxygen and rebreather. Capable of full activity in vacuum for 90 minutes, longer with EVA attachments. Cooling is handled via lithium coolant pumps, which respond to data feeds from the SQUID.

Sensors - Separate feeds accessible via sub-vocal command from the user. Phased sensor array housed in the helmet consists of visual, near-visual, thermal, millimetric, and radio imaging. Seismic sensors in the boots detect movements from heavy objects, such as enemy armor assets. Atmospheric analyzers near the mouth analyze incoming gasses. Suit will attempt to maintain a constant uplink to an established TacNet, providing the user with real-time analyses of the combat environment through faceplate HUD.

Communications - Handled via TacNet uplink. Should TacNet be compromised, combination radio/ultrasound/laser communication suite built into rear of the helmet. On-board computer linked to SQUID allows for sub-vocal selection of communication recipients as well as real-time sub-vocal battle coordination.

Interface - Heads-up display fed constantly by sensor input, TacNet data, and impulses from the user’s nervous system. Sensors built into the armor’s gloves interface with all standard Dominion small arms and vehicles, allowing the user to get accurate ammunition counts as well as laser targeting data and weapon scope “zoom” for applicable weaponry (such as the BR55 Battle Rifle).

Power - Methanol fuel-cell built into suit's back plate, supplemented by solar absorption panels. Standard full-load endurance: 168 hours. Can be refueled from D77-TC dropship or M-42 "Behemoth" Assault Transport Platform, as well as any capital-class vessel. M808A "Scorpion" variant to include refueling capability as well.

Supplies - Can store up to three weeks worth of potable water via micro-sandwich inner layer (see above), with compartments along the “belt” piece for up to one week field rations, spare clips, M9 HE-DP grenades, and various other weapons or tools.

Final Notes

While not an inexpensive piece of equipment, Shamshir Mk. III PACA gives Dominion forces a much-needed edge in ground engagements. Despite its lack of personal energy shield (a feature reserved for much more expensive Khopesh-series PACA currently in use by the Gifted program), the Shamshir allows Dominion marines to subdue many times their number in enemy combatants. Though their role is typically superseded by light and heavy armor assets on most terrain, Shamshir-equipped marines are nearly unmatched in their ability to pacify and occupy urban areas, as well as covertly secure areas heavily defended against armored units.

The Mk. IV Shamshir variant is, at the time of this briefing, still in development. Current plans are to enhance the gel actuator layer of the armor, as well as equip the outer shell with photo-reactive plates similar to the experimental Semi-Power Infiltration armor deployed in the battle of Coruc-Tel.

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Image 1 (http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/halo/images/d/d4/7thHelljumpers.jpg)
Image 2 (http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/halo/images/f/f9/Engaged_in_Combat.jpg)
Jinos
01-12-2007, 01:58
OOC: Sounds like a good magnet will turn it into a piece of scrap to be honest
Feazanthia
01-12-2007, 02:04
OOC: Sounds like a good magnet will turn it into a piece of scrap to be honest

How so? Almost nothing in the suit is that magnetic, save for the SQUID and even that has at least some shielding against outside influence.
Epsilon Halo
01-12-2007, 02:10
I would take some, but is it chemically stable?
Feazanthia
01-12-2007, 02:12
OOC - this is Future Tech (space ships, hyperdrives, aliens, whatnot). Ring Carbon is currently a theoretical material. Scientists THINK they can make it, but haven't been able to do it yet. Other than that, just about everything is based on solid and sound principles.

Yes. Chemically stable.
Feazanthia
01-12-2007, 14:23
Bump for the morning crowd, and to find out why Jinos thinks my suit can be defeated by magnetism.
Tanaara
01-12-2007, 18:43
Are you planning to sell this? It looks very interesting.
Feazanthia
01-12-2007, 19:11
As the suit is fairly reliant on Feazanthian technology for both construction and operation, an export variant would be difficult.

It would have to be a stripped-down variant, as my nation is fairly paranoid and isolationist, and I could not reconfigure the control mechanisms for each individual nation's neural implants...if they have them at all. Also, non-humans would find difficulty in manipulating the suit.
Feazanthia
16-02-2008, 15:24
Bumped for comments and work-related boredom.
Theoroshia
16-02-2008, 17:14
OOC: How much is it?
Feazanthia
16-02-2008, 18:12
The Shamshir PACA is FT only.