MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI
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| MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI | |
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   From left to right: The MJOLNIR Mark VI on the GEN1, GEN2, and GEN3 platforms (not to scale)
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General combat |
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Energy shielding |
- "Once he gets a hold of this armor, I think we'll all start sleeping a little better at night."
- — Maria-062[2]
The MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI was the third major version of the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor. The last mainline MJOLNIR GEN1 suit to be widely issued,[3] the Mark VI was issued to the few surviving Spartan-II supersoldiers in October 2552, replacing the Mark V. Shortly after the end of the Human-Covenant War, it was replaced by the Mark VII[4] and MJOLNIR [GEN2]. The Mark VI could still be requisitioned by Spartan-IV personnel as late as October 2558, albeit upgraded to function with the GEN2 suite.[3][5] In early 2559, in the midst of the Created conflict, the Mark VI armor has been upgraded to the GEN3 platform.[6][7]
Overview[edit]
Late into the war, as work on the MJOLNIR Mark V was being completed, a top-secret parallel development lab in Songnam, Korea, began work on their own prototype of Project: MJOLNIR. This project came to be known as MJOLNIR: BLACK, a standalone "skunkworks" prototype of the Mark VI MJOLNIR armor.[8] Using data from the existing and in-development versions of the MJOLNIR armor, the Seongnam team was able to produce a suit with many technical advancements not yet available to the standard Mjolnir system. After extensive testing of prototype models in combat against the Covenant, the BLACK prototype was eventually inducted into the Mjolnir line and officially designated as the sixth version.[9] It was approved for use after the loss of Reach and equipped to the surviving Spartan-IIs after their arrival on Earth.
The Mark VI is capable of taking full advantage of the physical capabilities of a Spartan. The suit is constructed in overlapping layers. It is environmentally sealed, capable of extra-vehicular activity and operations in toxic atmosphere. It is hardened against electromagnetic pulses and radiation, and has filters that are effective at removing toxins and bacteria from the local atmosphere.[10]
The armor's shell is composed of a multilayer alloy of remarkable strength and has been augmented with a refractive coating capable of dispersing a limited number of impacts from Covenant energy weapons. The suit contains a gel-filled layer underneath a thick black armored bodysuit. The gel layer regulates temperature and can reactively change its density. The inner skinsuit is made of a moisture-absorbing synthetic material linked to an environment control computer and the occupant's neural interface.
Spartans are implanted with a unique model of the command neural interface. This network translates electrochemical signals to digital code and routes them through an interface connection at the rear of the skull. Through this interface, the user's thoughts command the armor's movement and use of weapons, and input from the onboard sensors comes directly to the user's mind. The synthesis of machine and mind is so fast that it is almost impossible to chart reaction time.
Each suit of Mjolnir Mark VI armor contains a layer of superconducting computer memory. Envisioned by Dr. Catherine Halsey, this revolutionary layer forms a network, capable of supporting the kinds of artificial intelligence usually reserved for starships, a piggyback system.
The suits also contain a strength-enhancing layer. This marvel of engineering uses piezoelectric properties to enhance and assist a Spartan's already prodigious muscle power, and grant superhuman feats of might.
The Mark VI largely solves problems with the previous versions of Mjolnir armor. It has an improved energy shielding system, powered by a smaller fusion pack on the wearer's back. This shield system is much stronger and charges more quickly than the Mark V's. The suit also has denser yet less bulky armor plating. These streamlined plates have fewer grapple points than the Mark V so that an enemy has fewer advantages in close combat.[11]
In addition, the Mark VI's liquid crystal and hydrostatic gel layers received significant improvements over the previous version. The liquid crystal layer increases the strength of the wearer by a factor of five in addition to amplifying the user's reaction time by the same factor.[12] The hydrostatic layer features a lock-down device, which protects the muscles and joints of its Spartan wearer from heavy-impact injuries.