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MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV

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Three suits of MJOLNIR Mark IV at the Damascus Materials Testing Facility in Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series.
MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV
Douglas-042.pngA render of Mark IV, an armor set in the Cartographer's Gift update.
Mark IV on the GEN1 (left) and GEN2 (right) platforms.
Production overview

Manufacturer(s):

Materials Group

Testing site(s):

Damascus Testing Facility

Type:

MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor

Role(s):

General combat

 

"You're the only ones who can use them, Petty Officer. Who else could we give them to?"
— Doctor Catherine Halsey to John-117.[1]

Despite its name, MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor Mark IV was the first production model of MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor. The suit was issued to Spartan-II commandos on November 27, 2525,[2] and was in service until it was replaced by the Mark V on November 24, 2551.[3][Note 1] A hybrid variant could still be requisitioned by Spartan personnel as late as October 2558, albeit upgraded to function with the MJOLNIR [GEN2] suite; such suits are notably still used by select Spartan-IIs.[4] With the advent of the MJOLNIR [GEN3] in 2559, the Mark IV was upgraded to be fully compatible with the new platform, and it can be requisitioned by Spartan personnel as late as 2560.[5][6]

Introduction[edit]

Diagram of the Mjolnir Mark IV.

Developed parallel to the SPARTAN-II program[7] by the Office of Naval Intelligence's Materials Group, the MJOLNIR powered assault armor was a radical redesign from previous large, bulky exoskeletons, streamlining their design into a compact suit of armor practical for use in the field. The brainchild of Dr. Catherine Halsey, the MJOLNIR armor represented her vision of creating a slim powered exoskeleton capable of taking full advantage of the physical capabilities of a SPARTAN-II.[7] Planning and research for the revised MJOLNIR battlesuit began in 2511[8] alongside the SPARTAN-II project; over the course of 14 years, its development gave birth to many new technologies that would later see major adoption throughout the military.

MJOLNIR is a sealed system capable of extra-vehicular activity or operations in toxic atmosphere and vacuum. It is hardened against electromagnetic pulse and radiation, and has filters that are completely effective at removing toxins and bacteria from local atmosphere.[9][10]

The armor's outer shell is composed of a multilayer alloy of remarkable strength which has been augmented with a refractive coating capable of dispersing a limited amount of Covenant energy weapon impact.[9][11] Underneath the alloy shell is a thick black armored titanium nanocomposite bodysuit. Underneath that layer is a gel-filled layer. The gel layer regulates temperature and can reactively change its density in a few seconds.[9][11] The inner skinsuit is made of a moisture-absorbing synthetic material linked to an environmental control computer and the occupant's special-issue neural interface.[9][11] This network translates electrochemical signals to digital code and routes them through an interface connection at the rear of the skull.