ODST armor



The Body Suit is the fully-sealed combat armor worn exclusively by the Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST) special-operators of the UNSC Marine Corps.

History
Not much is known about the history, development, or implementation of the Body Suit. It is known that the SPARTAN-IIs used the Body Suit before they got their MJOLNIR Armor. The ODST Armor has come in several designs since its first iteration. The current ODST Armor is an offshoot of the MJOLNIR Armor, using CTC's and HUD Communications Systems from the MJOLNIR program to give more situational awareness to the wearer. The suit was recently upgraded with added protection, endurance, and agility. It was then used on Delta Halo, during the events of Halo 2. It proved effective on the most part, absorbing the shock for most of the ODSTs inside the HEVs. Others, however, died on impact upon hitting the Halo's surface. The suits could take a bit more damage than a normal, standard issue Marine combat ensemble, and much more than the ODST ballistic armor used on Alpha Halo. By the events of Halo 3, however, the body suit became much more powerful, suggesting that in between the two games, the technology was enhanced sufficiently, or that the ODST's have switched their armor to a more reliable suit. The ODST's using this armor helped The Master Chief, The Arbiter, and the rest of the Separatist-UNSC forces to route Covenant ground forces on the Ark.

Systems
The Body Suit has cooling and heating units that mask the infrared signature of the wearer,as well as creating a comfortable environment for the wearer. The body armor, boots and gloves are fully encased and airtight, making them operable in a vacuum for up to fifteen minutes when equipped with an additional oxygen tank. The integrated helmet has encrypted communications gear, a HUD, along with thermal and motion detectors.

Appearance
The helmet of the suit has silver protective plate with matte black armor surrounding it. The suit itself is black around the torso with a black and Grey camouflage pattern around the legs. The boots and gloves are also black. There are a total of six pouches on the waist, with four smaller pouches on the chest and two holster-style pouches on each side of the hip. The back serves as a makeshift backpack and can hold the optional oxygen gear. Below the backpack, there is a sheath that can hold a Combat Knife.

Advantages
The Body Suit is lightweight and offers protection in hard vacuum. It supplies more armor protection than standard marine armor, and contains a very enhanced communications suite. Along with the protection and communications gear, the Body Suit provides increased agility and maneuverability not afforded by standard Marine Armor.

Disadvantages
Unfortunately, the suit's general complexity leads to complications. Over prolonged periods of time the suit will become very uncomfortable to wear, and it is tricky to repair in the field. Its effectiveness is decreased in desert or arctic environments where harsh light and little color make its black camouflage useless. It is more suited for nighttime, urban, forest, and space operations.

MJOLNIR ‘ODST’ Helmet
The MJOLNIR ‘ODST’ helmet in Halo 3 is derived from the technology used in MJOLNIR armor. It is unlocked by the Spartan Graduate Achievementor getting 5 XP in Matchmaking. At one point in development the ODST helmet had an antenna on its back (See "Halo 3: PAX 2007 Omegathon Round 2 Cam Gameplay", the antenna can be glimpsed for a moment when the player dies).