INFORMATION AGE ARMOR

The following armors are available at PL 5 and later.

Flight Suit And Helmet

The flight suit and helmet combination worn by combat pilots doubles as body armor that protects grounded pilots. The flight suit contains kevlar-lined pouches on the chest, back, arms, legs, and abdomen, into which armor plates are inserted. The helmet protects the head.

The armored flight suit carries over into later Progress Levels. Most military pilots in later eras wear armored flight suits and helmets essentially the same as this PL 5 version, though in the design appropriate to their society.

Land Warrior Armor

The Land Warrior combat system was a major Information Age step in the ongoing effort to increase the efficiency of the individual solder. The primary benefits of Land Warrior armor are found in its communications and sensor gear; each Land Warrior armor has a built-in computer that is capable of sending and receiving text and image transmissions (via a display built into the armor), including images captured from the scope of a linked OICW assault rifle or TacMil sniper rifle. Additionally, the display can be linked to the scopes on those weapons to provide real-time representations of what the scope can see, allowing the wearer to fire around corners with ease. In addition to the communications and data equipment, the armor functions as standard infantry battle armor complete with bullet-resistant plating and kevlar protective gear. The armor allows for instantaneous transmission of coordinates and targeting information, allowing teams of Land Warrior-capable soldiers to communicate and coordinate with ease and efficiency.

Space Suit

The standard space suit used by NASA and other space programs is a completely enclosed environment suit capable of sustaining life in extremes of temperature and a lack of breathable air. The suit is large and bulky, composed of a thick body suit and helmet with a transparent mask, all parts of which are capable of deflecting micro-meteors and other space-borne projectiles. Inside the suit, internal air tanks and environmental filters maintain temperature and pressure. Additionally, a communications system not only allows for radio transmissions to the space shuttle but also allows internal sensors to monitor biological functions that can be observed from mission control. The space suit is poor combat armor, but allows for movement and action in space.