Rusty
Purveyor of Fine Weaponry
Image Source: NOTE: This is the closest approximation I could find. Actual armor does not have the groin protector, pauldrons, or greaves.
Intent: To create a new breed of armor for the modern Republic Commando
Development Thread: A Bit Rusty
Manufacturer: Rusty's Custom Firearms and Cutlery
Model: HMCA
Affiliation: Galactic Republic
Modularity: No
Production: Production: Mass Production
Material: Plastoid, Armorweave, Durasteel, Communications Equipment, HUD, environmental controls, processor, re-breather, ablative coating
Classification: Multipurpose
Weight: 7 kilograms
Quality:
Kinetic/Physical: 8
Blaster: 6
Lightsaber: 2
Electrical: 5
Environmental: 8
Force: 0
Special Features:
+Decreased surface area of armor allows for greater maneuverability
+Thickened plates provide greater protection over covered areas
+Advanced communications package allows for secure battlefield comms
+HUD capable of providing targeting data and tying in with weapon sights
+Basic EMP Hardening
+Environmental controls and rebreather work in conjunction to allow troopers to survive in potentially hostile environments for limited duration
Description: The basic concept of the HMCA is one that would be familiar to troopers throughout the ages: lightweight plastoid plates highly resistant to both energy and ballistic weapons armor the soldier, affording him a measure of protection against his enemies. Though designs have varied, the idea has been a constant since before the days of the Empire.
The HMCA armor package is a fairly unique take on that idea.
The basic starting point was the same. However, Rusty optimized the armor design for speed and maneuverability by reducing the surface area of certain plates while deleting others entirely. The material removed was added to the remaining plates, thickening them and adding additional protection to the covered areas. The priority was on vital organs and vulnerable areas that might potentially result in death if the trooper is hit.
Like most trooper armor, the idea is not to make the average soldier invincible. Instead, it increases survivability to the point that they may reasonably expect to go home at the end of the day, provided they use their heads.
To compensate for the reduced surface area of the plates, Rusty decided to make the bodyglove out of armorweave. The extremely tough material provides some resistance against blasterfire and bladed weapons, but the thin nature of the bodyglove means that it probably won't stand up to sustained fire, and won't be much good against projectile weapons. The trooper will have to rely on skill and luck to avoid getting hit by those.
Like most bodyglove designs, it incorporates basic environmental controls, and can be sealed if necessary, protecting the trooper from a wide variety of potentially harmful conditions. The incorporation of a rebreather into the helmet allows for the possibility of surviving for up to thirty minutes in everything from poison gas to hard vacuum. It should be noted that the armor is not rated for temperatures below -40 degrees Celsius or above 140 degrees Celsius. The integrity of the seals will begin to fail at that point, and prolonged exposure will almost assuredly result in death.
The communications package allows the soldier to tie into a battlefield-wide comms network, and can store up to 15 preset frequencies. In addition, it is compatible with most frequency hopping protocols, and incorporates a line of sight IR laser comm system as well. In the event of ion or EMP attacks, the communications equipment is lined with conductive foil, forming a Faraday cage that will shield it from the harmful energies. In order to prevent the energy from travelling down the antenna, a fuse has been installed that will blow out when the energy levels reach a preset point. The comms package will be deadlined until the fuse is replaced, a process that could take upwards of a minute. In the event of such an occurrence, the soldier will be limited to either the LOS system, or he can just shout at his comrades and hope they can hear him.
The armor plates have been treated with a special ablative coating that will afford extremely limited protection from lightsaber blades and other high energy weapons. A direct hit will easily cut through, but a glancing blow will only damage the coating. The coating is a one time use thing, and the area from which it was burnt away will be rendered vulnerable.
Primary Source: N/A
