Canon

Semi-Powered Infiltration armor

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Semi-Powered Infiltration armor
HM-SPI-schematic.jpg
Production overview

Manufacturer(s):

Watershed Division[1]

Testing site(s):

Currahee Special Assembly Plant 2[1]

Role(s):

Stealth/assault

 

The Semi-Powered Infiltration armor (SPI armor) is a United Nations Space Command combat armor system designed with an emphasis on stealth through the use of special photoreactive panels.[2] The armor was developed by the Watershed Division, with Ruk Ariaustin as design lead.[1]

Overview[edit]

Described as "part legionnaire mail, part tactical body armor, and part chameleon", the SPI armor features photoreactive panels that mimic the surrounding textures, effectively being the UNSC equivalent to the Covenant's active camouflage systems.[3] The SPI armor features a full body armor with an enclosed helmet and heads-up display. The undersuit is equipped with a cushioning layer of liquid nanocrystal that provides more ballistic protection than three centimeters of Kevlar diamond weave, without the bulk.[4] The hardened armor plates, though advanced compared to standard UNSC infantry armor, can take only a few glancing blows before failing.[2]

Though more advanced than the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers' body armor, the SPI armor is less powerful than the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor originally issued to the SPARTAN-IIs.[5] Its main benefit is that it is drastically cheaper to produce than Mjolnir.[6] The cost reduction meant that dozens to hundreds of suits of SPI could be produced for the cost of a single suit of Mark IV.[7] Although the SPI suit provides modest enhancements to the wearer's strength and mobility,[1] this amplification is not as drastic as that afforded by the Mjolnir.[8] Consequently, the SPI armor can be worn by any individual and does not require special neurological, skeletal or muscular augmentation; for example, the unaugmented instructors for the Spartan-IIIs often wore SPI armor.[9][10] The SPI armor is not as bulky or as heavy as the Mjolnir armor,[11] although the plating material is also less durable: Kelly-087 dented a Spartan-III's chest plate with her fist when first encountering the Spartan-IIIs.[12]

The SPI armor generally lacks an energy shielding system, making the user far more vulnerable to enemy fire. However, the Spartan-III Headhunters wore experimental armor that was equipped with energy shields due to their elite nature and value. However, power must be drawn from the energy shields to recharge the suit's active camouflage module.[13]

The baseline SPI armor can be easily destroyed from plasma based weaponry, armor piercing rounds and other threats. Overall the armor has inferior protection than Mjolnir armor, forcing the user to rely heavily on its stealth technology and superior tactics.[citation needed]

Operational history[edit]

Early versions of the Semi-Powered Infiltration armor were developed by ONI Section Three around the beginning of the Human-Covenant War for use by ONI agents. A facility dedicated to testing the armor was constructed underground at the future site of the Avery J. Johnson Academy of Military Science.[14]

Although early versions of the SPI system were tested by Orbital Drop Shock Troopers,[10] the armor was most prominently issued to the Spartan-III supersoldiers.[2] With over 2,000 units of SPI armor manufactured during the Human-Covenant War,[1] the SPI armor had been mostly phased out of use by Spartan-IIIs by 2558 in favor of Mjolnir.[15] However, SPI continues to fill a usage niche in covert roles, particularly within ONI; the Spartan-IIIs in Veta Lopis' Ferret team often used SPI instead of Mjolnir due to the former's superior stealth capabilities.[16][17] The SPI armor has also been issued to non-Spartan personnel, such as Veta Lopis, whose suit was custom-built to fit her small frame.[18] SPARTAN-G059, deployed as an ONI assassin, used SPI as late as 2558.[19] As well, the photoreactive plating technology has seen limited but successful use in several special operations ODST units.[15]

Versions[edit]

Mark I[edit]

The Mark I was an experimental iteration of the SPI system used by the Spartan-IIIs of Alpha Company. The featured photoreactive panels gave the Spartans of Alpha Company a rough equivalent to active camouflage. The camouflage patterns, however, shifted irregularly and imperfectly, which made the photoreactive panels inferior compared to the Covenant's active camouflage technologies.[20]

Mark II[edit]

The Mark II was an improvement of the SPI Mark I, first used by the drill instructors of Beta Company, and then by the Spartans of Beta and Gamma Companies.[21] The armor sports new photoreactive coating to boost its camouflaging capabilities. Although the new photoreactive coating can mimic a wide range of electromagnetic radiation, it is still sensitive to overload, making the wearer vulnerable for several seconds after a flashbang or plasma shots from plasma weaponry or any directed energy weapon hit while the panels reset.[22] Originally, the suits were not watertight,[23] but by 2552 they had been upgraded to resist submersion with their own oxygen supply.[24]

The armor was proposed by Kurt Ambrose in 2537 for Alpha Company, but the request was denied because the armor was over budget.[25] After Alpha Company's Pyrrhic victory in Operation: PROMETHEUS, the Mark II was approved for mass production. After the augmentation of Gamma Company, small adjustments were installed into the Mark II SPI armor,[26] including experimental refits to the ballistic gel layers, upgraded software suites, and other functions, slated to be introduced to the systems prior to Gamma Company's deployment in 2552.[26]

Mainline armor components[edit]

MIRAGE-class helmet[27]
The standard headgear of the SPI armor, the MIRAGE-class helmet features a large, bulbous faceplate somewhat similar to that of the Mjolnir EVA variant. The visor is normally gold-mirrored in color[28] and can be depolarized.[12] The helmet supports a heads-up display with features similar to that of the MJOLNIR system, including TACMAP, TEAMBIO, and TEAMCOM interfaces; a motion tracker;[29] as well as team status lights.[30][31] The visor suite features an automatic magnification and image enhancement system controlled by the wearer's eye movements. For example, if the wearer squints while looking at a particular spot the system will automatically zoom in.[32] Both the image enhancement and the visor's internal polarization can also be controlled manually.[33][34] The helmet possesses tactical lights[35] and a defogging vent to remove internal moisture.[36]
Techsuit
The bodysuit of the SPI system is composed of a layered mesh of ballistic liquid nanocrystal that is significantly more effective than traditional body armor materials such as Kevlar while being less bulky.[4][31][37] The techsuit's leggings[38] and sleeves can be removed independently.[39]
Photoreactive panels
The outer shell of the SPI armor comprises a series of lightweight laminate plates with a photoreactive coating.[1] The photoreactive panels act as active camouflage when active,[40] effectively blending the wearer with their environment.[2] The coating also renders the wearer nearly invisible to infrared and passive light-gathering systems.[41] Since the photoreactive plates take time to recover after explosions such as a flashbang grenade and plasma hits, the wearer is visible until the plates recover.[22] With the exception of the Headhunters' suits, the SPI armor does not feature energy field-based active camouflage systems like those of the Covenant.[13] When inert, the plating is matte gray[27][38] or green, though some SPI suits have been known to use different colors such as red.[42][43]
Rift-class gauntlets
The SPI suit is equipped with shock-resistant and force-amplifying Rift-class gauntlets.[1]
Tactile bracers
The bracer armor pieces around the boots grant slight improvements to speed and dexterity with negligible shielding reduction.[1]
Environmental controls
The suit possesses rudimentary environmental regulation system to maintain a comfortable temperature for the wearer.[44] However, the system is not designed for extended use and it will become increasingly uncomfortable to wear if used continuously over long periods of time.[45] The armor also has an efficient cooling system and is significantly difficult to detect even with thermal scanners.[21]
Biofoam injection ports
Like MJOLNIR, the SPI armor has dedicated ports allowing the quick injection of biofoam or other battlefield pharmaceuticals.[46]
Data socket
The SPI armor's gauntlet features a data port to which small electronic devices such as data pads can be connected.[47][48]
Power cell
The armor is powered by a low-profile, shielded BA-55901/PLMD battery cell.[27]

Variants[edit]

In addition to the standard model, several variants of the SPI armor exist.[Note 1]

Air Assault-like[edit]

This variant has a Stalker-like suit, with a helmet that is similar in design to Air Assault. It was utilized by Roland-B210 and equipped with motion trackers, energy shielding, VISR, and a prototype active camouflage.

  • Air Assault-like.

    Air Assault-like.

Pilot-like[edit]

This variant has a helmet design that is similar to Pilot. A Spartan-III wearing this variant was stuck in Onyx between 2552 and 2553.

  • Pilot-like helmet.

    Pilot-like helmet.

Grenadier-like[edit]

This variant has a helmet design that is similar to Grenadier. Mark-G313 wore this suit during Operation: JOVIAN WHISTLE.[Note 2]

  • Grenadier-like.

    Grenadier-like.

  • The suit.

    The suit.

Mirage[edit]

Main article: MIRAGE-class Mjolnir

This variant is a modified SPI armor and compatible with the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor Mark VI. It incorporates the latest in software-definable deception jammers, and the forearms are a further refinement of the RIFT-class force-amplification gauntlets found on the standard SPI armor.

  • MIRAGE-class Mjolnir

    MIRAGE-class Mjolnir

Non-canon and dubious canon appearances[edit]

Kai-125 with Semi-Powered Infiltration armor-clad soldiers.
SPI-clad SPARTAN-IIIs in front of Kai-125.

Silver Timeline[edit]

HTV-SilverTeam logo.png
 This article contains information about the Silver Timeline, and is not a part of the established Halo canon.

"Nice suit."
— John-117 commenting on Talia Perez's SPI armor.[49]
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Production note[edit]

Main-Superintendent.png Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

The SPI armor is referred to as "PR" twice in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx.[50][51] No context or explanation is provided for this alternate designation, although it is possible that the suit was known as "PR" (possibly an acronym for "PhotoReactive") in an earlier revision of the novel's manuscript and that the presence of the two mentions in the final book is an editing oversight.

Gallery[edit]

List of appearances[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Similar to the somewhat differing depictions of Mjolnir armor, the exact design details of the "default" SPI armor vary between different sources of Halo canon, sometimes within a single source. Since it is difficult to determine which of these examples constitute officially-defined variants of the suit rather than artistic license, only the versions that overtly deviate from the standard pattern are listed below, while the gallery section provides examples of less pronounced variety between SPI suits.
  2. ^ In the cover of Halo: Last Light, Mark (who is seen in the background of the image) is depicted as wearing a standard set of SPI armor.

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Halo Mythos, pages 76-77
  2. ^ a b c d Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 14
  3. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 16
  4. ^ a b Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 171
  5. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 207
  6. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 46
  7. ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Anniversary Armory (Retrieved on Feb 24, 2024) [archive]
  8. ^ Halo: Last Light, page 33 (Google Play edition)
  9. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, pages 89, 94
  10. ^ a b Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 164
  11. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 40
  12. ^ a b Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, pages 168-169
  13. ^ a b Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, "Headhunters", page 212
  14. ^ Halo Infinite, Site Unseen
  15. ^ a b Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Fifty Caliber (Retrieved on Mar 10, 2019) [archive]
  16. ^ Halo: Retribution, Chapter 18
  17. ^ Twitter: Troy Denning status update #912699859924393984
  18. ^ Twitter: Troy Denning status update #879779858393440256
  19. ^ Halo: Tales from Slipspace, Knight Takes Bishop
  20. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 85
  21. ^ a b Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 89
  22. ^ a b Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 113
  23. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, Chapter Prologue
  24. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, Chapter 28, page 251
  25. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 80
  26. ^ a b Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 99
  27. ^ a b c Halo Mythos, page 77
  28. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 115
  29. ^ Halo: Last Light, page 146 (Google Play edition)
  30. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, pages 17, 22
  31. ^ a b Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 114
  32. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 19
  33. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 268
  34. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 345
  35. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 273
  36. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 316
  37. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 360
  38. ^ a b Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 141
  39. ^ Halo: Last Light, page 125 (Google Play edition)
  40. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 165
  41. ^ Halo: Last Light, page 95 (Google Play edition)
  42. ^ Headhunters motion comic
  43. ^ Halo Mythos, page 135
  44. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 22
  45. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 254
  46. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 362
  47. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 310
  48. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 356
  49. ^ Halo: The Television Series, episode Thermopylae
  50. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 87 ("...the flaws in their Mark-I PR suits...")
  51. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 141 ("...and pulled on the PR leggings.")

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List of armor by faction

v • d • e
 
Human
Standard-issue
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For a complete list, check out our armor category.
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