MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V

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The final version of the MJOLNIR Mark V Powered Assault Armor, issued on August 29, 2552.

"This - is everything I had always dreamed it could be."

— Dr. Catherine Halsey

The MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V was the second major version of the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor series. The initial version of the Mark V powered exoskeleton was issued to the SPARTAN-IIs and several SPARTAN-III commandos on November 24, 2551, while the second version of the armor was unveiled for Operation: RED FLAG on August 29, 2552. The Mark V armor was in service until October 2552, when it was replaced by the MJOLNIR Mark VI.

Development history and design

In 2542, seventeen years after the MJOLNIR Mark IV entered service, production began on the next generation of MJOLNIR armor. A team under the leadership of Chief Scientist Dr. Catherine Halsey would spend the next ten years developing the suit. Using data collected from the Mark IV, hundreds of minor technical improvements, and several major changes, were made to the Mark V; most notably, the suit's armor plating underwent a total redesign and better materials were developed for its use. Separating the Mark V from the previous version of the system were two major breakthroughs in the ways in which the suit improves its wearer's combat effectiveness.

The first major breakthrough, which was introduced with the first generation of the Mark V, was the addition of a self-recharging energy shield system, reverse-engineered from captured Kig-yar point defense gauntlets, which repel objects and energy bursts, plus any other hazardous elemental energies. While impacts on the shield place a substantial drain on the system's power supply, the system's energy regenerates once the user is no longer under fire. However, the adaptation of the shield covering the entire body weakens the magnetic field, making the Mark V's shield system vulnerable to sustained fire. Energy shield technology was first tested on the Mark IV, though such tests were not especially successful.

The second major advancement, which was not implemented until the second generation of the suit, was the addition of a layer of computer memory superconductor that would allow an artificial intelligence to piggyback into the field with the operator to both provide and gather real-time intelligence. The synthesis of an artificial intelligence with a human brain is not possible without an upgrade to the user's already-specialized neural interface. Like the standard neural interface, the specialized neural lace translates electrochemical signals to digital code and routes them through an interface connection at the rear of the skull. Through this interface, the user's thoughts command the armor's movement and weapons, and input from the on-board sensors is fed directly to the user's mind. In addition, an AI personality and processing matrix can be carried by the armor and delivered to the suit via the specialized neural lace and on-board storage in a crystal data chip no larger than a personal credit card. Without the armor, a Spartan's reaction time is charted at twenty milliseconds; with the Mark V, and a AI on-board, the time required to translate thought into motion is rendered almost instantaneous.

The suit also possesses other upgraded features that enhance its wearer's abilities. It has an upgraded heads-up display linked to sensors that project shield strength and an improved motion detecting system in addition to providing other numerous readouts, including allies' vitality and shield status. These features are maintained and initialized by the Mark V BIOS firmware.

In its second phase, the Mark V MJOLNIR battle armor weighs a quarter ton, and with its SPARTAN wearer. The SPARTAN/MJOLNIR combination is designed to be the most devastating intelligence tool ever created, as the AI can greatly increase the wearer's reaction time and vastly improve intelligence gathering capacity.

John-117 was the first Spartan to test the second-generation MJOLNIR Mark V with a smart AI implemented within the armor during a "live-fire" combat scenario. His test was to ring a bell after going through an obstacle course. This course involved ten Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, a minefield with Lotus anti-tank mines, three automated 30mm chain guns, a forest of wooden poles, and an unexpected SkyHawk jumpjet utilizing four 50mm cannons and Scorpion missiles. This test showed that an AI could vastly improve the armor's reaction times.

Armor variants and upgrades

A large number of variants of the Mark V were manufactured for use in the field. In addition, the armor system is compatible with components and variants created for the earlier or later MJOLNIR generations.

Variants compatible with the Mark V include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• MJOLNIR Mark V[G] - Developed parallel to the M6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle as part of Project GUNGNIR.
• MJOLNIR Mark V[B] - Privately manufactured variant issued exclusively to SPECWARCOM Group Three.
• MJOLNIR/M - Privately manufactured variant designed for security personnel.
• MJOLNIR/CQC - Designed for close-quarters combat. Precursor of the MJOLNIR/C variant.
• MJOLNIR/C - A more advanced close-quarters combat variant.
• MJOLNIR/HAZOP - A variant for missions considered too hazardous for standard equipment.
• MJOLNIR/HP/HALO - Additional armor plating and hard points for missions involving High-Altitude Low Opening jumps.
• MJOLNIR/EOD - A variant designed for explosive ordnance disposal.
• MJOLNIR/AA - An "Air Assault" variant, developed as a part of a project to improve the ODST helmet and issued to Army Airborne units.
• MJOLNIR/MP - A variant of the standard-issue CH252 helmet. A shared asset among all UNSCDF branches, primarily Beta-5 military police.
• MJOLNIR/FJ/PARA - A lightweight variant for airborne units.
• MJOLNIR/S - A variant with limited stealth capabilities, developed parallel to the R variant.
• MJOLNIR/R - A variant specialized for reconnaissance missions, developed parallel to the S variant.
• Asymmetrical Action Group Operator armor - A variant used by Beta-5's Asymmetrical Action Group.
• ODST armor - The Mark V is compatible with several parts of the ODST armor, including the helmet, chest-piece, and shoulder pauldrons.

Various upgrades were also designed along with the standard Mark V, in ONI's CASTLE Base on Reach to aid certain Spartans' abilities in combat. The following is a list of known upgrade components and variants:

• Neural induction circuits - Allowed the armor to respond to the wearer's movement at a faster rate.
• Linear accelerator - Doubles the strength of the energy shield system and allows the MJOLNIR to take more hits before failing.
• Image enhancing computer - Better visual display on the MJOLNIR's heads-up display.
• Improved tracking system - Better tracking system on the MJOLNIR'S heads-up display, which improved accuracy at distances up to a thousand meters.
• Improved motion sensors - Improves sensitivity readings on the motion tracker allowing for more accurate readings.

In addition, the Mark V armor supports different types of additional attachments, which enable various abilities. Some of these may be related to the add-ons described above. The armor is also compatible with various types of propulsion equipment, such as thruster packs and portable jump-jets.

• Armor lock - A compact generator device on the back of the user generates a powerful shield, whilst simultaneously engaging the suit's lockdown system. This offers temporary near-invulnerability to all ground weaponry and sends out an electromagnetic pulse once the lockdown is disengaged.
• Active camouflage emitter - The active camouflage plug-in can make the user nearly invisible for brief periods of time. As a drawback, the more the user moves, the more visible he/she becomes. In addition, all sound is muffled to the user while the camo is engaged, and the motion sensor is rendered virtually inoperative.
• Hologram module - A device on the back of the armor allows a hologram to be sent out to draw enemy fire.
• Sprint module - A module that bypasses the safety limiters of the suit's actuators and "muscles", allowing better performance at the expense of heat regulation, overheating and fatiguing the user if used for prolonged periods.

Armor components

• Helmet: The helmet is one of the most crucial aspects of the MJOLNIR system. It is made of titanium and contains key features like a heads-up display that links to the brain and hands, and can identify equipment and display information about it when it is picked up by the wearer. Another feature is the direct neural interface system which connects to the wearer's neural implants. Two core processor chips are implanted into the subjects skull in the rear of the head. This is essentially comparable to an on board computer using parts of the human brain for processing, when the connector at the rear of the subjects head and receptors in the brain link to the helmets onboard sensors it creates the neural link needed to move the MJOLNIR suit. The helmet also contains other equipment to protect and aid the user in hostile conditions. This includes filters to remove toxins from the atmosphere, a supply to provide air to the wearer during EVA, thermal and motion sensors, communications, solar-powered lighting, and imaging and video gear. The helmet also contains the AI housing, where a ship-borne AI chip can be inserted, located on the back of the helmet. The Mark V helmet is an upgraded version of the Mark IV helmet, modified to function with the Mark V's energy shield systems, though, like the rest of the Mark V system, it likely incorporates several other changes as well. The helmet supports various external upgrades, such as a Command Network Module and Up-Armor plating.

• Titanium alloy outer shell: The outer shell of the MJOLNIR armor is comprised of a fairly thick titanium alloy. This plating covers the chest, arms, hip, legs, calves, feet and hands. This alloy is very resilient, can take significant punishment, and is nearly impervious to small arms fire. While enough shots from armor piercing rounds will breach the outer shell, the suit can take a few glancing blows from them without compromising the armor. The outer shell of all the MJOLNIR suits is covered with a refractive coating to help disperse the heat experienced from Covenant energy weapons. However one or two direct hits from any Plasma weapon will compromise the armor plating.

• Titanium nanocomposite bodysuit: Sandwiched between the external armor and the internal padding is a thick black armored bodysuit. This suit has numerous functions, small but vital to the safety and survival of the wearer. The bodysuit is made of a titanium-based material, making it very strong and yet very flexible. It also serves as another layer of protection against ballistics attacks and is coated with a heat resistant material to disperse heat from plasma weapons.

• Hydrostatic gel layer: Underneath the armored bodysuit is a gel-filled layer, this gel layer regulates the temperature of the suit and can reactively change its density to conform to the wearer's shape, the temperature inside the suit is controlled by the moisture absorbing cloth suit underneath the hydrostatic layer. The hydrostatic gel layer can also be pressurized to various levels to potentially save the wearers life should the wearer be subjected to high G forces or a high velocity impact; however, over pressurizing this layer can cause nitrogen embolisms.

• Reactive crystal layer: Sandwiched between the external armor and the internal padding is a layer of piezoelectric material that deforms along a preferred axis when exposed to a electric charge. When creating the suit, the liquid crystal material is poured into a capillary system where electric charges can direct the formation of crystal geometries. This layer acts as synthetic muscle, allowing the Spartan access to approximately twice their normal strength. This is not due to a "Leverage Effect," but rather that a human-sized suit will provide about six hundred kilos of lifting power, in addition to an average Spartan's six hundred kilos of lifting power. Assuming a Spartan has an average body weight of 200 kilos, and that CPO Mendez's assertion that: "They can lift three times their body weight- which, I might add, is almost double the norm due to their increased muscle density," is indeed accurate.

• Memory-processor superconductor layer: A layer relatively new to the MJOLNIR line, introduced with the Mark V, that is capable of housing an A.I. Comprised of the same material as a starship's A.I. system, this layer allows an A.I. to travel with a soldier into the field. The A.I. can then aid the soldier in software inrtusion, hardware hacking, and espionage by listening to enemy chatter. As a side note, this layer is often confused with the Reactive Metal Liquid Crystal layer, which due to the latter's piezoelectric properties is impossible.

• Magnetic weapon holder strips: The MJOLNIR armor features very small, yet powerful magnets placed on the legs, waist, and back of the suit that are used to hold any equipment or any weapons with a magnetic property. The suit also contains a magnet system within its boots that allows its wearer to stay attached to a metal surface in zero G environments and can be toggled on or off by the wearer.

• Energy shields: First used on the Mark V, and later refined on the Mark VI, the energy shield device is reverse engineered from Covenant technology. Beginning in 2532 forty scientists and technicians would spend the next twenty years attempting to make some use of the technology. For decades the attempts at cracking their technology had met with failure after failure; some had given up and others in the scientific community believed the energy shield technology could never be cracked. However at some point before 2552 a breakthrough was made and for the first time the UNSC had successfully cracked and improved upon the technology.

• Pressure seal: The pressure seal is a vital component to the MJOLNIR system; it keeps the system airtight underwater or in space. The seal is very strong, only breaking under extreme pressure, such as in a high velocity impact or when the hydrostatic gel has been overpressurized.

• Biofoam injection port: The biofoam injectors on the Mark V is a port where a direct supply of biofoam or other medicines, must be administered from a standard military first aid kit when the wearer is injured, as the suit does not hold or generate its own supply inside the suit.

• Fusion reactor: The fusion reactor is the most essential part of the MJOLNIR system, as it provides power to all equipment used by the armor, the reactor is built into the suit and allows for nearly unlimited movement. The fusion reactor in all versions of the MJOLNIR armor are half the size of a normal fusion pack that conventional marines carry around.

• Force-multiplying circuits: Located throughout the armor, these systems boost the force applied by the user. They make hand-to-hand combat easier, but also make the armor difficult to adjust to; a slight motion can be translated into a potentially harmful one if not conducted correctly. For this reason it is only possible for Spartans to use this armor, as their strengthened bodies are able to withstand the increased power and speed of movement, which, in unaugmented human bodies, results in broken bones or death due to spasms caused by the pain of broken bones.

• Reactive circuits: Reactive circuits are systems directly linked into the wearer's neural interface. They amplify the wearer's reaction time by connecting directly to the thoughts of the wearer, making it much easier to control and allowing for the soldier to be both more efficient and have a higher survival rate in combat.

• Power supply control unit: The power supply control unit controls the power supply of the armor.

• MJOLNIR Mark V BIOS: The basic input/output system, standard firmware interface for the Mark V.

• Lock-down system: The lock-down system protects muscles and joints from traumatic, high-impact injuries by seizing the suit into a rigid posture through modifying the density of the hydrostatic gel layer.

• Fail-safe detonation system - This system functions as a self-destruct mechanism in order to prevent a dead Spartan's armor from being compromised by hostiles. It is activated by a series of digits that only the Spartans know. When engaged, it produces a reactor overload that burns everything within a ten-meter radius, then produces a large blast.

In-game armor permutations

Halo 3

The Mark V Helmet is the only part of the armor available to the player, it is unlocked by getting the UNSC Spartan achievement.

Halo: Reach

The Mark V helmet and shoulder pauldrons are available as armor permutations in Halo: Reach. The helmet is first viewable at the rank of Captain, and purchasable at Lt. Colonel, while the shoulders require the rank of Brigadier.

It is possible to recreate the standard Mark V armor in Halo: Reach by equipping the Mark V helmet, Mark V shoulders, gold visor, and leaving all other armor options at their default settings.

Appearance disparities

John-117 wearing the Mark V in Halo: Reach.

A video on Halo Waypoint, "Defiant to the End", depicts John-117 and other SPARTAN-II commandos in MJOLNIR Mark V armor. In this video, the only non-default piece of equipment that John-117 wears is the Mark V helmet. This directly contradicts his appearance in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Dr. Halsey's personal journal, as well as in the cryo Easter egg in Halo: Reach.

During the early development stages of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, John-117 wore the first-generation Mark V armor seen in Halo: Reach's armor permutations, though he had canonically already upgraded to the second-generation version. In the final game, he wears a second-generation suit, like he wears in the original game and in canon, which appears greatly different from the first-generation suit seen in Halo: Reach. While this conflicts with his appearance in the cryo Easter egg from Halo: Reach, his armor is not meant to be seen in any great detail in the Easter egg, making this discrepancy inconsequential.

Knee guards

Concept art of the Mark V for Halo: Combat Evolved had the armor's knee guards being noticeably larger than the final character model's, which were reduced in size and function to being somewhat square plates of metal partially wrapping around the knee. In the context of Halo: Reach, the earlier concept art and abandonedHalo 3-era revisions closely resemble the knee guards of the Grenadier variant. However, despite any of the visual similarities, neither these concepts or their predecessors match the movement qualities of all four knee gaurd sets in Halo: Reach.

The key difference is that all four, even the Grenadier's, are mounted separately from the armor below, being bound to the user's undersuit kneecaps, ensuring that the protective plates rise and fall independently, protecting those vulnerable areas while accomadating the user's need for overal agility. This signature feature is not shared with either the previous concepts and models, nor those of the succeeding generation, the Mark VI. In all of these instances, the knee guards are united with the armor plates beneath them, rather than being separately mounted.

Additional similar knee guards available in Reach's armor loadouts are the base suit's arrow-shaped plates, and the the two-piece FJ/PARA variant pieces. While both bear superficial similarities to the their counterparts in the first game, the FJ/PARA variant has a greater resemblance due to its size and shape. During the development of Halo: Reach, what was to labeled as the FJ/PARA knee guards were often used as if they were standard Mark V knee guards, given the fact that the player's character was often wearing them. For unknown reasons, towards the end of the game's development cycle, these knee guards were established as a secondary type rather than the base type, which was added during this period of time.

The base Mark V knee guards in Halo: Reach cannot be affected by custom coloration as they will always appear as gray with a dark red oval on the bottom tip, unlike the other knee guard types or the Mark V knee guards in Halo: Combat Evolved. In addition, other instances have shown the complete standard Mark V with knee guards other than the base variant, such asHalo: The Essential Visual Guide's' entry on the Mark V, and the 08/07/2552 entry in Dr. Halsey's journal, showing a SPARTAN-II in Mark V armor. In both cases, the former depiction has FJ/PARA knee guards, while the latter appears to have Grenadier variant components.

Another case of non-base components can be seen in early development stages for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, specifically in regards to John-117's armor. During these earlier phases, 343 Industries used the Reach-era Mark V with a dark green coloration and FJ/PARA knee guards. Prior to the final design, other attempts were made, namely the Mark V with an olive coloration, FJ/PARA pauldrons, and Grenadier knee guards. Both of these visual tests were shown in BTS: Anniversary Campaign video. prior to the game's release.

However, despite these visual discrepancies, they have since been rendered inconsequential when the release of Halo: The Essential Visual guide, the 2011 edition of the Halo Encyclopedia, and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary are taken into account. As demonstrated by these combined sources, the Reach-era suit and its armor components are in fact limited-release precursors to the final Mark V design, which was not issued until late August 2552 for Operation: Red Flag. This suit, in contrast to its precursor, has a smoother, thicker, and cleaner design than its predecessor.

Another important difference are the knee guards that come with the suit; while still attached independently of the armor below them, they are mounted differently than the ones available for the first generation Mark V's. The final generation's knee guards are mounted below the knee caps, and are shaped to cup around this vulnerable joints at all times, much like its Mark VI successor. In addition, though the knee guards themselves are similar in size to the Grenadier variant's, they have more in common with the FJ/PARA variant's in how much coverage they provide for the user, specifically in their lighter weight and their width.

Helmet

In Halo 3, the Mark V helmet featured a small box-like outline near the back end of the helmet's top portion and appears at the same location in the Halo: Reach variant of the helmet. However, the outline appears as though the area outlined in Halo 3 version was cut out and extracted from the helmet. It is possible that the outlined area in Halo 3-era helmet had a component installed in the idented area; thus explaining how the Mark V helmet in Halo 3 was modified for compatibility with all Mark VI MJOLNIR armor.

Gallery

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  Shi Kai Wang's preliminary sketch of the Master Chief in early design of MJOLNIR armor.

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  Concept art of the MJOLNIR Mark V.

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  Concept art of the MJOLNIR Mark V helmet.

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  Concept studies of the MJOLNIR Mark V armor.

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  Concept art of UNSC technicians outfitting a SPARTAN-II with the Mark V.

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  A render of the Mark V armor.

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  The initial version of the MJOLNIR Mark V Powered Assault Armor issued on November 24, 2551.

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  Another profile of the base MJOLNIR Mark V Powered Assault Armor.

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  The Mark V as it appears in Halo: Combat Evolved.

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  A study of the MJOLNIR Mark V armor.

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  Kelly-087 wearing the Mark V armor during the Battle of Onyx.

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  A redux of the MJOLNIR Mark V as seen in the Art of Halo 3.

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  Upgraded Mark V helmet from Halo 3.

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  Concept art of the base Mark V armor for Halo: Reach.

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  All the armor permutations for the Mark V helmet in Halo: Reach.

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  NOBLE Team wearing permutations of the MJOLNIR Mark V.

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  John-117 in an old design for the Mark V armor in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

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  The Mark V armor, as configured in another early build of Anniversary.

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  Another view of John-117's early Mark V armor in Anniversary. Note the FJ/PARA knee guards.

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  The finalized version of the Mark V in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

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  The Mark V as an Avatar costume.

List of appearances

• Halo: Combat Evolved
  • Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
• Halo 2 (Mentioned only)
• Halo 3
• Halo: Reach
• Halo: The Fall of Reach (First appearance)
• Halo: The Flood
• Halo: First Strike
• Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
• Halo Graphic Novel
  • The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor