Item Database:Infantry Gear:Dropsuits
Contents
Development
History
YC114 saw changes to technologies everywhere in the cluster from starship micro engineering, warp space theory, and fulleride based technologies are now advancing the once stagnant fields of research including ground warfare research.
Various empires have different approaches on how best to protect and arm their soldiers in the new technology fallout, adapting older technology or building anew the think tanks, the prototypes, the trial and errors where for almost nothing when the Amarr was discovered to have immortal soldier technology during the Pike's Landing incident.
From that incident it was not long before the other empires had access to the technology by either stolen or similarly researched means. With the concept of a highly sophisticated improved clone at disposal, that cares not if its got killed injured or exposed to highly hazardous situations quickly sprung up a massive new direction of warfare research that cared not for the operator's safe use but to be most effective as possible.
The first generation of 'dropsuits' are mostly adaptation of existing suits augmented with the new advances of technology, working around the highly militarized clone and reckless thinking disregarding safety of the operator. The technology powering the suit; with micro reactors, shielding, biotics, wetware computers, reactive armors, and modular configurations with the most extreme cases augmenting the clone's own body into the suit has nearly brought infantry combat up to a similar level of to which a Capsuleer can control his ship.
The dropsuit's unprecedented design alone make it worth more than a dozen special force units. Throwing in a consciousness whose experience cannot die but only return all the much wiser and possibly more annoyed the dropsuit and the clone within more than priceless piece of military equipment. Similar to the Empyreans, the dropsuit operator can fine tune electronics and defense measure on the fly, reprogram his gun to efficiently use the best course and frequency of attack, and synchronize his operational knowledge into a vehicle enhancing its performance several folds.
As YC114 continued to march on empires were rapidly introducing new dropsuit technologies as quickly as possible to meet every battlefield demand out there. While some dropsuits are of new design; not all have such humble beginnings as the Amarrian dropsuits did. Other empires were simply inspired by the ground work as they entered the foray such as Caldari suits. Others have been adaptations of previously existing technologies namely the Minmatar's dropsuits which are nothing more than borrowed from maintenance and pilot powered suits armored and powered up. Some suits were developments in progress, such as the Gallente stealth suit originally intended for Black Eagle agents but was adapted to accept the new technology needs for the clones.
Identified Classes
As of 1 February YC115 the following suits types are known to be fielded and the order they have appeared in.
Amarr Heavy Frame (design predates Pike's Landing)
Pike's Landing incident YC114
Second Battle for Caldari Prime YC115
As one can note there is no parity of released hardware so far and development of new suits are at a slow pace as Concord has made no rules on technology equality applicable for ground forces. There are rumors of even more suits being in development and its unclear when they will be seeing their way into the hands of the enclaves.
Technology
Dropsuit Construction
The high tech Dropsuits are designed with many aspects in mind from survivability, combat enhancement and procurement in mind. Accompanying their design are the military grade clones operating them. Both of these technological marvels are built from prefabrication units consisting of a complex nanite control computer, fluid quantum router seed, construction nanites, biomass, and the materials the suite is made out of. These prefabrication units are known as Clone Reactivation Units or CRUs for short.
The Military Grade Clone, the core of every dropsuit, is constructed out of high quality biomass laced with nanites. The clone design itself is complete with many military decisions incorporated; such as redundancy to prevent body failure and shock, enhanced skeletal and muscular strength, improved endurance, efficient metabolism, dulled pain senses and a nanite organ support system gives unrivaled advantages over the traditional clones normally offered at many medical facilities. Encasing the innards of the clone is a bio-engineered titanium-ion based skeleton to keep the clone lightweight and strong. Throughout the body is a special artery system able to support and supply the body with nanites which enhance many bodily functions from repair, bleed prevention, and interfacing with the suit. Despite all the liberties taken in designing these nearly two and a half meter tall biological weapons, have still have to accommodate a very human physiology. This feature makes conscious transferal into this 'blank body' easier and more sensible allowing even a trained up consciousness from a mortal body to easily slip into one of these clones. Early development of these military grade clones was only available in a male gender which has impacted several early female test subjects to the program. This was later corrected shortly before the battle of Caldari prime when the military specs were fully matched in a female psyche.
These clones are typically quickly constructed all using the same genetic footprint on the field. Through the use of flash cloning process, nutrient rich scaffolding is build by the nanites before the biomass is pumped through. Like a mold for casting the cells quickly adhere and take shape forming into the finalized form. With every build nearly the same the process has become highly automated and requiring no technician to ensure the clone's well being and health after activation. Other more common clones do require support technicians after activation as individual anatomies can lead to complications in the cloning process causing various types of malformation including memory loss or even the most extreme case loss of ability of capsuleer implants. While a highly customized clone for an immortal soldier consciousness is in theory is feasible; the practice and business has yet to expand their services to the immortal soldiers.
After or during the clone's construction a dropsuit instruction the requested license is then downloaded with all the specifications at the request of the user. After confirming the chosen license the nanites begin construction of the suit and weapons around the freshly minted clone. Some dropsuits require grafting itself into the clone's skeletal or nervous structure such a the Gallente and Amarrian suits had this been done consciously would have resulted in extensive amounts of pain. Luckily clones are typically activated after the suits are constructed fully.
After the clone augmentation are connected to the suit the body is then wrapped in a basic soft layer. As every race approaches this layer differently the technology in each of them is widely different, from myofibril muscles, pinching proofing, cooling and heating lines this soft layer provides reasonable protection from hostile sources and the environment. The systems incorporated at this layer are modular allowing the ability to host wide a selection of desired functions such as suit's reactor, wetware computers, biotic distributors, biological regulation, vital sensors, medicinal applicators, nanite pumps. All of these systems also help distribute the thinking of the dropsuit's operator to all external systems of the suit including the connection to his weapons and vehicles.
Surrounding the soft body suit is the external suit layer. As with the soft armors every empire had their own ideas on this layer leading to vastly different functions from competing dropsuits. *** self sealing fabric, clothing optics, interwoven sensors, shield generators, armor plating, biological power sourcing, nanite reservoirs and sophisticated sensors. This layer also allows attachment and servicing of many external pieces of equipment and provides linking function from the equipment to the suit's computers and ultimately the wearer's consciousness and subconscious.
The entire manufacturing process from an electronic license is almost 10 second in self contained Mobile Clone Reactivation devices. Much larger facilities such as those on a warbarge class vessel can afford to have several clones pre-fabricated before sending it down to the field making activation and delivery the only delay in those steps in the heat of battle.
Dropsuit Usage
Currently only immortal soldiers can use the dropsuit's safely. Non-clone personnel can expire quickly or suffer irreversible heath problems donning such suits on. The reason being is there is a general lack of safety designed for the wearer' longevity. Ailments such as cancer, broken bones, heavy metal poisoning, radiation burns, thermal scarring are just the start to the myriad number of problems a regular human could experience in a dropsuit.
That said, dropsuits being used by immortal soldiers when carefully deployed are powerful tools. Thanks to the nature of consciousness transferal this allows an entire army of clone soldiers to nearly appear anywhere the cluster as long as a willing corporation turns on a relay and promises contract money. WIthin mere minutes the Clone Reactivation Units will come abuzz with activity as the instant army is printed out. Because of the limited numbers however keeping one clone on employ at all times can be generally become expensive in the long run and most organizations have resorting to only using dropsuit wearing soldiers on an as need basis. WIth the spur of incidents in the cluster increase with more and more immortal soldiers entering the fray regular infantry are quickly finding themselves outclass and unsuited to face the every growing immortal threat.
In early YC115, Dropsuit soldiers saw a massive influx into the universe and was revealed to the public when the Gallente Federation and Caldari State used the soldiers en mass in a scramble to secure Caldari Prime after the titan crashed. Loss of life on both sides involved was described as horrific for any regulars that faced the clones directly. Military leaders having to rethink their current strategies with the new elements on the field and concluded that the best counter for immortal soldiers are other immortal soldiers. Despite various disadvantages of both sides; the immortal soldiers managed to fight to a standstill on the ground leading to the resulting peace treaty placing the highly neutral Mordu's Legion in charge of security of the planet.
In YC115, Thukker Tribe trying to establish peace in their territory invited enclaves of immortal soldiers to call their land a home. While fighting has been intense and fierce between the varying enclaves of these soldiers, the mere presence of the soldiers have drastically hampered Angel Cartel forces operating in the area. While clear results is yet to remain to be seen; this could set a dangerous precedent for all of the cluster as the empires are now at an arms race on raising the largest immortal army and wooing the soldiers to fight for their causes as the fighting over Molden Heath continues.