The Spacy Marine Corps prides itself on being on the front-line of all Confederate military conflicts, its battle-hardened troopers gladly charging into harm's way to ensure Humanity's dominance over the Draconian Sector. The M1 was designed around this paradigm, creating a highly-mobile suit of power armor that would provide each marine with the capability to bring the war to his enemies with devastating effect.
The M1 is designed for not only ground combat, but atmospheric and aerospace combat as well. It's revolutionary Mercurius Propulsion System developed by Argus Millitech in conjunction with the Confederate Technological Research Administration (CONTRA) affords it with a gravimetric propulsion system on par with those used on Confederate starfighters such as the XF-14.
The M series of armors were developed as part of Project: SUPREMACY, as commissioned by CONTRA in years following the end of the Chaos and Hive Wars. The tremendous losses of Confederate personnel (well over 231,000 killed or wounded) on Ayenee Prime underscored the fact that the old-guard of ATAC and Marine commanders were using outdated tactics.
General Kiyomeru Shotomaru began working in conjunction with specialist elements of the military to observe their deployment of ground troops into battle. They had modified the Dragoon armors to be much more mobile than their counterparts. They were able to move rapidly from location to location, bringing to bear tremendous firepower on their foes before they could adequately react. It was a new age of blitzkrieg warfare, as elements of the 1st and 2nd Sword of Heaven units pacified resistance on the occupied worlds of Eridanus Serpentis and Y'yzra with impressive efficiency. Speed was king on the battlefield.
Taking this data, Shotomaru submitted CONTRA with guidelines for a new series of infantry armor. He laid out three specific classes - Marine, Standard Infantry, and Assault Armor.
The M1 series made its debut in the Kohana conflict, though everything suggests that these were prototype designs that are not archetypical of the final M1 design. M1 units leased to the Qel'noran were destroyed by Phoenix Corporation due to a breach of contract, but insiders in CONTRA suggest that this mass destruction of mecha was actually Phoenix eliminating all traces of the M1 prototype as it prepares to unveil the final version of the M1 to the militaries of the galaxy.
Manufacturer: Phoenix Arms In use by: Nerimian Galactic Confederation, Star Army of Yamatai Unit Type: Marine Battle Armor Class: M1-3 (Called “Super Phalanx” in the Star Army) Codename: PHALANX Production: In service with all NDI Spacy Forces and many Star Army of Yamatai forces.
Pilot Information: Any humanoid weighing between 110 and 230 lbs. and with a height between 5' 2“ and 6' 4” can be accommodated by the Phalanx.
Mass (empty): 257.55 lbs. (116.82 kg)
Speed (Sublight): .265c (can accelerate to this speed in approx. seventeen seconds) Speed (FTL): 10,500c [only with optional hyperpulse drive equipped] Speed (atmospheric): Mach 2.3 at sea level Speed (underwater): 44 mph
The M1 is a fully transatmospheric weapons system. It is very agile, capable of accelerating to its maximum sublight velocity and stopping immediately or changing direction at will utilizing its gravimetric propulsion.
Phoenix Arms EM-9L Carbine (1): The EM-9L carbine is a suit-integrated weapon that feeds power and targeting information from the armor's power generator and combat computer. This weapon is a dual-mode weapon that utilizes both a particle disruptor and high-energy laser. The particle disruptor fires particle energy (340-11,700 kW) at the destructive frequency to shatter molecular bonds. Because of this, it is effective against light and medium armored targets. For smaller, softer targets, the EM-9L utilizes a pulse laser (150-1,560 kW). The weapon's firing mode can be chosen automatically by the targeting computer or manually by the user.
Integral Plasma Projectors (4): Located in the palms and feet of the armor, the plasma projectors allow the wearer to easily manipulate plasma generated by its power system. The wearer can shape and direct potent plasma bursts at his foes. The plasma can be used as a projectile weapon and/or a melee weapon. On impact, the kinetic energy of the plasma bolt is disrupted into a massive explosion, covering several meters. The extremely high temperature of the plasma means that it can pass through thick armor, and is also capable of super-heating the fluids of a living body to such temperature as to cause the skin and flesh to be ripped apart in the resulting steam explosion. In combat, the application of plasma by the user is virtually limitless.
Armor: The Phalanx's structure is primarily composed of lightweight Solanium alloy. Solanium is very lightweight but durable to penetration from most small and medium caliber ballistic rounds and is highly resistant to heat. It's performance is increased by the advanced spray on laminate coating Mercurite, which disperses and re-radiates heat away from the mecha as well as prevents the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the mecha.
Life Support: The mecha's internal environment is pressurized, and also provides additional air feeds to the pilot's flight suit that provides him with pressurized breathing. In emergencies, the system can recycle the available air supplies long enough to allow the pilot to survive up to 56 hours. Bodily wastes are removed via a catheter system. Nourishment is provided in the form of a concentrated fruit juice/paste.
Argus Millitech PBD-7 Barrier Shield: The Phalanx is equipped with a high-power defensive barrier shield that uses electromagnetic repulsion technology to either outright repel or dampen the force of incoming enemy fire. At maximum strength, the barrier is capable of completely stopping nearly two and a half kilotons, though the armor must be stationary.
Argus Millitech T-4Z Damper Field Generator: A by-product of antigravity (repulsion) technology, the damper field has been heralded as the best defense against scalar electrogravitational pulse weaponry, which are notorious for their ability to destroy ammunition, electronics, and organic life forms. While scalar EM waves penetrate conventional shielding because they can travel wherever gravity can go, the damper field uses a low-power antigravity field that negates the force of gravity and consequently provides an effective shielding system against scalar EM weapons systems.
External Audio Pickup: Range: 300 ft (91.5 m). A sound amplification system that can pick up normal conversation up to 300 feet away
Oracle Microsystems SS-4 Combat Computer: The mecha is equipped with a combat computer that can store and analyze data during combat with hostile forces. The computer is essentially a Class III AI system with the capability to display large amounts of data to the pilots and highlight enemies and attacks with overlaid graphics. Capable of interfacing directly with the pilot's brain, the graphics are presented to the pilot as a normal part of the pilot's vision. The computer tracks and identifies specific enemy targets and has an internal database based on SCRIBOL programming that can identify virtually every type of combat unit the Confederation and Draconian League has ever encountered. The computer can identify and track up to 650 targets simultaneously.
Oracle Microsystems MS-17e Integrated Sensors Suite: The MS-17 integrated sensor suite (ISS) is a combination of multiple sensor systems that give the mecha a wide-spectrum of options when in the field. The primary system is the WydeSCAN GHX-44H hyperwave spherical pulse-Doppler radar, which provides medium-range detection of all targets at all altitudes. It is also equipped with special stealthy and passive modes.
Oracle Microsystems MS-11 Integrated Communications Suite: The MS-11 integrated communications suite (ICS) is a combination of multiple communications systems that give the mecha a wide-spectrum of options in the field. The primary method of communication are hyperwave communications, which provides FTL communications in the heat of battle. These transmissions are heavily encrypted and authentication protocols are updated several million times per second to make it hard for enemy electronic warfare to tap into friendly transmissions. Standard radio communications allow for a much more inefficient (albeit reliable) communication method, but is often limited because of its practicality in space. A more secure method is the directional laser communications, which is the hardest to hack, but cannot transmit a high load of data (usually limited to text or low-quality audio).
Ichigeki Electronics “Blackout” Countermeasures Suite: Quickly becoming the standard electronic countermeasures system of Confederate mecha, the Blackout suite is an active sensor jammer that is effective against enemy radar and other EMS systems. With its own dedicated sub-processor in the mecha's internal combat computer, the Blackout system serves as a formidable ECM system for such a small mecha.
Oracle Microsystems OP-50 “Deadeye” Optical Sensor Cluster: High-resolution optical/UV/IR sensor in the head unit of the mecha allow the mecha exceptional passive sensor capability. The optical sensor cluster also includes a high-powered flashlight in the head unit.
Squad Level Integrated Countermeasures System: The SLICS was a complex system of squad level LOS and indirect networking among the high performance tactical computers that were part of each MI battledress. The SquadNet integrated each individual MI battledress equipped soldier into a operational unit and doctrine solution that was greater than the sum of its individual parts. Utilizing SLICS, an entire squad of battledress equipped soldiers could function as one greater effective unit, instead of as many lesser effective individual units. What one soldier knew or could see, sense, smell, detect, the entire squad knew equally well. All information from one suit or soldier was instantly available to every other member of the squad. SLICS also worked to integrate the EMS of the squad into one homogenous source, working to blend the squad into the background and 'phase' it out of enemy targeting systems reach. Suit emissions were carefully monitored by the SLICS and individuals were electromagnetically 'bled' selectively to match their backgrounds at a constant rate, monitored both locally by the individual suits which 'buddy checked' each other several hundred times a second, to the remote tactical drones which did 'removed' views of the squad to make sure that no EMS spikes were readily visible to the enemy. Target reference and engagement, target spotting, and integration into the mass of data which made up the 21CB became the norm. The entire squad worked flawlessly and seamlessly as one mobile unit, pooling resources and operating on a squad level instead of a individual level as had been the case before SLICS
Stim-Injector: The suit is automatically patched into the pilot's vital signals and will intervene with a variety of chemicals to stabilize the pilot in the event of injury or to enhance combat performance. Combat stimulants like “White Tear” and painkillers like morphine are commonly used with this system. Also, to provide nourishment, a concentrated sugary fruit juice is available to the pilot in the field to keep his blood sugar levels normal.
Tactical Drones: In order to spread out the mecha's presence, three RPV drones are stored on the backpack 'hangar' of the mecha and are used to facilitate LOS sensor, communications, and countermeasures capability for the mecha.