In YE 36, NAM Terratech engineers created a new form of shielding for Nepleslian power armors. They called it the Conformal Barrier System (CBS) and added it to the Hostile Upgrade Package for the Hostile line infantry power armor.
The CBS differs from previous barrier systems in its coverage. Rather than projecting a bubble around the user, a layer of barrier which follows the form of the user is created. This means that a near miss will not cause the barrier to react. Only a direct hit on the user's form would be required.
Barriers provided by the CBS are not superior in strength to a traditional bubble barrier and are not any more effective at stopping kinetic force. In truth, without the empty space between the barrier and the armor, an attack with sufficient kinetic could more easily stagger or knock over a power armor.
Its advantage lies in the fact that by acting as a layered coating, the CBS draws less power from a Power Armor's generators than a traditional bubble barrier. A lower power draw with equivalent protective benefits would mean that systems with a greater power draw could be installed to enhance other capabilities.
The first Power Armor the CBS was installed was the Hostile, in YE 36, as part of its upgrade package. Before plans to install it on other armors, NAM waited to hear results from the Marines who used it so as to make any improvements and modifications to the system before introducing it on a wider scale.