The PHALANX M-3 Space Marine Power Armor represents state-of-the-art battlefield technology, providing the elite troopers of the Space Marine Corps with a power armor without rival. Unlike the lightweight DEFENDER and the mighty GOLEM, the PHALANX is a fully-transatmospheric platform, capable of deploying from a warship in space, fighting its way through space, entering an atmosphere, and subsequently exiting that atmosphere underneath its own power.

Compared to the M-1 and M-2 armors, the M-3 is considered 'special-issue' and only 5 percent of Confederation soldiers are properly trained and qualified to utilize the system. Because it requires a special breed of soldier to successfully wear the PHALANX, those who wield this awe-inspiring system are regarded among the elite soldiers of the Sol Confederation.

Government: Sol Confederation Organization: Sol Confederation Armed Forces

Type: Space Marine Power Armor Class: PHALANX, M series, Model 3

Designers:

• Confederation Technological Research Administration (CONTRA)
• Phoenix Arms Corporation, R&D Division III

Manufacturers:

• Phoenix Arms Corporation

Pilot Information: Requires a Humanoid pilot between 5'3“ and 6'6” feet tall. Armor is largely form-fitting and takes the form of the wearer, making its appearance dependent on the wearer.

Mass: 117 kg (257.94 lbs) net weight

Speeds:

• Sublight: .44c in a vacuum
• FTL: 2,500c
• Atmospheric: Mach 2.0 at Earth sea level
• Underwater: 70mph

The PHALANX M-3 is a fully transatmospheric weapons platform. It is highly maneuverable in all theaters of battle, capable of changing direction and/or stopping its momentum near immediately. It can hover, scale walls, and effectively reduce its weight to negigible amounts effortlessly.

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.

• Primary Purpose: Anti-Power Armor
• Secondary Purpose: Anti-Personnel
• Damage: DR 7 (particle disruptor); DR 5 (pulse laser)
• Range: 4 miles in an Earth type atmosphere. 1 light-second (186,000 miles) in space.
• Rate of Fire: 1 shot per second (disruptor); 3 shots per second (laser)
• Payload Effectively unlimited. It is a suit-integrated weapon and will not function when not attached to the armor.

Located in the palms and feet of the armor, the LF-44 plasma projectors allow the wearer to manipulate plasma generated by its power system. Capable of shaping and directing plasma bursts at enemies, these weapons allow the wearer a great deal of versatility on the field of battle. 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.

• Primary Purpose: Anti-Power Armor
• Secondary Purpose: Anti-Personnel
• Damage: DR 6
• Range: 125 meters
• Rate of Fire: Varies.
• Payload Effectively unlimited.

Considered optional armament by most Marines in the field, the Model 2740 particle disruptor rifle is a far more powerful version of the EM-9L (16,480 kW yield), with greater range, accuracy, and improved rates of fire. Considered a sniper weapon.

• Primary Purpose: Anti-Power Armor
• Secondary Purpose: Anti-Personnel
• Damage: DR 8
• Range: 5.5 miles in an Earth type atmosphere. 1 light-second (186,000 miles) in space.
• Rate of Fire: 2 shots/sec. or single shot mode.
• Payload Utilizes dedicated power cell with enough power for 500 shots.

Considered optional armament by most Marines in the field, the M-1 energy rifle utilizes hyperspace tap technology to create an energy beam with unprecedented power for a hand-held weapons system. A brute force weapon, it is powerful enough to pierce all-known shield types effortlessly. Considered a 'special-issue' weapon, the M-1 is only issued for space-based operations.

• Primary Purpose: Heavy Assault
• Damage: DR 9
• Range: Up to 2 light-seconds (372,000 miles).
• Rate of Fire: Creates a 1.5-inch wide energy beam that can be sustained indefinitely.
• Payload Utilizes dedicated power cell with enough power for 60 seconds of continuous operation.

The PHALANX M-3 is constructed primarily of laminate-coated Solanium (Durandium) plates layered over a Mercurite mesh layer to shield against the effects of heat and electromagnetic radiation. At it's thickest point (chest, forearms, thighs) the M-3's armor is 6cm thick and 4.2cm thick at its thinest points. It provides virtual immunity from small arms fire, excellent to good protection against light mecha-mounted weapons, and moderate to poor protection against heavy mecha-mounted weapons.

Depending on the operation, the PHALANX M-3 can be outfitted with an additional 3.5mm layer of the stealth armor Zanarium to provide passive stealth.

DR: 6

The M-3's internal environment is pressurize and provides additional air feeds to the pilot that provides him/her with pressurized breathing. In emergencies, the system can recycle the available air supplies long enough to allow the pilot to survive up to 72 hours. Bodily wastes are removed via a catheter system. Nourishment is provided in the form of a concentrated fruit juice/paste.

The M-3's operation is intuitive to the wearer as the suit is fully-interfaced with the pilot's central nervous system, allowing him/her to operate the M-3 as he would his own body. With the armor, the pilot is exponentially faster, stronger, and more agile than he/she is outside of the armor. However, the pilot must be in excellent physical condition in order to safely operate the M-3.

The Barrier Shield Generator of the M-3 creates a spherical electrostatic force field around the mecha that assists not only in protecting the mecha against incoming enemy attacks, but serves to facillitate the rapid movement the mecha undergoes during space and entry into an atmosphere by protecting the mecha against micro-meteors and the high-stress friction of an atmospheric re-entry. At maximum power, the M-3's Barrier Shield can deflect a low-yield fusion weapon of approximately half a kiloton.

DR: 7

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.

The PHALANX is equipped with the SCAF standard Integrated Sensors and Communications Suite (ISCS), which includes tactical sensor, communications, and battlefield computer systems. Equipped with Oracle Microsystems' SPARTAN-M OS for use with the DEUS combat network, which facillitates unit integration all the way to the squad to the fleet level.

Tactical Sensor Systems:

• WydeSCAN VK-3 Mk. 3 spherical pulse-Doppler radar (Range: 120 miles)
• Oracle Microsystems' OP-50 “DEADEYE” Optical/UV/IR sensor cluster
• Ichigeki Electronic “SPECTRE” Mk. 3 ECM Pod (provides high-level jamming, spoofing, and disruption of enemy electronic systems; reduces effective detection range to 1.5 light-seconds by enemy sensors in space, 1000 meters in an atmosphere)
• Oracle Microsystems SS-7 Combat Computer

Communications Systems:*

• Radio
• External Audio
• Line-of-Sight Infrared (LOSIR)
• Laser
• Hyperwave Communications Array (facillitates FTL communications)

Stealth Systems

• Ichigeki Electronics “NIGHTBIRD” Stealth Field Generator: Notorious for its power requirements, the Nightbird stealth field generator serves as active camouflage for the M-3 in its low-power setting, obscuring it from optical view. in its higher power modes, it serves to downshift, disperse, and degrade all EM emissions, allowing the M-3 to escape detection in space until the mecha is one light-second away from enemy sensors or 500 meters in an atmosphere.

I-Y8 “Pathfinder” Tactical Sensor Drones (6): Mounted in a backpack recharge unit, the M-3 has 8 tactical sensor drones that allow it to expand its sensor presence to a much larger area. Each drone is equipped with a standard tactical sensor package consisting of thermal, ultraviolet, optical, acoustical, and pulse radar sensors.

• Argus Millitech A-58 Fusion Cell Reactor (2)
• Argus Millitech D-7A Fusion-Electric Capacitors (8)
• Argus Millitech VX-688 “SWIFTWIND” Gravimetric Pulse Drives (2)
• Genesis Propulsion Systems BK-80 Ion Pulse Thrusters (4)