HAAM suits.

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

What do you mean "too radical"? Powered armor has been on military wishlists for half a century, and has been actively developed for a decade. The indicated numbers don't support "labs and proving grounds", those are high even for low-rate production - if the US has more than a dozen or so it is because they are being used.

We also have a type of force field, is it standard? Are the rail guns standard on destroyers? R&D suffers the "use it or lose it" mentality, prototypes suffer from "doesn't fit our current needs". The exoskeleton DoD fools around with allows current individual equipment to be used, HAAM only allows the non electric 20MM round.(Same round electrically primed is used by the navy Phalanx"R2D2".
Boils down to Council of tomorrow sees the HAAM potential and gives the go ahead, Military procurement sees the HAAM and beauracracy ensues. Read about General LeMays purchase of the AR-15 and the fit it caused.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by .45cultist

We also have a type of force field, is it standard? Are the rail guns standard on destroyers? R&D suffers the "use it or lose it" mentality, prototypes suffer from "doesn't fit our current needs".

If force fields and rail guns were at the same apparent TRL as the HAAM suits, then yes, they would be getting rolled out everywhere right now. "Force fields" at this point are laboratory creations with no practical usage, perhaps generously a TRL of 3. Rail guns are at the "fieldable prototype" stage and are being fielded with the intention of yes, making them standard on destroyers very soon, a TRL of 8! The discussions above have indicated HAAM suits at an early TRL 9 in 1989, and I have yet to see reasons why even that same level of performance at a mature TRL 9 would not be highly desired today.

So why do you think the HAAM suit would not be standard?

Originally Posted by .45cultist

The exoskeleton DoD fools around with allows current individual equipment to be used, HAAM only allows the non electric 20MM round.(Same round electrically primed is used by the navy Phalanx"R2D2".

Not sure why this is an issue at all. Is the HAAM somehow prevented from using other gear, or is it just that it only has one issued weapon? If the HAAM were real (or used in TMP) I completely agree that there should be more diverse weapons available, but I see absolutely no technical issues in furnishing them so I don't see what the problem is.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by .45cultist

Boils down to Council of tomorrow sees the HAAM potential and gives the go ahead, Military procurement sees the HAAM and beauracracy ensues. Read about General LeMays purchase of the AR-15 and the fit it caused.

I don't see how the AR-15 plays into this unless it was the only assault rifle in the world at the time - if the HAAM suit was pushed off because there were even vaguely comparable alternatives, then what are they? New technology, when effective, is transformational. The HAAM suit as described is overwhelmingly effective and exists without anything comparable that could create the kind of quagmire you describe. Everyone is looking for the next such thing, and I don't see how bureaucracy would stop that.

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

I don't see how the AR-15 plays into this unless it was the only assault rifle in the world at the time - if the HAAM suit was pushed off because there were even vaguely comparable alternatives, then what are they? New technology, when effective, is transformational. The HAAM suit as described is overwhelmingly effective and exists without anything comparable that could create the kind of quagmire you describe. Everyone is looking for the next such thing, and I don't see how bureaucracy would stop that.

Curtis Lemay said," I'll take 20,000" with out any procurement input. Of course with the 4th Ed scenario that might be moot. A snake eater HAAM could cause satisfying dismay.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by .45cultist

Curtis Lemay said," I'll take 20,000" with out any procurement input.

That wouldn't work with this scale of an item. Realistically, HAAM suits would be hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.

Originally Posted by .45cultist

Of course with the 4th Ed scenario that might be moot. A snake eater HAAM could cause satisfying dismay.

If the US military had this technology for ~20 years pre-war I cannot see why they would not be popping up all over the place. Operation at Riverton had a tank, I would expect HAAM suits to last as well and be at least as prevalent. I would also expect the KFS to have a bunch, stolen variously from the Project and the Army!

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

I would also expect the KFS to have a bunch, stolen variously from the Project and the Army!

Expect them to field them soon. They have one from the captured science one vehicle.

[ArmySGT.]

So with 80's, 90's, and 00's tech what becomes HAAM suits integrated capabilities in the Mk3, Mk4, etc?

P.S. I may or may not be stealing some sweet ideas from artists on Deviant art.

multi spectral display? So thermal vision, infrared, and low light all integrated in one overly as a complete and colorized display is a good option like the latest generation monoculars that are thermal imagers and low light at the same time.

[ArmySGT.]

Considering some of the arguments above... I am content to let players have a HAAM Mk1 and give a newer more capable HAAM Mk2 to the Snake Eaters.

There is room for former U.S. Government assets or Defense Industry players to have bleeding edge technologies.