HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I ADS (Earth-5875)

The HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I Prototype Armor Defense System, also known as both HRUNTING and YGGDRASIL, was a prototype powered exoskeleton developed by the Watershed Division of the Office of Naval Intelligence, at the Weapons Research Facility T12A, on Algolis, meant for standard use within the UNSC Marine Corps in the following decades.

Overview
The HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I Prototype ADS come from both the HRUNTING and YGGDRASIL projects, and was a precursor and inspiration to the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor, meant exclusively for the SPARTAN-II Program. Notably, it features a significative resemblance to the MARK I exoskeleton designed by Dr. Catherine Halsey in 2500.

While the exoskeleton was very effective, it was entirely scrapped duo to the vulnerability of the pilot, and the expensiveness of fielding them to the very limited SPARTAN-IIs. The only prototype ever created and its data were destroyed during the Battle of Algolis in 2548, as per the Cole Protocol.

The legacy of the Mark I lived through both MJOLNIR and the HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Mantis. Colonel James Ackerson was one of the sperheaders of the program.

Features
The HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL suit was powered by a nuclear fusion reactor. Unlike the more advanced MJOLNIR system, the user did not need to possess physiological augmentation to wear the armor. Though the HUD was rather similar to that of the MJOLNIR, the HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL's integrated weapon system and improved target assessment negated the need for a neural interface link. The suit used simple laser and radio technology for communications. Unlike the MJOLNIR, the suit did not recycle fluids. Overall, the HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL was much more expensive to manufacture than the MJOLNIR, which meant that it saw very limited production.

Armament
The main strength of the suit lay in its myriad of weapon systems, each integrated directly into the infrastructure of the exoskeleton. The right arm ended in the 850-round, six-barreled T261 Lucifer Arm-Mounted Gatling Gun which possessed an integrated targeting system. A rather large-barreled grenade launcher was mounted on top of the gatling gun with what appeared to be the ammunition belt wrapped around the base. The right shoulder was topped with a tri-barreled LAU-1810/SGM-151 missile launcher that fired heat-seeking missiles. An M149 Magellan was mounted on the left shoulder, which had to be manually aimed by the operator. The suit carried fifty explosive 105mm rounds for the M149, each with a five-meter blast radius.

The suit's left arm ended in a mechanical hand used to both operate weapons and manipulate external objects with ease. Two additional missile tubes were attached to the forearm and were packed the same type of missiles used on the shoulder-mounted cluster. Three Type 18 Magnetic/Bayonet-style Claymores explosives were attached to each thigh, each with enough power to completely engulf a Type-26 Wraith tank in the blast.

HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL also featured a 300-megaton, lead-tampered nuclear fission self-destruct device which used the components of the suit's fusion reactor. Activating the self-destruct sequence would begin a staggered, codeword-activated countdown. Because such a system violates several military conventions regarding "kamikaze-style" actions, the device's purpose is still officially considered a "security" contingency. The codeword is written on the HUD for the wearer to read before activation.

Equipment
The suit made use of a number of high-tech innovations to operate efficiently in combat. One of these improvements was an integrated jetpack used for powered flight. This jetpack uses a total of four stabilizers and four afterburner thrusters located on the front and back of the suit. Directional control seems to have been provided by shifts in balance by the operator. When not in use, the pack's thrusters folded into slots in the suit to protect from external damage. Another useful addition was the incorporation of the core technology behind the Office of Naval Intelligence's reverse-engineered bubble shields. The dynamic nature of the shield makes it automatically engage when the suit comes under fire. However, the suit lacks the constant, form-fitting energy shields used by the MJOLNIR armor systems.

Source

 * 1