XOS-001 Hephaestus

The XOS001 Hephaestus program was designed by the Franco-German Commonwealth, with use of knowledge purchased from the United States (specifically the Future Force Warrior program), as a method to make a more effective soldier, without resorting to genetic modification of humans, which is strictly opposed to FGC beliefs. It incorporates all of the technologies involved in the original Future Force Warrior design, except for the network, which FGC warplanners saw as a potential weakness, further making the Franco-German military ever more dependant on satelites and a secure data stream for warfare. However, the military is working on a new network, one that transmits information via quantum entanglement, as well as using quantum encryption techniques to secure the still in development network. Regardless, the XOS001 can function far more efficiently and effectively in the battlefield than normally equipped troops, even without the network.

Headgear Subsystem
The Headgear Subsystem is the situational awareness hub of the system. It provides integrated tactical processing though the use of maps, routes, and data generated by a combination of thermal and sonar-capable sensors, in conjunction with an advanced onboard LAI which processes the software and relays it to the soldier's HUD.

Eventually, once the improved network is operational, this data will be relayed automatically to every XOS001 user in the warzone.

Combat Uniform Subsystem
The Combat Uniform Subsystem is subdivided into three layers, the Protective Outer Layer, the Power Centric Layer, and the Life Critical Layer.

Bullet-resistant armor provides protection to the upper arms, the upper legs and the chest and abdomen. These are made from a ferrofluid smart material composed of iron particles suspended in a silicon oil that harden within milliseconds when a current is applied.

In addition, the XOS001 uses a "Shear-Thickening Liquid" armor additive produced from a mixture of polyethylene glycol, a polymer found in laxatives and other consumer products, and nanobits of silica, or purified sand, that is sprayed on to the outer layer of the suit. When struck with a significant impact, the armor stiffens instantly into a shield, then reverts to its liquid state just as fast when the energy from the projectile dissipates.

Weapons Subsystem
The XOS001 uses the home-built H&K USP as the primary sidearm. The standard infantry weapon is the H&K G11.

Warfighter Physiological Status Monitor Subsystem
WPSM is an on-board physiological and medical sensor suit that would collect and monitor information regarding vital signs such as body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, hydration and stress levels, sleep status, body positioning and workload capacity of the warrior. If necessary, the WPSM can notify medics and commanders if the soldier has been wounded or has become fatigued.

Micro-climate Conditioning Subsystem
The Micro-climate Conditioning Subsystem, built into the Life Critical Layer, is a network of narrow tubing that provides 100 watts of heating or cooling to the soldier.

The system used by the XOS001 circulates chilled water through a special heat-transfer garment. The cooled circulating fluid pulls metabolic heat from the soldier's body and transfers it into the environment through its condenser. The main condenser unit can provide 120 W cooling power in a 95 °F (35 °C) environment, with an average power consumption of 35 W and weight of 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg), excluding the power source.

Power Subsystem
The Power Subsystem, built into the Power Centric Layer, would be fed by the Central Fuel Cell, a 2 to 20 watt Micro Turbine fueled by a liquid hydrocarbon fuel pack. Ten ounces of fuel power the soldier's integrated electronics ensemble for up to 6 days. Polymeric nanofiber battery patches embedded in the headgear and weapon provide back-up power for three hours.

Soldier Deployment
XOS-001 equipped soldiers are deployed into areas where they are needed through the use of an orbital drop pod, basically a capsule that houses one soldier through a drop from an orbiting GOSV-T, the transport variant of the GOSV War Eagle. The drop pods fit into the massive weapons tubes used to launch kinetic projectiles, making the overall system very versatile.

Operational History
The XOS-001 has been deployed to Franco-German Indochina to help with fighting off any opposing armies. These forces are also equipped with minature crowd-control energy weapons, that cause hallucinations by deploying a specially calibrated magnetic field. These cause rioters to become too destracted to even remember afterwards that they were protesting. This device has been nicknamed the "Neuralizer", after the memory erasing device from Men in Black.