HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I Prototype Armor Defense System

Prototype Powered Exoskeleton The Prototype Powered Exoskeleton was an experimental bipedal exoskeleton developed by the UNSC Marine Corps in Weapons Research Facility T12A on Algolis.

Overview
The armor was an earlier version of the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor, designed for use by the SPARTAN-IIs. However, despite its effectiveness, the idea was mainly scrapped, as the user was very vulnerable and it was too complicated for use on the limited number of Spartan-IIs. The prototype of this Exoskeleton suit was destroyed along with all of its data due to the enactment of the Cole Protocol during the Battle of Algolis.

Features
Unlike the more advanced MJOLNIR system, the user does not need to be augmented to wear the armor. Though the HUD seems similar to the MJOLNIR configuration, the suit's integrated weapon system and improved target assesment bypass the need for a neural interface link. The suit uses simple Maser and radio for communications, doesn't recycle fluids, and is loaded out with pre-existing weaponry, making it overall cheaper to build than the MJOLNIR.

Armaments
The main strength of the suit lies in the myriad of weapon systems it boasts, each integrated directly into the infrastructure of the exoskeleton. The right arm ends in an 850-round, six-barreled heavy machine gun with the barrel of an as-of-yet unidentified weapon mounted on top of that. The right shoulder is topped with a tri-barreled missile launcher armed with heat-seeking missiles that operate and appear identical to those fired by the LAU-65D/SGM-151. On the other side of the exoskeleton, a 60mm High Velocity Cannon is mounted on the left shoulder and requires the operator to manually aim it for accuracy. The suit comes loaded with fifty of these 60mm rounds, each with a blast radius comparable to a five meter spread. The suit's left arm ends in a mechanical hand used to both operate weapons and manipulate external objects with ease. Two missile tubes are attached to the forearm and are packed with identical missiles as the shoulder-mounted weapon.

To complete the complement, three cylindrical explosives are attached to each thigh, each with enough power to completely engulf a Wraith tank in flames.

Equipment
The suit makes use of a number of high-tech innovations to operate efficiently. One of these improvements is a type of jetpack used for powered flight. Directional control seems to be provided by shifts in balance by the operator. When not in use, the pack's thrusters fold into slots in the suit to protect from external damage. Another useful addition is the incorporation of the core technology behind ONI's reverse-engineered Bubble Shields. This shield automatically engages when the suit comes under fire.

Trivia

 * The suit borrows elements from both the bipedal Cyclops exoskeleton and the battle-tested MJOLNIR line, indicating that it may have been designed in a related program.
 * The shoulder-plate verniers on the Prototype Powered Exoskeleton are identical to the shoulder-plate devices on the MSN-03 Jaga Doga from the famous Japanese mecha anime, Mobile Suit Gundam, sans the Funnels on the latter. The color is even a perfect match to the colors on Gyunei Guss's customized version.