U.S. Military to Test Iron Man Suit in June, Seeks Your Help for Components

[Rhykker]

U.S. Military to Test Iron Man Suit in June, Seeks Your Help for Components

The U.S. military may have an Iron Man suit prototype ready by summer and will hold a competition to encourage civilian craftsmen to develop suit components.

While he may not be Tony Stark, U.S. Navy Admiral William McRaven said that the first prototypes of an Iron Man-like combat suit could be ready for testing this summer. Speaking at the 25th annual Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict conference on Tuesday, McRaven said that three unpowered prototypes are being assembled and expected to be delivered in June.

The head of U.S. Special Operations Command, McRaven believes that the suit "will yield a revolutionary improvement in survivability and capability for special operators." Some 56 corporations, 16 government agencies, 13 universities and 10 national laboratories are working on the program, and the command seeks to solicit further aid by holding a "Monster Garage" event. Pending the Pentagon's go-ahead, the event will even reward expert mechanics and master craftsman who develop suit components with prize money.

The suit, known as the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit - or TALOS - will eventually provide its wearer with advanced armor, superior mobility and agility, enhanced situational awareness, built-in communications and computers, a personalized HUD, cooling or heating as needed, and even medical monitoring and basic first-aid care.

TALOS has the potential to provide the U.S. with a "huge comparative advantage over our enemies and give our warriors the protection they need," McRaven said.

Source: DVICE [http://defensetech.org/2014/02/11/admiral-iron-man-prototypes-coming-in-june/]


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[Thunderous Cacophony]

I hope the instructions really are just for "suit components". I'm turning the chestpiece into a frozen yoghurt machine.

 

[Loop Stricken]

Hang on...

But...

... with the fuck-tonnes of money the US Military has spent on it, they're asking civilians to make their shit for them?!

 

[Tireseas_v1legacy]

"U.S. Navy Admiral William McRaven"

That sounds exactly like a name out of a Marvel comic. Please tell me this isn't another elaborate internet prank. I really want to see what these prototypes look like.

 

[Rhykker]

Hang on...

But...

... with the fuck-tonnes of money the US Military has spent on it, they're asking civilians to make their shit for them?!

I was confused as well. But I believe they are seeking creative talent. How better to find the mad scientists of the world than through an open call for submissions?

I can see it already... a new reality show... holding auditions... American's Next Top Evil Genius!

 

[tippy2k2]

Not to be a Debby downer here but...

Even if they get full on awesome-mode with an actual Iron Man suit, will they actually use them? I mean, there was a lot of issues with getting soldiers proper freaking body armor for a long while and I'm guessing that a Kevlar Jacket costs a lot less than RoboCop here. As Lucius Fox said in Batman Begins: "Bean counters didn't think a soldier's life was worth 300 grand"

It'd be great to have since anything that gives our boys a better chance to come home is a good thing but this just seems like one of those projects that looks awesome in prototype stage and then we never see it again...

 

[Leonardo Huizar]

We already have drones. This would just be wasting more tax payer money. Its like taking a step back in terms of technological advancement like writing texts all the time instead of actually using your phone to call someone.

 

[Meinos Kaen]

Not to be a Debby downer here but...

Even if they get full on awesome-mode with an actual Iron Man suit, will they actually use them? I mean, there was a lot of issues with getting soldiers proper freaking body armor for a long while and I'm guessing that a Kevlar Jacket costs a lot less than RoboCop here.

It'd be great to have since anything that gives our boys a better chance to come home is a good thing but this just seems like one of those projects that looks awesome in prototype stage and then we never see it again...

If the project continues, it's not going to be open up to all soldiers. Like, a general new suit of body armour to distribute equally. It will cost too much.

No, what the military is doing is taking Iron-Man and Marvel Comics literally. They're not looking into making an army of Iron-Men. They're looking into making one person a Super-Soldier. And since they don't have Cap's serum...

 

[CriticalMiss]

TALOS has the potential to provide the U.S. with a "huge comparative advantage over our enemies and give our warriors the protection they need," McRaven said.

And don't forget that killing civilians super bad terrorists with drone strikes is too impersonal.

Do they seriously need this or is it just propaganda to scare folks? They already spend billions on technology to murder people that is effective enough, but rather than using the money to improve hospitals, education or burning it for heat they're wasting it on a comic book dream. Also calling them 'warriors' is just sad.

 

[FoolKiller]

Umm... so the first time I come across it in combat I will chuck an EMP near it and then it will be all sorts of vulnerable.

 

[Rhykker]

TALOS has the potential to provide the U.S. with a "huge comparative advantage over our enemies and give our warriors the protection they need," McRaven said.

And don't forget that killing civilians super bad terrorists with drone strikes is too impersonal.

Do they seriously need this or is it just propaganda to scare folks? They already spend billions on technology to murder people that is effective enough, but rather than using the money to improve hospitals, education or burning it for heat they're wasting it on a comic book dream. Also calling them 'warriors' is just sad.

Yeah, this suit is for Spec Ops, which is already a small subset of armed forces. These won't be mass produced.

 

[omega 616]

Oh, come the fuck on ... did you already try blasting a dude with gamma rays? Or injecting him with stuff to turn him into cappin 'murica? Finish looking around the stars for Asgard? Think archery was a little too last century?

Can't invent a jetpack but a propulsion system built into a bulletproof suit isn't a problem, so much so civvies can work on it?

TALOS has the potential to provide the U.S. with a "huge comparative advantage over our enemies and give our warriors the protection they need," McRaven said.

'cos the apache, stealth bombers, Kevlar vests, grenade launchers with variable fuse and multi-explosive pay loads, long range ballistic missiles, corner shots, robots, drones and the other multi billion dollar advantage you have, just isn't enough?

They have a Toyota pick up truck, AK 47's and RPG's ... as for body armor, they have prayer!

Watch any number of "Future Weapons" tv show and you will quickly understand that the US has every kind of toy imaginable! For fucks sake, they have a rocket that will explode once to breach a wall, send a second explosive through the whole it just made and then clear the room with the second!

It's the second half of the video.
(okay, it's not the American's but I bet they have something of equal destruction)

 

[nuttshell]

Umm... so the first time I come across it in combat I will chuck an EMP near it and then it will be all sorts of vulnerable.

Oh if only Palestine and Afghanistan had EMP technology...

 

[Hero in a half shell]

An open call for civilians to create components?

I look forward to the news that the first ever supersoldier suit is made out of lego and origami, and programmed from a virtual computer created in minecraft.

Umm... so the first time I come across it in combat I will chuck an EMP near it and then it will be all sorts of vulnerable.

Do portable EMP weapons exist? I'm pretty sure that they are still firmly in the range of sci-fi as far as using them for offensive weaponry.

"U.S. Navy Admiral William McRaven"

That sounds exactly like a name out of a Marvel comic. Please tell me this isn't another elaborate internet prank. I really want to see what these prototypes look like.

Gotta respect a man called Dick McRaven.

He was born for greatness

 

[Kieve]

Is anyone else amused by their choice of acronym? I wonder if anyone on the naming board is an Elder Scrolls fan.

 

[Muspelheim]

Only if you promise to refer to your soldiers as "soldiers", you plods. Havin' none of that "Warfighter" business...

Then, we can talk. I've got a coffee module nearing completion.

TALOS has the potential to provide the U.S. with a "huge comparative advantage over our enemies and give our warriors the protection they need," McRaven said.

And don't forget that killing civilians super bad terrorists with drone strikes is too impersonal.

Do they seriously need this or is it just propaganda to scare folks? They already spend billions on technology to murder people that is effective enough, but rather than using the money to improve hospitals, education or burning it for heat they're wasting it on a comic book dream. Also calling them 'warriors' is just sad.

Imagine a squad of powerful Techno-Freedom-Warriors(tm) getting caught in an ambush by Iranians spraying them with a garden hose, causing the power armour to cease up rather embarassingly.

 

[Kuala BangoDango]

"huge comparative advantage"...like even more of an advantage than simply the fact that we spend more on "defense" than the next 13 top countries combined?

"over our enemies" ... What enemies might that be? No other country has attacked us since WW2. Since we already have the strongest military, and the above-mentioned budget, no other country is insane enough to attack us. Since WW2 the only attacks we've suffered have been at the hands of individuals or small groups and that's not the type of fight an Iron Man suit will win because it's a fight of ideals. Every enemy our military currently has is one that we've created ourselves.

Best way to beat your enemy is to not make enemies in the first place.

 

[Naqel]

Is anyone else amused by their choice of acronym? I wonder if anyone on the naming board is an Elder Scrolls fan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talos


Greek mythology(and mythology in general) is the one part of geek culture they teach at school.
Seriously, just about the only thing I didn't know before I googled that was that Daedalus was involved in some versions.

 

[Souplex]

Umm... so the first time I come across it in combat I will chuck an EMP near it and then it will be all sorts of vulnerable.

And how would you generate said EMP?
Nobody has figured out how to make EMPs practical for use, and magnetic shielding exists.
EMPs as a win button exist only in bad stories.

 

[Vegosiux]

Hang on...

But...

... with the fuck-tonnes of money the US Military has spent on it, they're asking civilians to make their shit for them?!

Yeah, that kind of made me do a spit take.

"over our enemies" ... What enemies might that be?

You know how they say; Russia, China, N. Korea, Iraq, they're adversaries. The enemy is the Navy. Gotta one-up those folks!

But really, I doubt anyone would consider this cost-efficient. It's more of a show-off thing, at least at this point...