Post by Insano-Man on Sept 24, 2018 9:32:05 GMT -5
Economy & Efficacy
The PAPVAF combat armor series, an acronym for "Personnel Armored Protection Vest - Armed Forces", was brought into standardization across the Garrant Commonwealth's Armed Forces at the opening of the Timosi War in 2185 A.F. Over seven primary iterations and eleven special forces configurations, it has stood its ground over the trials in interstellar conflict, finding success as both a general purpose hazard suit and light infantry body armor.
Design
The PAPVAF series of combat armor is not simply a vest or armor kit, as its name and label might suggest. It encompasses the entirety of a ranger's, stormtrooper's, crewman's, airman's, and fleetsman's uniform, from their basic attire up to their combat or flight helmet and armored equipment. Its applications, as with most Commonwealth equipment, are wide and varied, able to be stripped or bulked up to suit every role from construction safety harness to EVA combat armor.
Uniform
The PAPVAF uniform has been designed with three primary goals: comfort, adaptability, and cofunctionality. The most basic uniform consists of an electrofiber jumpsuit with a fire-resistant soft armor mesh woven underneath its reactive surfaces. The suit is sealed to the user's body with air-tight fitting for use as an EVA jumpsuit and can be supported with an EVA hood or helmet to allow work in a vacuum or negligible oxygen environment. Straps are built into the suit's arms, legs, and torso to secure equipment, such as oxygen tanks or atmospheric recycler packs, or to further secure PAPVAF combat armor. Tactical harnesses can - and often are - used in conjunction with the jumpsuit for a final layer of stability for armor or equipment and are often used for military PDA storage during combat or high-risk EVA operations.
The electrofiber material used in the PAPVAF uniform and armor was the result of reverse-engineering of captured Verinen camosteel following the Tharkadian War of First Contact in 2100 A.F. It eventually lead to the total inclusion of the Commonwealth's own version of camosteel and, shortly thereafter, the invention of electrofiber. Electrofiber is a material that, when charged with an electric current, shifts in color in much the same fashion as camosteel, albeit on a smaller, more economic scale for infantry applications. With the right voltage applied to the right areas, a coloration and pattern for almost any application can be produced on-demand to fit the current environmental situation, be it to stand out in dangerous work environments or blend in during combat operations. The electrofiber material cannot, however, be used as an active camouflage mechanism for long periods and its use even in the short term is questionable at best. With a constant electric current applied to the fabric, it will eventually lose its ability to alter color, usually creating stains of "dead" fibers that have failed to transition fully from one color to another. Currently, active camouflage with electrofiber or camosteel equipment is currently only used by the Stormtroopers, as their often critical missions demand utility in all domains. This is typically used in conjunction with fully camosteel weaponry and armor kits to fully hide a stormtrooper "headbobbing", as it has come to be called due to the contrast between the soldier's equipment and any exposed skin, usually that of his face or hands.
Contrary to some circulated rumors, the reactive fiber of the PAPVAF jumpsuit cannot destroy or otherwise deflect incoming projectiles when charged. Most instances where a projectile has defeated the hard armor layer of the PAPVAF combat armor set and not fully penetrated the uniform is a result of the soft armor absorbing the remaining kinetic force of the round. Considering the jumpsuit's thin construction, surface damage is usually superficial and overlooked. These few rumors have circulated from declassified Stormtrooper operations where an operative's combat armor had failed, yet the round that had penetrated it had simply fallen away or been lost in the heat of combat. Tests prior to the usage of electrofiber suits had shown that their usage as electrically reactive armor is impractical and ineffective.
Camosteel, however, is still under research as an electrically reactive armor following Verinen advances prior to the Timosi War. Strike and shock troops fielding the so-called "strike plates" have been shown to conduct enough electricity to defeat small arms, shaped charge, and low-velocity railslug ammunition in some instances with negligible or a complete lack of damage to their armor. With the spoils of war primarily in the hands of the Coalition and sixteen years' time since its end, it is likely that results will be made in the near future, if not in 2203 itself.
In parade or dress uniforms, the jumpsuit is often colored based on an Armed Forces soldier's position, rank, homeworld, and branch. Traditionally, senior officers often have copper-tinted shoulder straps, stemming from the Commonwealth's historical practice of using copper as a rank identifier during and following Anchorage's first industrial age.
Rangers are most often denoted by a dark green, their homeworld's chosen color in thick lines down from the inner edges of their shoulders to the tip of their stomach and dark grey stripes across the inner and outer sides of their limbs, the thickness of which denoting their significance as a leader. Privates and corporals are never seen with limb stripes, nor are Ranger officers from captain to brigadier due to the varying levels of copper in their shoulder straps. Ranger generals, however, wear entirely grey uniforms, being the only exception of the Rangers' officer corps to wear entirely grey uniforms outside of active duty.
The Mechanized Infantry & Armored Vehicles personnel of the Armed Forces most often wear the opposite of the Rangers, sporting dark grey dress uniforms with stripes of dark green varying by leadership position along their limbs. The only real difference in patterning is the collar of the uniform, which is colored after the unit's homeworld color. Likewise, MIAV generals wear entirely dark green uniforms, the reversed coloration of the two ground branches of the Armed Forces symbolizing their extensively linked operations in wartime.
Space Navy officers wear uniforms ranging from black at the bottom of the hierarchy to pure white with black collars. This practice stems from former Navy camouflage practices, where an officer would rarely be seen outside a vessel and low-ranking personnel - such as hull maintenance staff - would more likely be in EVA situations and thus need to be hidden. This practice was mostly symbolic, as its effectiveness was only marginal and aided more in determining the severity of a ship's damage from a distance than hiding less senior fleetsmen from enemy observation. The sight of a corpse clad in white drifting through space was more often than not a confirmation that a ship had been put out of action - often permanently. In combat situations, Space Navy personnel are more often seen in dark grey or white to match the interiors of their hull should a boarding action be made against their vessel, much like the rangers stationed aboard the ship. In the case of fleetsmen serving aboard ships considered too small to be boarded, their jumpsuits are charged to a white coloration to aid in the recovery of casualties after a battle.
The Airwatch primarily use blue dress uniforms, varying from lighter, more tealish blues at the bottom of their command structure to dark blues in the same color as the secondary color of the Woodsman's Star. Squadron leaders typically have white cuffs, while senior officers sport white collars, taking from their respective roles as leaders in the Airwatch. Rather than have a specific portion of their jumpsuit tinted to their homeworld's color, airmen and watchmen most often have caps with a homeworld affiliation band around its circumference. The appearance of different sections of the Airwatch in parade or dress conditions seen alongside eachother has earned off-duty airmen the nickname of "regbogs", taking from the German word "regenbogen" for "rainbow".
The Naval Forces, being the simplest of the branches, has no rank or leadership variance, where all members have traditionally and continue to wear light grey uniforms.
The Stormtroopers and External Intelligence do not have their own dress uniform style and most often draw from the Rangers' aesthetic design for situations in which stormtroopers or intelligence agents must be embedded or march with a parade or procession.
Armor
The PAPVAF armor kit varies in supply considerations from light infantry to medium infantry, being modular and reconfigurable in all its forms to be stripped down or up-armored in the field to suit a changing combat situation. Its most recognizable appearance is that of the Commonwealth Rangers, finding itself as a camosteel flex-weave vest with similar camosteel plate inserts, limb plates, and extremity coverings, along with electrofiber-lined, fire-resistant, CVN-protected soft armor used over top of the vest to further protect joints and difficult-to-armor locations. The second layer of soft armor is likewise vacuum-sealed to the PAPVAF jumpsuit and vest to function as a second layer of EVA protection without drastically inhibiting mobility.
Camosteel-plated electrofiber combat boots are used in conjunction with magnetic plating embedded in their soles that can be activated and deactivated on-demand for combat aboard space vessels, zero gravity environments, or metallic surfaces with problematic traction or movement conditions.
Protection for the soldier's head is provided by a traditional Stahlkorb camosteel helmet with attached electronics systems and other support equipment, which will be described later in the Electronics section of this topic. The helmet is produced only in one size unlike the armor vest, soft armor overlay, and jumpsuit, but has a number of additional size fitting materials to adjust it to the wearer's head profile. This is due to the design of the PAPVAF combat hazard gas mask's construction, built in a similar one-size-fits-all fashion and constructed to be used both as a general purpose filtering mask and as a component of an EVA hood. The mask itself is armored with camosteel and takes the place of the helmet's standard electronics visor for tactical information relay and general electronics systems displays.
During EVA and other vacuum environment operations, the PAPVAF armor vest is further bolstered with heavier plating and camosteel flex-weaves in place of the ordinary outer soft armor layer. Due to the greatly increased chance of a one-shot-kill in such environments, the substantial amount of additional weight the camosteel weave places on the soldier is considered an even trade-off, particularly since most vacuum environment combat situations take place in zero gravity environments where weight is a minor concern.
The Stahlkorb helmet is often completely replaced with the heavier, fully sealed Smallhole-style EVA helmet during vacuum situations. While functional in EVA combat environments, the ordinary Stahlkorb is considered inadequate for the high lethality situations in vacuum environments. The Smallhole-style helmet is effectively a camosteel-and-electronics case donned over the head and fitted to an EVA hood, given the nickname "brain coffin" for its earlier designs' failures. Instead of the ordinary Stahlkorb helmet's visor, it instead features a much larger interface across the entirety of the helmet's front interior surface. Three cameras with adjustable image displays are affixed to the center of the helmet's exterior, providing a visual feed for the soldier and a central method of alternate vision filters.
Additionally, the armor is often fitted with a thruster harness, with rear-facing thrusters mounted to the shoulders and forward-facing thrusters affixed to the abdomen. The harness is most often placed underneath the camosteel weave suit, where the thrusters themselves extend through purpose-built openings for them. The fuel pack is usually fitted underneath the weave at the wearer's lower back to prevent canister ruptures from weapons fire. Oxygen tanks and other vital equipment is also likewise situated underneath the outer camosteel layer.
In fighting conditions, the PAPVAF combat vest has been proven as a solid and reliable armor component capable of defeating modern armor-piercing 7x60mm rifle bullets repeatedly, as well as being able to absorb the impact of at least one explosive 13.2x91mm or low-velocity 3.47x58mm railgun slug, albeit with significant blunt force trauma to the wearer for the latter two as well as any secondary injuries from an explosive projectile. Likewise, the PAPVAF soft armor layers have been shown to stand up to multiple impacts of spitzer-shaped 10x29mm pistol ammunition in both civilian full metal jacket design and military armor-piercing design. Likewise, the Stahlkorb helmet has been shown to be able to defeat direct 7x60mm impacts with no spinal or concussive trauma risk to the user and glancing railgun frag-slug shrapnel strikes with moderate potential for spinal impact trauma and a far reduced chance of concussive trauma.
The classifications for the amount of armor a soldier wears is the same as the growing Commonwealth standard of A for heavy, B for moderate, and C for light, where middling classifications are assigned labels such as A2B1 or C1B2, depending on which side of the spectrum they lean most. Standard Ranger combat armor, denoted by an R, such as in PAPVAFR7, most often falls into the A2B3 section, while MIAV crewman, denoted by an M, Space Navy fleetsman, denoted by an S, and Airwatch airman armor, denoted by a W, is often little more than the vest, its outer layer, and the shoulder and knee pads, finding itself into the C1B1 classification. Of note are the Stormtrooper and External Intelligence models, who do not follow the ordinary PAPVAF naming convention and instead use PAPVS, or "Personnel Armored Protection Vest - Special".
A list of all known classifications and their usage will be included at the end of this document.
Electronics
The PAPVAF armor and uniform kit would not be modern combat armor without a well-rounded electronics suite. Building on the Commonwealth's success as a leader in quality light infantry, the electronics package in the PAPVAF armor kit, primarily housed in the Stahlkorb camosteel helmet, is one of the most powerful used in unpowered infantry armor, beating out even some of the combat electronics packages of some armored cavalry.
The primary interface of the PAPVAF electronics systems is the microphone built into the Stahlkorb helmet. Verbal commands and the sounds of combat are used, sometimes in conjunction, to great effect for the personnel wearing the armor. Included in the ordinary PAPVAF software is access to the powerful Garran COBSWEB tactical network, providing everything from instant intelligence reports from reconnaissance personnel and equipment to basic shotfinder systems designed to identify the location and likely weapon of incoming enemy fire. Additionally, redundant systems are built into the PAPVAF software package in the event of tactical network jamming or COBSWEB failure, granting the soldier the almost undeniable abilities to utilize shotfinder software, identify hostile targets and allied personnel with electronic identifiers or lackthereof, communicate directly with other squad members, monitor their visual, audio, and casualty status situations, and interface with weapon electronics for accurate magazine capacity and functional status reports. Innate to most modern combat software, the Stahlkorb helmet incorporates its own thermal, infrared, electromagnetic, and light amplification vision filters granted by two cameras affixed to its top. In low-light conditions where an alternate vision filter is not preferred, such as operating alongside allied personnel without light amplification devices, civilian escort or assistance operations, or patrol duty, the cameras are also designed to be used as variable-setting flashlights. Behind and underneath the cameras is a combination laser and radar rangefinder, as well as a speaker situated above and behind, used for public broadcasts of an incoming transmission or to amplify the soldier's voice. These systems make the modern Commonwealth soldier a light infantryman to be reckoned with in covert operations and ambushes, both working towards and fighting against.
The secondary interface of the PAPVAF systems is the Armed Forces-standard GEMTAF - "General Electronics Management Tool - Armed Forces" - PDA, which is given expanded access to communications equipment and software management. Working with the PAPVAF communications systems, rangers and other personnel with general combat equipment have access to a small arsenal of cyberwarfare and counter-intrusion tools at their disposal, ranging from general purpose viruses intended to disrupt enemy systems to civilian override codes and military authorization protocols for use in operations around civilian infrastructure. While not as powerful as specifically-designed cyberwarfare implements, the PAPVAF-assisted GEMTAF intrusion software is a potent tool in its own right, making each Commonwealth soldier a networking threat by himself.
The primary method of relaying electronics system information to the soldier is the visor along the front of the Stahlkorb helmet, built of staltrigles, another camosteel derivative where its name is derived from an Anglisech mutation of "electric steel glass". Visual elements, ranging from heartbeat monitors and ammunition counters to video transmission displays and shotfinder readouts, are displayed to the soldier on the inside of the visor, while the outer portion of it is usually given a single direction tint depending on the camouflage necessary for the assignment. Like access to the PAPVAF electronics package, more advanced readouts and displays, as well as communications relay coordination and monitoring of the war or civil effort in the area of operations is found in the GEMTAF personal data assistant. While most elements can be brought to a soldier's visor via verbal command, it is often the primary display used for such sensitive information, as a spoken command may alert nearby hostile forces during covert actions or combat situations already in progress.
Variations
In closing, the PAPVAF armor kit is a demonstration of quality equipment for the modern light infantryman, displaying both resilience in its construction, modularity in design, efficacy in execution, and economy in its light and medium infantry applications. Its variations currently in active service follow below, demonstrating the variety of uses the Garrant Commonwealth's ubiquitous suit of armor maintains.
Ranger Models
R7-A3
Vest Density: 4x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 4x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Camosteel Flex-Weave
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 24.7 kilograms
Application: Heavy EVA combat armor, used in vacuum environments, boarding actions, and zero gravity situations where weight is a negligible or irrelevant concern. Includes thruster pack.
R7-A1
Vest Density: 3x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 3x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 11.8 kilograms
Applications: Heavy combat armor designed for maximum protection in close quarters fighting, particularly symmetrical urban and jungle warfare.
R7-A2B1
Vest Density: 2x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 2x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Camosteel Flex-Weave
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 12.9 kilograms
Application: Light EVA combat armor, used in operations on barren planets where neither mobility nor durability stand above eachother. Thruster harness not included.
R7-A2B3
Vest Density: 2x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 2x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 8.8 kilograms
Application: General purpose combat armor used for mountain, thin forest, and other medium-range combat environments where neither mobility, nor durability are preferred over the other.
R7-B2C1
Vest Density: 1x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 1x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg
Expected Weight: 6.7 kilograms
Application: Light close quarters combat armor designed for high mobility in asymmetrical warfare.
R7-B1C1
Vest Density: 1x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 1x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: None
Extremity Plating: None
Expected Weight: 4.5 kilograms
Application: Non-combat vest used by officers in secured areas or aboard space vessels during groundside combat operations.
Mechanized Infantry & Armored Vehicles
M7-A3B1
Vest Density: 4x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 4x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Camosteel Flex-Weave
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 12.7 kilograms
Application: Heavy combat vehicle crew and field officer combat armor designed for maximum protection from vehicle plating failure or ammunition misfires.
M7-A2B1
Vest Density: 4x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 4x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Shoulder
Expected Weight: 10.6 kilograms
Application: Combat walker pilot heavy combat armor designed for maximum upper body protection without inhibiting leg mobility.
M7-A2B1
Vest Density: 2x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 2x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Camosteel Flex-Weave
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 9.7 kilograms
Application: Combat vehicle mounted defense crew combat armor designed for significant protection without extreme mobility loss.
M7-B3C1
Vest Density: 1x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 2x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Leg, Boot
Expected Weight: 7 kilograms
Application: Forward vehicle technician combat armor designed for upper body mobility and dexterity.
M7-B2C1
Vest Density: 1x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 1x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Leg, Boot
Expected Weight: 6.6 kilograms
Application: Vehicle crew light combat armor designed for mobility and dexterity within a vehicle.
M7-B1C1
Vest Density: 1x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 1x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: None
Extremity Plating: None
Expected Weight: 4.5 kilograms
Application: Non-combat vest used by officers in secured areas or aboard space vessels during groundside combat operations.
Airwatch
W7-A1B1
Vest Density: 3x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 3x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Leg, Boot
Expected Weight: 9.4 kilograms
Application: Gunship pilot combat armor designed for maximum protection without inhibiting upper body mobility and dexterity.
W7-A1B2
Vest Density: 2x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 2x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Leg, Boot
Expected Weight: 8.7 kilograms
Application: Combat aircraft pilot combat armor mixed between protection and upper body mobility and dexterity.
The PAPVAF combat armor series, an acronym for "Personnel Armored Protection Vest - Armed Forces", was brought into standardization across the Garrant Commonwealth's Armed Forces at the opening of the Timosi War in 2185 A.F. Over seven primary iterations and eleven special forces configurations, it has stood its ground over the trials in interstellar conflict, finding success as both a general purpose hazard suit and light infantry body armor.
Design
The PAPVAF series of combat armor is not simply a vest or armor kit, as its name and label might suggest. It encompasses the entirety of a ranger's, stormtrooper's, crewman's, airman's, and fleetsman's uniform, from their basic attire up to their combat or flight helmet and armored equipment. Its applications, as with most Commonwealth equipment, are wide and varied, able to be stripped or bulked up to suit every role from construction safety harness to EVA combat armor.
Uniform
The PAPVAF uniform has been designed with three primary goals: comfort, adaptability, and cofunctionality. The most basic uniform consists of an electrofiber jumpsuit with a fire-resistant soft armor mesh woven underneath its reactive surfaces. The suit is sealed to the user's body with air-tight fitting for use as an EVA jumpsuit and can be supported with an EVA hood or helmet to allow work in a vacuum or negligible oxygen environment. Straps are built into the suit's arms, legs, and torso to secure equipment, such as oxygen tanks or atmospheric recycler packs, or to further secure PAPVAF combat armor. Tactical harnesses can - and often are - used in conjunction with the jumpsuit for a final layer of stability for armor or equipment and are often used for military PDA storage during combat or high-risk EVA operations.
The electrofiber material used in the PAPVAF uniform and armor was the result of reverse-engineering of captured Verinen camosteel following the Tharkadian War of First Contact in 2100 A.F. It eventually lead to the total inclusion of the Commonwealth's own version of camosteel and, shortly thereafter, the invention of electrofiber. Electrofiber is a material that, when charged with an electric current, shifts in color in much the same fashion as camosteel, albeit on a smaller, more economic scale for infantry applications. With the right voltage applied to the right areas, a coloration and pattern for almost any application can be produced on-demand to fit the current environmental situation, be it to stand out in dangerous work environments or blend in during combat operations. The electrofiber material cannot, however, be used as an active camouflage mechanism for long periods and its use even in the short term is questionable at best. With a constant electric current applied to the fabric, it will eventually lose its ability to alter color, usually creating stains of "dead" fibers that have failed to transition fully from one color to another. Currently, active camouflage with electrofiber or camosteel equipment is currently only used by the Stormtroopers, as their often critical missions demand utility in all domains. This is typically used in conjunction with fully camosteel weaponry and armor kits to fully hide a stormtrooper "headbobbing", as it has come to be called due to the contrast between the soldier's equipment and any exposed skin, usually that of his face or hands.
Contrary to some circulated rumors, the reactive fiber of the PAPVAF jumpsuit cannot destroy or otherwise deflect incoming projectiles when charged. Most instances where a projectile has defeated the hard armor layer of the PAPVAF combat armor set and not fully penetrated the uniform is a result of the soft armor absorbing the remaining kinetic force of the round. Considering the jumpsuit's thin construction, surface damage is usually superficial and overlooked. These few rumors have circulated from declassified Stormtrooper operations where an operative's combat armor had failed, yet the round that had penetrated it had simply fallen away or been lost in the heat of combat. Tests prior to the usage of electrofiber suits had shown that their usage as electrically reactive armor is impractical and ineffective.
Camosteel, however, is still under research as an electrically reactive armor following Verinen advances prior to the Timosi War. Strike and shock troops fielding the so-called "strike plates" have been shown to conduct enough electricity to defeat small arms, shaped charge, and low-velocity railslug ammunition in some instances with negligible or a complete lack of damage to their armor. With the spoils of war primarily in the hands of the Coalition and sixteen years' time since its end, it is likely that results will be made in the near future, if not in 2203 itself.
In parade or dress uniforms, the jumpsuit is often colored based on an Armed Forces soldier's position, rank, homeworld, and branch. Traditionally, senior officers often have copper-tinted shoulder straps, stemming from the Commonwealth's historical practice of using copper as a rank identifier during and following Anchorage's first industrial age.
Rangers are most often denoted by a dark green, their homeworld's chosen color in thick lines down from the inner edges of their shoulders to the tip of their stomach and dark grey stripes across the inner and outer sides of their limbs, the thickness of which denoting their significance as a leader. Privates and corporals are never seen with limb stripes, nor are Ranger officers from captain to brigadier due to the varying levels of copper in their shoulder straps. Ranger generals, however, wear entirely grey uniforms, being the only exception of the Rangers' officer corps to wear entirely grey uniforms outside of active duty.
The Mechanized Infantry & Armored Vehicles personnel of the Armed Forces most often wear the opposite of the Rangers, sporting dark grey dress uniforms with stripes of dark green varying by leadership position along their limbs. The only real difference in patterning is the collar of the uniform, which is colored after the unit's homeworld color. Likewise, MIAV generals wear entirely dark green uniforms, the reversed coloration of the two ground branches of the Armed Forces symbolizing their extensively linked operations in wartime.
Space Navy officers wear uniforms ranging from black at the bottom of the hierarchy to pure white with black collars. This practice stems from former Navy camouflage practices, where an officer would rarely be seen outside a vessel and low-ranking personnel - such as hull maintenance staff - would more likely be in EVA situations and thus need to be hidden. This practice was mostly symbolic, as its effectiveness was only marginal and aided more in determining the severity of a ship's damage from a distance than hiding less senior fleetsmen from enemy observation. The sight of a corpse clad in white drifting through space was more often than not a confirmation that a ship had been put out of action - often permanently. In combat situations, Space Navy personnel are more often seen in dark grey or white to match the interiors of their hull should a boarding action be made against their vessel, much like the rangers stationed aboard the ship. In the case of fleetsmen serving aboard ships considered too small to be boarded, their jumpsuits are charged to a white coloration to aid in the recovery of casualties after a battle.
The Airwatch primarily use blue dress uniforms, varying from lighter, more tealish blues at the bottom of their command structure to dark blues in the same color as the secondary color of the Woodsman's Star. Squadron leaders typically have white cuffs, while senior officers sport white collars, taking from their respective roles as leaders in the Airwatch. Rather than have a specific portion of their jumpsuit tinted to their homeworld's color, airmen and watchmen most often have caps with a homeworld affiliation band around its circumference. The appearance of different sections of the Airwatch in parade or dress conditions seen alongside eachother has earned off-duty airmen the nickname of "regbogs", taking from the German word "regenbogen" for "rainbow".
The Naval Forces, being the simplest of the branches, has no rank or leadership variance, where all members have traditionally and continue to wear light grey uniforms.
The Stormtroopers and External Intelligence do not have their own dress uniform style and most often draw from the Rangers' aesthetic design for situations in which stormtroopers or intelligence agents must be embedded or march with a parade or procession.
Armor
The PAPVAF armor kit varies in supply considerations from light infantry to medium infantry, being modular and reconfigurable in all its forms to be stripped down or up-armored in the field to suit a changing combat situation. Its most recognizable appearance is that of the Commonwealth Rangers, finding itself as a camosteel flex-weave vest with similar camosteel plate inserts, limb plates, and extremity coverings, along with electrofiber-lined, fire-resistant, CVN-protected soft armor used over top of the vest to further protect joints and difficult-to-armor locations. The second layer of soft armor is likewise vacuum-sealed to the PAPVAF jumpsuit and vest to function as a second layer of EVA protection without drastically inhibiting mobility.
Camosteel-plated electrofiber combat boots are used in conjunction with magnetic plating embedded in their soles that can be activated and deactivated on-demand for combat aboard space vessels, zero gravity environments, or metallic surfaces with problematic traction or movement conditions.
Protection for the soldier's head is provided by a traditional Stahlkorb camosteel helmet with attached electronics systems and other support equipment, which will be described later in the Electronics section of this topic. The helmet is produced only in one size unlike the armor vest, soft armor overlay, and jumpsuit, but has a number of additional size fitting materials to adjust it to the wearer's head profile. This is due to the design of the PAPVAF combat hazard gas mask's construction, built in a similar one-size-fits-all fashion and constructed to be used both as a general purpose filtering mask and as a component of an EVA hood. The mask itself is armored with camosteel and takes the place of the helmet's standard electronics visor for tactical information relay and general electronics systems displays.
During EVA and other vacuum environment operations, the PAPVAF armor vest is further bolstered with heavier plating and camosteel flex-weaves in place of the ordinary outer soft armor layer. Due to the greatly increased chance of a one-shot-kill in such environments, the substantial amount of additional weight the camosteel weave places on the soldier is considered an even trade-off, particularly since most vacuum environment combat situations take place in zero gravity environments where weight is a minor concern.
The Stahlkorb helmet is often completely replaced with the heavier, fully sealed Smallhole-style EVA helmet during vacuum situations. While functional in EVA combat environments, the ordinary Stahlkorb is considered inadequate for the high lethality situations in vacuum environments. The Smallhole-style helmet is effectively a camosteel-and-electronics case donned over the head and fitted to an EVA hood, given the nickname "brain coffin" for its earlier designs' failures. Instead of the ordinary Stahlkorb helmet's visor, it instead features a much larger interface across the entirety of the helmet's front interior surface. Three cameras with adjustable image displays are affixed to the center of the helmet's exterior, providing a visual feed for the soldier and a central method of alternate vision filters.
Additionally, the armor is often fitted with a thruster harness, with rear-facing thrusters mounted to the shoulders and forward-facing thrusters affixed to the abdomen. The harness is most often placed underneath the camosteel weave suit, where the thrusters themselves extend through purpose-built openings for them. The fuel pack is usually fitted underneath the weave at the wearer's lower back to prevent canister ruptures from weapons fire. Oxygen tanks and other vital equipment is also likewise situated underneath the outer camosteel layer.
In fighting conditions, the PAPVAF combat vest has been proven as a solid and reliable armor component capable of defeating modern armor-piercing 7x60mm rifle bullets repeatedly, as well as being able to absorb the impact of at least one explosive 13.2x91mm or low-velocity 3.47x58mm railgun slug, albeit with significant blunt force trauma to the wearer for the latter two as well as any secondary injuries from an explosive projectile. Likewise, the PAPVAF soft armor layers have been shown to stand up to multiple impacts of spitzer-shaped 10x29mm pistol ammunition in both civilian full metal jacket design and military armor-piercing design. Likewise, the Stahlkorb helmet has been shown to be able to defeat direct 7x60mm impacts with no spinal or concussive trauma risk to the user and glancing railgun frag-slug shrapnel strikes with moderate potential for spinal impact trauma and a far reduced chance of concussive trauma.
The classifications for the amount of armor a soldier wears is the same as the growing Commonwealth standard of A for heavy, B for moderate, and C for light, where middling classifications are assigned labels such as A2B1 or C1B2, depending on which side of the spectrum they lean most. Standard Ranger combat armor, denoted by an R, such as in PAPVAFR7, most often falls into the A2B3 section, while MIAV crewman, denoted by an M, Space Navy fleetsman, denoted by an S, and Airwatch airman armor, denoted by a W, is often little more than the vest, its outer layer, and the shoulder and knee pads, finding itself into the C1B1 classification. Of note are the Stormtrooper and External Intelligence models, who do not follow the ordinary PAPVAF naming convention and instead use PAPVS, or "Personnel Armored Protection Vest - Special".
A list of all known classifications and their usage will be included at the end of this document.
Electronics
The PAPVAF armor and uniform kit would not be modern combat armor without a well-rounded electronics suite. Building on the Commonwealth's success as a leader in quality light infantry, the electronics package in the PAPVAF armor kit, primarily housed in the Stahlkorb camosteel helmet, is one of the most powerful used in unpowered infantry armor, beating out even some of the combat electronics packages of some armored cavalry.
The primary interface of the PAPVAF electronics systems is the microphone built into the Stahlkorb helmet. Verbal commands and the sounds of combat are used, sometimes in conjunction, to great effect for the personnel wearing the armor. Included in the ordinary PAPVAF software is access to the powerful Garran COBSWEB tactical network, providing everything from instant intelligence reports from reconnaissance personnel and equipment to basic shotfinder systems designed to identify the location and likely weapon of incoming enemy fire. Additionally, redundant systems are built into the PAPVAF software package in the event of tactical network jamming or COBSWEB failure, granting the soldier the almost undeniable abilities to utilize shotfinder software, identify hostile targets and allied personnel with electronic identifiers or lackthereof, communicate directly with other squad members, monitor their visual, audio, and casualty status situations, and interface with weapon electronics for accurate magazine capacity and functional status reports. Innate to most modern combat software, the Stahlkorb helmet incorporates its own thermal, infrared, electromagnetic, and light amplification vision filters granted by two cameras affixed to its top. In low-light conditions where an alternate vision filter is not preferred, such as operating alongside allied personnel without light amplification devices, civilian escort or assistance operations, or patrol duty, the cameras are also designed to be used as variable-setting flashlights. Behind and underneath the cameras is a combination laser and radar rangefinder, as well as a speaker situated above and behind, used for public broadcasts of an incoming transmission or to amplify the soldier's voice. These systems make the modern Commonwealth soldier a light infantryman to be reckoned with in covert operations and ambushes, both working towards and fighting against.
The secondary interface of the PAPVAF systems is the Armed Forces-standard GEMTAF - "General Electronics Management Tool - Armed Forces" - PDA, which is given expanded access to communications equipment and software management. Working with the PAPVAF communications systems, rangers and other personnel with general combat equipment have access to a small arsenal of cyberwarfare and counter-intrusion tools at their disposal, ranging from general purpose viruses intended to disrupt enemy systems to civilian override codes and military authorization protocols for use in operations around civilian infrastructure. While not as powerful as specifically-designed cyberwarfare implements, the PAPVAF-assisted GEMTAF intrusion software is a potent tool in its own right, making each Commonwealth soldier a networking threat by himself.
The primary method of relaying electronics system information to the soldier is the visor along the front of the Stahlkorb helmet, built of staltrigles, another camosteel derivative where its name is derived from an Anglisech mutation of "electric steel glass". Visual elements, ranging from heartbeat monitors and ammunition counters to video transmission displays and shotfinder readouts, are displayed to the soldier on the inside of the visor, while the outer portion of it is usually given a single direction tint depending on the camouflage necessary for the assignment. Like access to the PAPVAF electronics package, more advanced readouts and displays, as well as communications relay coordination and monitoring of the war or civil effort in the area of operations is found in the GEMTAF personal data assistant. While most elements can be brought to a soldier's visor via verbal command, it is often the primary display used for such sensitive information, as a spoken command may alert nearby hostile forces during covert actions or combat situations already in progress.
Variations
In closing, the PAPVAF armor kit is a demonstration of quality equipment for the modern light infantryman, displaying both resilience in its construction, modularity in design, efficacy in execution, and economy in its light and medium infantry applications. Its variations currently in active service follow below, demonstrating the variety of uses the Garrant Commonwealth's ubiquitous suit of armor maintains.
Ranger Models
R7-A3
Vest Density: 4x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 4x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Camosteel Flex-Weave
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 24.7 kilograms
Application: Heavy EVA combat armor, used in vacuum environments, boarding actions, and zero gravity situations where weight is a negligible or irrelevant concern. Includes thruster pack.
R7-A1
Vest Density: 3x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 3x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 11.8 kilograms
Applications: Heavy combat armor designed for maximum protection in close quarters fighting, particularly symmetrical urban and jungle warfare.
R7-A2B1
Vest Density: 2x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 2x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Camosteel Flex-Weave
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 12.9 kilograms
Application: Light EVA combat armor, used in operations on barren planets where neither mobility nor durability stand above eachother. Thruster harness not included.
R7-A2B3
Vest Density: 2x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 2x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 8.8 kilograms
Application: General purpose combat armor used for mountain, thin forest, and other medium-range combat environments where neither mobility, nor durability are preferred over the other.
R7-B2C1
Vest Density: 1x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 1x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg
Expected Weight: 6.7 kilograms
Application: Light close quarters combat armor designed for high mobility in asymmetrical warfare.
R7-B1C1
Vest Density: 1x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 1x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: None
Extremity Plating: None
Expected Weight: 4.5 kilograms
Application: Non-combat vest used by officers in secured areas or aboard space vessels during groundside combat operations.
Mechanized Infantry & Armored Vehicles
M7-A3B1
Vest Density: 4x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 4x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Camosteel Flex-Weave
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 12.7 kilograms
Application: Heavy combat vehicle crew and field officer combat armor designed for maximum protection from vehicle plating failure or ammunition misfires.
M7-A2B1
Vest Density: 4x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 4x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Shoulder
Expected Weight: 10.6 kilograms
Application: Combat walker pilot heavy combat armor designed for maximum upper body protection without inhibiting leg mobility.
M7-A2B1
Vest Density: 2x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 2x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Camosteel Flex-Weave
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Arm, Leg, Shoulder, Boot
Expected Weight: 9.7 kilograms
Application: Combat vehicle mounted defense crew combat armor designed for significant protection without extreme mobility loss.
M7-B3C1
Vest Density: 1x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 2x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Leg, Boot
Expected Weight: 7 kilograms
Application: Forward vehicle technician combat armor designed for upper body mobility and dexterity.
M7-B2C1
Vest Density: 1x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 1x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Stahlkorb Combat Helmet
Extremity Plating: Leg, Boot
Expected Weight: 6.6 kilograms
Application: Vehicle crew light combat armor designed for mobility and dexterity within a vehicle.
M7-B1C1
Vest Density: 1x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 1x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: None
Extremity Plating: None
Expected Weight: 4.5 kilograms
Application: Non-combat vest used by officers in secured areas or aboard space vessels during groundside combat operations.
Airwatch
W7-A1B1
Vest Density: 3x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 3x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Leg, Boot
Expected Weight: 9.4 kilograms
Application: Gunship pilot combat armor designed for maximum protection without inhibiting upper body mobility and dexterity.
W7-A1B2
Vest Density: 2x Camosteel Ballistics Plates, 2x Wurtzestahl Plate Sheaths
Outer Layer: Wurtzestahl Fiber Soft Armor
Helmet: Smallhole EVA Helmet
Extremity Plating: Leg, Boot
Expected Weight: 8.7 kilograms
Application: Combat aircraft pilot combat armor mixed between protection and upper body mobility and dexterity.
