The SCS Project was originally conceived 5 years after the Marine Corps came into play. It's purpose was to design a Marine Unit that would be invincible to most ammunition. It's armor is a composite that will take damage, but not be penetrated, by most types of ammunition available on the open market. The original design process was long as it looked at more than 40 different armor permutations before it came up with the final product that would become the Mark 1. This caused major budget overages that almost caused the program to be halted. The SCS Project has gone through Three versions to date, with the Mark 2 and Mark 3 being the current versions. The Mark 1 was discontinued in 2016.
Mark 1 -- Discontinued (Pictured 1st in Slideshow)
The first version of the SCS Project, the Mark I, was the Marine Corps first attempt at designing a combat suit that was versatile and lethal in heavy combat situations. The original suit did exceptionally well in trials runs even though it's weight was up near 450 pounds due to the rather ancient hydraulics used in the construction of the arms and legs. Transportation for this suit was also a nightmare as only two or three could fit on one of the newly designed Pelicans before the aircraft had lift issues. For a fire team of 5 to be deployed into a combat situation, it would take two Pelicans. These suits began their removal from service in late 2015 when the Mark 2 rolled off the assembly line. It wasn't until early 2016 when the final Mark 1's were completely removed from service, the left over models were destroyed, with one or two of them being donated to museums across the Shazbotdom Empire on a rotating basis for the public to see.
Mark 2 (Pictured 2nd in Slideshow)
Early in 2015 new schematics were brought before the SCS Project Committee, designed by Dr. Leonard Nemoidey, in which it added enhanced vision systems, more capacity in the processor and data storage systems and enhanced armor protection, the Mark II was the latest and greatest to come out of Shazbotdom Advanced Weapons System Research and Development. While it is a slower model than the Mark I in which it replaced, it was was nearly the third of the weight of the previous model and also sported larger shoulder protection, a newly designed helmet, and the addition of a battle knife on the chest plate placed in a manner that it can be easily dismounted and used in hand to hand combat.
This armor proved viable in heavy firefight operations throughout combat theaters across the world, including a defense of the Shazbotdom Colony of Alraibris from the Nation of Cymbric Nations in 2016. These Marines were in the trenches throughout the battle to save the colony from the enemy. Although only a fraction lighter than the previous model, it was a better choice for the Marine Corps and was adopted by all SCS Marines. In early 2019, only roughly 50% of the SCS Marines are continuing to use the Mark II Armor.
Mark 3 (Aviator Variant Pictured 3rd in Slideshow)
After much field testing of the Mark II version of the SCS Marine Design, in early 2018 the Shazbotdom Advanced Weapons System Research and Development began designing a new variant that would offer better mobility for the Marines. The Mark III was born out of these trials. Using synthetic armor materials for better protection, it reduced the thickness of the armor plating in multiple area's, making this suit the lightest and most flexible for the Marines inside. Updates to the software using the new Shazbotdom Designed Plunix operating system meant less processor power and a more compact computer system with better processing speed and an advanced HUD in the Helmet. The Combat Knife was relocated from the chest plate on the previous version to the left hip.
Also added to the Mark III version of the SCS Combat Suit is the ability for the Marines to swap out for various different armor suit combinations. The capability to do this is for enhanced operations and for the ability for the SCS Marines to design their suit for their personal preference or for the style of the missions that the individual marine will partake in. There are roughly 35 different styles of armor combinations that can be used in a mix and match. The different styles are listed below, with viewable pictures that can be clicked to zoom in on. Coloration is chosen by the Marine who picks the suit, most Marines choose either a camo skin or a black skin for their Armor. This version of the SCS Combat Suit, deployed in early 2019, is used by roughly 50% of the SCS Marines.
The Imperial GuardA dedicated and highly trained branch of the SCS Marines, was established in late 2019 and is made up of 100 individuals hand picked by the Supreme Emperor for the sole purpose of protecting the Imperial Family and high ranking dignitaries, such as the Ministers and the Prime Minister of the Shazbotdom Empire. These SCS Marines use a variation of the Mark 3 Armor that is unavailable to any other Marine within the SCS Program.
