Modular Reinforced Insulated Sheath Armor

A demonstration model of a full set of Block 2 MRIS armor. Note the "skirt"-style garment worn around the waist: this is intended to protect the wearer from airburst and wide-beam munitions.

Modular Reinforced Insulated Sheath Armor, also known as RIS armor or the MRIS system, is an advanced type of lightweight, flexible modular unpowered body armor.

History

MRIS was originally designed for non-combat personnel entering potentially hostile areas, who would not be comfortable with wearing full combat exosuits or otherwise had no need for that degree of protection. Original sets, now referred to as Block 1 MRIS, consisted only of a chestplate with 3 seperate layers of armor.

The elusive SPECCOM division of the Solas Tempus Action Arm, however, has long since pushed for the introduction of a number of quality-of-life improvements, namely, a force-wide standardization of weaponry, mounting systems, and modularity, with an emphasis on easily interchangeable parts and foresight for upgrade pathways. Some SPECCOM personnel acquired MRIS chestplates, and, owing mostly to the modularity and strength, praised it for it’s many potential applications. Noticing this, SPECCOM began pushing for Solas Tempus R&D to create a SPECCOM-peculiar variant of the MRIS system. Their efforts have culminated in the development of the Block 2 MRIS system, which is a full set of unpowered, low-visibility body armor tailored specifically to the ever-changing needs of SPECCOM personnel based on their wide variety of mission types.

Since it’s inception, it has seen a number of key changes or improvements. Block 2 modifications allowed for the use of fully interchangeable plates that provide equal amounts of protection across the entire body, while the Block 3 modifications incorporate a Class 2D body armor, compatible with light shield arrays, and introduce lighter, lower visibility armor options for different environments. Block 3A augments provide specialized cold weather gear.

Design

The armor plates of the MRIS set are designed to be easily and quickly interchangable by personnel in the field to facilitate maximum readiness and mission flexibility for units deployed in strange, asymmetric, or unknown regions. The modularity of the set, plus compatibility with most standardized mounting systems, aftermarket accessories, and field improvisations, allows the end user to customize their armor based on mission need and personal preference. The high degree of freedom offered by both the SPECCOM mission statement and SPECCOM-peculiar kit allow for maximum efficicency and effectiveness in the field.

Protection

The MRIS system provides protection by means of interchangeable, removable layers. These typically consist of modular interference-resistant magnetically-connected armor plates, which are hooked up manually to the jumpsuit by means of heavy-duty load-carrying loops. Despite it's low weight and focus on mobility, it provides a high degree of personal protection, especially when the layers are in tandem with one another.

Primary Layer

The primary layer is typically the thickest, and is Class 1M-rated at the minimum. These plates are usually rigid, hard SAPI or Shooter's cut armor plates with a spall liner, with the most common variety consisting of a heavy tritanium alloy plate that covers the front and back of the wearer. While tough, the primary armor layer only usually covers the most essential vital organs, the lungs and heart, due to the restrictive weight of larger 1M-rated plates, although in tandem with the two other layers, there is little to nothing that can penetrate a wearer's vital regions.

A chest-mounted light can be attached to the middle of the primary plate, configured for low-light red, IR, strobe, or white light for various mission needs. The MRIS chest rig's straps can be configured to go over the primary layer without difficulty, provided that the wearer adjusts for the thickness of the plate compared to the secondary layer.

Low-Visibility Plate Carrier Module

An alternate plate carrier modeled off of the LBT-6094 chassis has been introduced with the Block 3 MRIS set, designed specifically for low-visibility or low-risk operations. It is designed to fit Class 1K or 1M SAPI-cut plates of varying size, with removable pockets for optional smaller side plates. The EMAG-resistant magnetic mounting strip system found on the regular primary armor layer can be found on the Low-Vis plate carrier.

Secondary Layer

The secondary layer protects most of the chest region, although it's rated lower on the protection scale at Class 1K instead of 1M. It is more flexible than the primary layer, consisting of smaller spaced plates with cuts for maximum mobility and ease of access, and is designed to provide the highest degree of lightweight protection against small arms fire that can be afforded to non-vital areas. Attachment points for Flexible Universal Mounts are located on the secondary layer of armor.

Tertiary Layer

Forming the backbone of the MRIS system is the tertiary layer, which, for EVA environments, consists of a fully-sealed, pressurized, fire-retardant, Class 2D-reinforced shield generator-compatible armored jumpsuit made of synthetic cloth and tritanium mesh weave to spoof sensors. Typically, it is in uniform black, with provisions on the chest to mount heavier armored plates. A heavy-duty EVA belt keeps the jumpsuit well-fit, and can accommodate personal shield generator units or ammunition pouches.

The unpressurized Block 3 variant of the tertiary layer is a new SPECCOM Class 2D combat shirt/pant combo with a rigid gunbelt, which had been worn by SPECCOM personnel for years prior to formal introduction. These are made from a similar synthetic cloth and mesh weave, but are lighter, more breathable, and significantly less complex than the jumpsuit. Key provisions include shoulder pouches, adjustable sleeves and wrist cuffs, and backwards compatibility with Class 1D soft armor liners.

Cold Weather Protective Outerwear

Incorporating operational feedback from SPECCOM units operating in highly-asymmetric environments, development of specialized low-visibility cold weather assault gear was accelerated and eventually produced the CWPO augment to Block 3 armor sets. Now issued as part of interim Block 3A MRIS kits, the CWPO is a set of lightweight, breathable waterproof (hydrophobic) and windproof garments made from slick synthetic material with a specialized soft inner layer. These garments, consisting of a grey jacket and tertiary layer-style assault pants, are typically worn under the armor in cold, wet, and/or windy climates, provided that a pressurized suit is not required. The jacket has two pockets with velcro slabs on the shoulder sleeves, adjustable wrist cuffs, an adjustable hood, and additional pockets on the main body, while the pants are essentially tertiary layer assault pants with a different material and inner layer. Both have the capability to install Class 1D or 2D soft armor layers, although wearers typically forgoe this due to the presence of the inner liner, which produces too tight of a fit when combined with armor.

The Block 3A jacket, which is currently exclusive to SPECCOM personnel, is worn occasionally as a status symbol in low-threat areas such as Nimbus Station.

Other

As the plates are worn externally, operators issued MRIS sets typically procure low-profile fabric chest rigs, occasionally with additional soft armor backings for extra protection. These allow operators to easily store and carry auxiliary equipment, backup weapons, and spare reloads. Third-party belts can also be used to store equipment, shield generators, and oxygen tanks, as the MRIS armor is capable of fully pressurizing for use in EVA environments.

With the inception of Class 2D body armor, SPECCOM personnel issued MRIS armor have begun modifying the outer layers to incorporate one or more spare power cells, rigging them so that the shield grid is instantly recharged upon failing. These vary wildly in type and effectiveness, and effectiveness can scale with the amount carried. Their bulk limits their potential greatly, however, and most personnel never take more than one or two backup power cells.

Next Generation Unpowered Armor

With the advent of more robust armor solutions, namely the Class 1Z Advanced Cybernetic Exoskeleton and the highly-sophisticated Class 2M Nanomaterial Armor, Solas Tempus R&D working in tandem with SPECCOM began development on so-called "Block 4" upgrades to the aging MRIS system, officially named the "Next Generation Unpowered Armor" program. Consulting with various blue team units, including the famed STMC, R&D completed development in early 2386, with SPECCOM units being the first to receive the first phase of NGUA consisting of two different primary layers. Both are rated just under Class 1Z levels of protection and incorporate much of the same tritanium composite base materials but with a different synthetic alloy filler in place of any electronic components, although armor coverage has not changed from the limited Block 3 iterations. The first variant is the standard cut, while the second features a sharper "swimmer's" cut intended to allow the wearer more flexibility when operating machinery or weaponry. Both variants also come in an alternate configuration, with small cutouts at mid-level to allow for quickclip loops, along with a large hook-and-loop patch on the front to securely attach aftermarket bags and accessories. These do not compromise the integrity of the armor, and preference is left up to the end user. The back plate is fitted with provisions to accept anything from jump packs to portable drones and various rucksacks, for seamless integration, and the physical armor plates themselves can be removed from the MRIS-pattern housings and put in standard plate carriers.

The second phase, currently in development with some units receiving examples for field testing, consists of upgraded tertiary layers featuring full nanomaterial integration. Designed to be low profile, the nanomaterial underlayer requires very little power at a basic level, allowing for protection higher than the original 1D-spec lower layers with minimal levels of intrusion. Should power in the integrated micro reactors run out, the layers maintain a physical protection rating of around 1D, though wear over time may degrade performance. Unlike the more sophisticated suits of nanomaterial armor, the tertiary layer lacks most of if not all of the more advanced features, although components from both the 3M and 1Z armors are being integrated into the NGAU helmet.

The third phase consists of the NGAU helmet, currently in development. Building from the current MRIS helmet, R&D seeks to elevate the internal components to the same level as that of it's powered counterparts, along with more robust CBRN filter systems. There are also plans for a fourth phase incorporating newer shielding solutions, but R&D is allegedly running into difficulty with integrating them into the current NGAU/MRIS systems.