Project Ubdersoldaten
This project was concieved by the secretive Special Operations Directorate with the aim of creating a weapon of intimidation and advancing the concept of armoured troops into the next century. Research initially began on portable body armour but the project took a new turn with new advancements in the fields of hydraulics, cybernetics and medical science. The concept was radical yet somewhat familiar: to implant a soldier into a suit of armour capable of withstanding direct heavy fire, much the same as the armoured knight of old.
After experimentation with multiple types of armour, the research team decided to settle on chobham armour as it seemed to fulfill the requirements of the Project guidelines. The suit was originally scaled to be just over 7' tall and armed with a MG, but orders from the Fuhrer to increase firepower and intimidation meant that the suit ended up being over 16' tall and initially armed with two modified M242 Bushmasters. The Bushmaster gives the Ubersoldat great tactical flexibility as there are three firing modes (1) Single Shot Semi-Automatic. The gunner can shoot as fast as he can squeeze the trigger. (2) Low Rate Fully Automatic. The weapon fires 100 rounds a minute, plus or minus 25 rounds. (3) High Rate Fully Automatic. The weapon fires 200 rounds a minute, plus or minus 25 rounds. Ammunition for these weapons is located in a storage bin mounted on the back of the armour that can be released if needed.
Volunteers are grafted into the armour through a series of complex operations using essentially the same technology as artificial limb replacement. The nerves and muscles are grafted onto sets of transmitters that really signals from the brain to the suit, giving the operator as much control over the suit as he/she would his/her own body. The limbs are hydraulically assisted, and at a run the Ubersoldat can reach speeds of 28 mpph on flat and clear terrain. Movement is slow in most Ubersoldats, but the longer a volunteer has been an Ubersoldat, the more time he has to get used to his new body.
The first Ubersoldat entered service 10 years after the start of the Project and formed part of Special Action Division. Production of Ubersoldats lead to the creation of the Ubersoldat Brigade, and numerous variants and improvements have been produced.
1. Version VB - Two mounted M242 Bushmasters, this is the mainstay of Ubersoldaten and accounts for 68% of currently operational Ubersoldaten.
2. Version VM - modular weaponry, two weapons slots that can house one of the following: chain gun, flamethrower, rocket launcher, chainsaw. Version VB Ubersoldaten can be converted into VMs
Research and development continues on the Project, most specifically into the field of Electrically charged armour.
Above: an Ubersoldat of Special Action Division
The Exodus And Beyond
Following the massive surge of Imperial technology, Project Ubersoldaten underwent a massive upgrade. New types of armour made the Ubersoldat immune to everyting but the most destructive of weaponry, advanced computer and AI assists speeded up combat reflexes and tactical decisions, whilst heavier weaponry allowed the Ubersoldat to pack a huge punch. In the year 4AR (after Reunification), the Skgorrian Military operates the following types of Ubersoldat
Reaper-Class
Designed mainly for ship boarding and internal security, these models are the smallest of the Ubersoldats. Armed with a medium plasma shotgun, they are less heavily armoured than their heavier brethren but are a lot faster. It can be mere minutes from entry to ship capture if these might troopers are used.
Above: A Reaper-Class Ubersoldat stand guard outside of a minor government facility
Maelstrom-Class
The heavyweight of the Skgorrian Military and of the Ubersoldats, these leviathans are extremely heavily armed and armoured. Most commonly, they have a twin-linked fusion cannon for maximum firepower and can lay waste to legions of lesser foes.
Above: Two Maelstroms advance into a contested area unsupported, one of them is detaining a suspected dissident
