Project AEOLIA

, originally known as Project MINOVSKY before its eventual redesignation prior to the Insurrection, was a highly confidential over the top research and development project established by the UNSC with the sole purpose of designing and developing highly advanced machinery such as humanoid and non-humanoid combat vehicles. It was lead by the UNSC division UNSC Mechanized Combat Corps.

Early History
Originally called Project MINOVSKY in the late 2300s, it was part of the UNSC Mechanized Combat Corps and was overseen by the UNSC. Lead by several idealistic scientists, the project's main aim was to create revolutionary machinery that would be an evolution of the standard battle tank, most specifically, a humanoid combat vehicle. At first, the UNSC heavily supported the project, funding the project with vast amounts of money and having high hopes for the eventual yields it presented. However, the UNSC did not have the necessary and advanced technology to create what the project aimed for. The heads of the Project MINOVSKY created two separate categories for their prototypes.

The first category of the two had the most number of prototypes produced. Dubbed the Mobile Suits by the Designers, the main aim of this project was to design a humanoid combat vehicle that would be used for most combat scenarios. Their first prototypes were roughly humanoid mainly having a head, a torso, arms and legs. Mainly exoskeletons fitted with heavy weaponry, they proved to be quite capable in combat. Initial test runs proved the exoskeletons to be immensely powerful but it lacked the necessary power output to be at full efficiency, with it requiring an external power source to power the systems and thus, the early prototypes were scratched.

The second category of the two had the least amount of prototypes produced but were more successful than the latter which resulted in acceptance as well as mass-production. Dubbed the Mobile Armour by the Designers and the UNSC, the Mobile Armours were meant to be an all purpose unit, being built to compete with the Mobile Suits. Due to their various designs, MAs were seen as flexible assaults platforms, with many of them being designated as land and air units.

Trivia

 * The name Aeolia is a reference to Aeolia Schenberg, a pivotal character in Gundam 00.
 * The name Minovsky is a reference to Minovsky Physics, a pivotal technology that allowed the creation of Mobile Suits to be possible in Universal Century.