M19 Hazardous Operations Armour

The is specialised body armour used by the UNSC Army, Marine Corps and Navy for missions in hazardous areas. The body armour is designed to survive a variety of extreme climates and environments.

The first and inner most layer of the armour is an environmental layer, containing a climate control to ensure the comfort of the user at all times, often drawing excessive amounts of power and disrupting the stealth profile of the armour. Above this is the slightly clunky pressure suit level, designed to protect against high and low pressure environments. This pressure suit adapts to protect the user against change environmental threats and allow unhindered movement in high and low pressure environments, including space. Above this is a aerogel filled layer hardened against radiation, with a non-permeable regenerative protection against radiological threats. This allows the user to survive excessive amounts of time in other wise deadly environments. The upper most layer covered in specialised BDUs. These are treated to be heat resistant and non-moisture carrying.

The specialised armour designed to go with the environmental suit is designed to protect the suit from puncture, covering much of the body. It weighs slightly more than the M6B Special Operations Battle Armour and is slightly more encompassing, covering the arms, legs, torso and neck. This armour is made up for titanium-alluminde plating, AEGIS tile inserts, diamond weave kevlar and a non-newtonian shock absorbing layer.

The helmet is made up of a large, wide, encompassing visor, designed to give the user maximum visibility in the environment. The visor is made up of single quartz crystal, filled with self regenerative materials allowing it to repair cracks in the helmet. This visor has variable tinting, allowing it to phase out radiation, electromagnetic interference and act as a sun visor. The helmet has the amenities of any UNSC helmet, including a AN/PSQ-5 Heads Up Display, a motion sensor, a passive night-vision system and hardened communication system. The helmet has a independent oxygen supply lasting 7 minutes, but can be linked to a external life support pack. The respirator system features a regenerative CBRN system, allowing the user to breath clean air in biological, chemical and radiological hazard zones.

The external life support need only be equipped if the user is expected to encounter problems including pressure and low or no oxygen. The life support system contains ninety minutes of pressurised air, with variable pressure mix, allowing the user to breath in different environments without changing out the mixture or pack. The life support system also controls the pressure suit, allowing it to adapt to changing conditions and protect the user.

The M19 HazOp Armour is often used by marine and army forces when deploying to hazardous areas, such as radiation zones caused by the detonation of nuclear weapons, by the UNSC or otherwise, in environments of extreme cold where cold weather gear would fail, in environments of extreme heat, such as volcano zones, or inner system planet, used on planets where high or low pressure present a problem, used on planets with dangerous biological or chemical elements, man-made or not and deep space operations. The armour is often used by the small number of 'hazardous environment' regiments found in the Marine Corps and Army and in special units dedicated to the use or prevention of specialised CBRN weapons.