HRUNTING powered exoskeleton

The HRUNTING powered exoskeleton is a prototype powered armor system developed by the Office of Naval Intelligence Materials Group prior to the development of the MJOLNIR Mark IV Powered Assault Armor.

Mark I
Initiated in 2515, the HRUNTING Mark I took a decade to develop. As it was one of the first experiments with armored exoskeletons it possessed some notable flaws, the most obvious being its bulk and subsequent unwieldiness, as well as the requirement to be physically connected to a stationary external power generator, limiting both its effective operational range and combat viability.

Mark II
The Mark II was similar to the Mark I, but had a slimmer profile, offering increased mobility. As with the Mark I it increased the wearer's strength and stamina, but also suffered from the requirement to be tethered to a generator, rendering it impractical for battlefield deployment.

Mark III
The Mark III was identical to the Mark II, but incorporated a wireless power transceiver along with a number of other improvements. The design was quickly rejected for two reasons, the first being that the suit still had a limited range of operation due to the generator being stationary, and the second being that if the generator were to be destroyed, the suit's operator would be rendered immobile, and thus vulnerable to enemy attack. The power issue would later be rectified with the development of the Mark III(A), which incorporated an onboard fusion pack derived from Project MJOLNIR. However, even with the suit finally being viable for field use it would still be incredibly expensive to produce and maintain, leading to only a small number being fielded against the Covenant during the Great War.