DURENDAL

"DURENDAL will push a trooper's combat ability to potentially be comparable with the UNSCs SPARTANs. And when we get it in with the BODARK units, we may have a force so hyper-lethal, we could repel a whole goddamn UEG invasion, should they feel so inclined."

- 1st Commander Ivan Stanislav III. The DURENDAL Powered Combat Armor System is a technologically advanced armored exoskeleton system which was designed to vastly improve the capabilities of Confederation Special Warfare Troopers. The DURENDAL project is a subdivision of the DYRNWYN program.

Overview
The DURENDAL project was one of several projects commissioned in early 2553 by the Confederate Special Warfare Department (CSWD) to expand the development of the DYRNWYN program, alongside the VALKYRIE, ANGERONA, and ATHENA projects. It utilizes a DYRNWYN Techsuit as a foundation for development, and was loosely inspired by the MJOLNIR armor used by the UNSC's SPARTANs.

Development began the April of 2553 under the CSWD Co-op Design Labs, allowing Humans, Karakhi, Sangheili, and Huragok to cooperatively develop the armor's systems and design. The armor was in development for only 7 months before the first prototypes were fielded in the Battle for Jesutaki River, in November of 2553. The design proved to be successful, and popular with the operators in the field, and as a result was approved for large-scale production.

With the cooperation between species, DURENDAL has more features available to it's wearer than any known MJOLNIR armor system. This is largely made possible by the UEG's regulations of Covenant and forerunner technology, which has prevented any such technology being developed for the UNSC, with few exceptions.

DURENDAL [A]
DURENDAL [A] was the first prototype of the DURENDAL armor, and was the standard pattern until late 2554. In November of that year, CSWD sought to improve the armor's modularity, and it's ability to be maintained in the field. These improvements would first appear on the DURENDAL[A2] Testbed, before it was formed into the newer DURENDAL [B].

DURENDAL [B]
DURENDAL [B] vastly improved the armors modularity, and simplified many mechanisms allowing for easier maintenance and diagnostic ability in the field. It also improved the external design of the armor, allowing for more freedom of movement for the user. The [B] model also allowed for the integration of developments made in the ANGERONA and ATHENA projects, and cemented it's position as the baseline power armor system within the CSWD.

DURENDAL [M]
DURENDAL [M] is a modified version of DURENDAL [B] to be used with the UNSC's MJOLNIR GEN2 Techsuit. It has many of it's higher-tech features removed or reduced to be among similar ability to many other suits of GEN2 MJOLNIR. While it is reduced in ability, it is still one of the most versatile GEN2 armor sets, but it's cost makes it a rare sight within the Spartan Branch.

DURENDAL [M-O]
DURENDAL [M-O] is variant of DURENDAL [M] with all of the original abilities of the armor still functional to their original [B] capability. This variant is available only the Spartan Unit OMEN, and is maintained by the team of CSWD Technicians, rather than UNSC MJOLNIR Technicians.