M61 Series Body Armor

M61 series body armor was a series of armor most famously utilized by the of the . Over the years, there have been many variants of the armor, used by many different branches of the UNSC, from to even . Its many different variants have, overall, been in service for almost 400 years and been a major part of several conflicts.
== History ==
=== M61A armor===
The M61A armor was first used a decade after the end of the Interplanetary Wars, replacing the HP57 body armor. Due to the fact that the ODSTs did not see much action since the 2100s, the Mark I remained the armor used by the ODSTs up until during the when it was replaced with the Mark II BDU. Mark I armor has continued to be used well into the 26th century, primarily by mercenary, pirate, and Insurrectionist groups due to its relative cheapness.
===M61B armor===
The M61B armor was introduced during the Insurrection. It had stronger armor plating and was more flexible than the M61A. It was also airtight with 15 minutes of air, allowing the wearer to enter a vacuum. It saw action throughout the rest of the Insurrection and during much of the . Even with the introduction of the M61C, some units continued to used the M61B armor with the visor upgrades introduced with the M61C even into the Post-War era.
====Notable Users====
*Brendan "Blu" Mitchell
*James O'Neill
=== M61C armor ===
The M61C was introduced in 2544, although prototypes were available prior to select ONI units. After it was introduced, it was quickly adopted by the ODSTs, although some units kept their M61B armor. The M61C armor gave the wearer much better protection with large shoulder armor and better protection around the legs and thighs, but this led it to being slightly heavier. One of the primary details of the armor was the introduction of the , or VISR, which saw widespread adoption even outside of the ODSTs. It provided advanced navigation, intelligence, and communications, among other features. The M61C BDU also featured an armored rucksack, which was typically used by ODSTs during campaigns or situations that required more supplies than usual. The M61C continued use well after the Human-Covenant War and beyond.
====Notable Users====
*Colonial Military Authority
*
*James O'Neill
*Dennis Cook
*
*Brendan "Blu" Mitchell
*
*Finley Kiel
== Variants ==
===ODST/UA Personal Protective Equipment===
The ODST/UA PPE was most often issued to demolitions experts and CQB specialists. It was specifically designed for close-quarters combat. The standard left pauldron was replaced with a much larger pauldron, which provides better protection to the face and head when firing.
====Notable Users====
*
===ODST/Sharpshooter===
A variant of ODST armor typically issued to snipers, it featured only one, oversized pauldron to provide the wearer with greater protection when in a firing stance, similar to the ODST/UA PPE variant. An O/I optics device was attached to the helmet, and, when in use, provided the user with a greater view of the battlefield and the ability to pick out targets, friendly and otherwise. 
====Notable Users====
*
===ONI/Recon===
A variant of the M61C BDU used almost exclusively by operatives. It was very similar to the standard M61C BDU, the only differences being the advanced chest and torso armor and lack of shoulder pauldrons to provide more maneuverability in combat. This variant also featured the helmet, which provided much better visuals than the standard helmet.
====Notable Users====
*
===MJOLNIR Variants===
====Mark V====
Advanced variants of the M61C helmet, chestplate, and shoulder pauldrons were available with the platform. Use of these armor pieces was fairly rare among , as there was no distinct advantage that allowed it to stand out from other armors other than its aesthetics. 
====Mark VI====
A M61C style helmet was also available . Like its Mark V counterpart, it was fairly rare, especially as the number of Spartans dwindled.
====GEN2/ODST====
The GEN2/ODST armor was a variant available to the platform. Its appearance was somewhat of a combination of the M61B and M61C models, with the helmet sharing many characteristics of the former. It was much more common than its predecessors, due to the program recruiting ODSTs into their ranks and was mainly utilized by them for nostalgic reasons. It was manufactured by .
====GEN2/Helljumper====
The most recent variant of the ODST BDU, the GEN2/Helljumper was also one of the bulkiest, sporting much heavier and stronger armor than any variant before it. A few of these armors entered service within the by 2558. This rendition of the armor had much more in common with the M61C BDU than the GEN2/ODST armor. Like its predecessor, it was also produced by Cascade Stronghold Technologies.
====Notable Users====
*
===Nightfall Armor===
The Nightfall armor was another variant of the ODST BDU used by ONI operatives, but was often used by other branches as well. It was designed for hostile environments such as extreme heat and the vacuum of space. It featured a standard VISR common in other ODST BDUs. One thing that set it apart from other variants was its built-in air tank, allowing the wearer to survive in a vacuum much longer than the 15 minutes the other BDU variants provided. There was also a MJOLNIR GEN2 variant of the armor.
====Notable Users====
*UNSC Marine Raiders
*
*
*
*
===ODST/2BN===
A version of the M61C armor used nearly exclusively by the . Its differences were almost all aesthetic. It was black or deep gray and features a reddish visor instead of the standard blue visor featured on most other variants. 
====Notable Users====
2nd Shock Troops Battalion
*3rd Unit
**Alpha Team
***
***
== Gallery ==
File:ODST8.jpg|An ODST in M61B armor.
File:Ih_ODSTdos_(1).jpg|Another version of the M61A model.
File:Armyodst.jpg|A ODST in the M61C model.
File:ODST-CM.png|Two ODSTs in M61B armor on Installation 05.
File:ODST-Silveria.jpg|An ODST in standard M61C armor.
File:ODST_Class.png|A group of ODSTs equipped with M61B armor.
File:H5GMB_Armor_Nightfall.png|A trooper equipped with Nightfall armor.
File:Th_(29).jpg|The GEN2/ODST armor.
File:Th_(30).jpg|A Spartan utilizing the Mark V ODST armor pieces.
File:Odstsgdfgsdfd.jpg|A member of the ODST 2nd Battalion equipped with its unique BDU.
File:Fgnhggdfsdfdgbdfs.png|A set of M61C armor with a woodland camouflage paint scheme.
File:Dfdsd.png|An ODST in M61C armor.
Category:Armor