M3 Ballistics Combat Armor

The M3 Ballistics Combat Armor (otherwise known as the M3 Personnel Armor) is the primary individual protection system utilized by the United States Colonial Marine Corps.
== Description ==
Typically worn in conjunction with the M10 Ballistic Helmet, the M3 Ballistics Combat Armor consists of a 'sandwich' of materials molded together to form a rigid outer shell. The outer layer of this sandwich material is an ultra-light titanium-alumide alloy which provides structural strength and ablative protection against lasers. Beneath this is a core, consisting of a layer of boron carbide resin bonded to a layer of graphite-composite carbon fiber. Boron carbide is an incredibly hard ceramic material designed to shatter a bullet on impact while simultaneously forming a conoid base to absorb its energy. Beneath this, the carbon-fiber layer provides ballistic protection at the point of of penetration by delaminating across a large area, absorbing more of the projectile's energy. 
Finally, on the inside of the armor is a woven liner made of 1,500 denier venlar fibers. This woven liner dissipates the remainder of the energy by deforming in the area of impact, and is also able to catch any spalling or fragmentation from the first three layers. 
Since any bullet fragment impact on the armor shell tends to compromise its integrity and ability to provide ballistic protection, it is standard practice to replace any affected section immediately.
The armor offers a degree of customization, utilizing All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment (ALICE) webbing both over and underneath the outer shell in order to attach all necessary utilities such as bandoliers, canteens, and pistol holsters. A series of three metal 'lips' on the back of the armor allow for additional systems such as the TNR shoulder lamp to be mounted on.
While not specifically ordered to, it is common practice for Marines the rank of Private First Class and above to paint their armor directly on the chest piece. Such paintings are typically a reflection of the wearer's personality and historically represent the encouragement of creativity and motivation among the Marines. 
Marines the rank of PFC and higher are considered 'fully-fledged' Marines and have earned the right to paint their armor. Recruits and Privates are considered too junior and inexperienced to rate such privileges - and are referred to as 'shinies' for their clean-slate armor. 
=== M3 Arctic Warfare Variant ===
With a high frequency of Crayon Cruncher raids on Snow Core facilities, there was an increased demand for snow camouflaged armor. On 3/30/2194, the M3 Arctic Warfare Variant (M3 AWV) would be released to replace the older M4C armor. The uniform would feature a two-toned palette for its camouflage pattern and subdued stitching for improved concealment in snow-covered environments. 
== Origin ==
Initial variants of this armor were attempted by then-Commandant Quaker45 in late 2182 to accompany the new-issue uniforms. These designs were simple brick-build vest morphs that fit over the user's body and provided coverage for the chest area. They offered no protection and were later removed due to performance issues in-game, seeing no resurgence until early 2187 when Cravitus made the first attempts at designing the armor. 
== Design ==
Forged by Cravitus, the current model was created through layering multiple parts over a 3D model of the R6 avatar. This allowed for a much more streamlined design which was form-fitting to the average character's body, as opposed to the previous models which were created from ingame rips. 
The current model offers no ingame protection to the user and is primarily utilized for Identifying Friend or Foe (IFF) measures and its minimal camouflage.
Category:Equipment