Lightweight Personal Armour System

The **Lightweight Personal Armour System** (**LPAS**) was a body armour design used by the UEDF and Army of the Southern Cross.

## Background

During the first Robotech War the UEDF forces had made use of several different body armour types. The most common was the HES (Hostile Environment Suit) Armour, which was not actually intended for such use; instead being a semi-rigid hazard suit for engineering and emergency service purposes. Conversely, the UEDF's heavy body armour, while built for purpose, was bulky and overly restrictive to the user's mobility. The UEDF intended to replace those designs (and others) with something more fit for purpose.

The Lightweight Personal Armour System took advantages of developments in materials technology that had occurred following the end of the Robotech War. Designed from the ground up as a suit of personal armour, it was not hampered by the engineering or environmental needs of the HES. Likewise, the design of the suit gave it a degree of flexibility that the older Heavy Body Armour lacked, allowing the wearer to operate unimpeded. Furthermore, due to its smaller size, waring body armour became a viable option for Mecha pilots in the field.

While the suit did not enter service until 2016, it still saw actions in the latter days of the Malcontent Uprisings and the small-scale brush wars that continued over the next few years. It proved to be highly effective in protecting its wearers against the small arms used by micronized Zentraedi malcontents, as well bandit and other forces. Priority was given towards equipping infantry units and then armoured vehicle crews, as they were the most likely to see direct combat in these smaller-scale actions. As such, the LPAS did not reach wide use with Mecha crews as intended.

Despite its successes, the LAPS' service life would be relatively short-lived. Due to their different operational requirements, which included extended space flights, the UEEF chose to focus on equipping their troops with their lighter flexi-armour space suits. While the LPAS was retained for some infantry units, it saw little use. However, it needs to be said that the design was highly influential in the development of the CVR-3 Personal Combat Armour.

On the other side, the Southern Cross' Gusoku series heavy plate armour offered superior protection the LPAS, while also having the advantage of their distinctive styling and neo-feudal imagery. By the time of the Second Robotech War, the LPAS only remained in service with some second-tier units, most notably those assigned to the Robotech Research Centre in Neo-Tokyo.

## Capabilities

The LPAS was composed of advanced lightweight plastic-ceramic composite materials that provided superior protection for the wearer and durability while reducing weight compared to previous suits. The suit provided effective protection against anything up to a 12.7mm machine gun round, although the concussive effects of such heavy impacts could still have a detrimental effect on the user. It also provided fair protection against infantry level energy weapons, as well as explosives and fragmentation weapons.

The face was covered by a shatter-resistant visor that included flare protection. The visor also included an integrated Heads-Up Display (HUD) that was tied into a small camera mounted on top. This gave the user direct access to targeting information, as well as integrated thermal and low-light vision. Alternatively, the suit could be tied to the HUD of the user's Mecha to serve as a backup to the main displays. The helmet also included a built-in radio transmitter/receiver and microphone to enable battlefield communications. Finally, the helmet featured a filter system that provided protection against nuclear, biological and chemical hazards.

While not a true environmental suit, the LPAS included insulators and dual-purpose thermal protection units within its skin. This allowed the suit to operate in a range of temperatures from -25 to 45 degrees Celsius with no loss of ability to the user. The LPAS could be worn with a sealed inner suit to act as a spacesuit, although this required the use of an independent oxygen supply. However, for vehicle crews (such as those of the Pluto or Harpy) the suit could also be connected to the craft's own life support systems.

## Game Statistics

### Lightweight Personal Armour System (LPAS) – [R1]

The Lightweight Personal Armour System was developed by the Southern Cross to replace the older UEDF armour suits. Made from a series of flexible plates, the armour was lighter and more mobile than the older suits. In addition to being sealed, the helmet includes a camera that projects targeting information onto the faceplate. While effective, the LPAS was replaced by the stronger Gusoku armour. The LPAS Provides 3 Light Armour.