Arm Slaves

Arm Slaves, short for Armored Mobile Master-Slave Systems, were the mecha that appeared in the *Full Metal Panic!* franchise. Please note that while mecha from other media are listed this article focuses on anime incarnations.

## History

The Arm Slave is a development of the Reagan Administration Strategic Defense Initiative's research in the 1980s into powered exoskeletal suits to increase the ground soldier's combat capability. Called the XM3, the first powered suit was nothing more than a powered exoskeleton sized around 2 meters tall. This proved to be of low combat effectiveness as it offered little advantage in protection in exchange for its limited mobility. This early prototype was hampered by the lack of a suitable power source that did not burden the unit past its useful load.

The designers took an unorthodox approach in the development process at this point. While technology usually is refined to become smaller and more compact, the successor XM4 project took an opposite direction. By increasing the size of the suit from 2 meters standing to around 8 meters, the designers were able to change the power source from an electrical battery system to internal combustion engines. With the advances in material sciences and engineering at the time, the tremendous increase in power-to-weight ratio of diesel engines and the artificial muscles constructed from electroactive polymers (EAPs) (later refined and called Muscle Packages) made the XM4 a viable weapons platform with a sizable payload. By increasing the payload of the powered armor, and expanding the capabilities of the unit by various electronic warfare packages and options the first generation, and inaugural Arm Slave was introduced to the world as the M4.

One of the most notable aspects of the development of the Arm Slave is the curiously short development span. It took only three years from start of the XM3 project to the resulting M4, an unheard of development span in weapons technology when equivalent civilian robotics was struggling with bipedal motion. The unnatural advance in technology was attributed to extraterrestrial sources by some publications, and managed to fuel a new generation of conspiracy theorists. Soon, the explosive evolution of the Arm Slave in the battlefield reduced its prominence to just another high tech weapon system, alongside the cruise missile and stealth jet fighters.

### First Generation

The M4 was the first-ever military Arm Slave. With the technology still in its infancy at the time, the M4 only found limited use in ambushes or urban combat. Military doctrine regarding Arm Slaves at this time was still immature, and more focus was placed on testing the limits of the newfound technology.

The M4 is markedly slower in response time than the average second generation Arm Slave from its dependency on mechanical and hydraulic propulsion. The Muscle Package did not exist in the current form of modular bundles. This led to an extreme difficulty in maintaining the effectiveness of the polymers as they degraded. Combined with simplistic joint anatomy, the low-powered primitive EAP "muscles" did not allow for the M4 to exhibit flexible motion or fast response and agility. However, the M4's general utility and ability to cross varying terrain while retaining combat effectiveness gave the United States enough reason to further refine the Arm Slave.

The First Generation Arm Slave is obsolete at the beginning of the story of Full Metal Panic!, and has been completely replaced by the Second Generation Arm Slave.

### Second Generation

The USSR had joined the United States in using the newfound technology. It is assumed that the USSR was also the first ones to field the Arm Slaves later classified as Second Generation. One of the earliest units of this type is the Rk-89 "Shamrock" and later, the Rk-91 and Rk-92 "Savage". These machines stand at roughly 10 meters tall, and were initially powered by diesel piston engines, later upgraded to high-efficiency gas turbine engines. The new weapons found new use as all-weather, all-terrain ground fighting vehicles. The ability of these machines to cover any terrain at speeds above 100 kilometers per hour, and the flexibility in armament from the manipulator arms cemented the position of these machines as king of ground armored fighting vehicles. This allowed the USSR to win the war in Afghanistan (Helmajistan in the anime). Spurred by the victory of the USSR in the Afghan Theater of war, the United States developed and fielded its own advanced Arm Slave, the M6 Bushnell.

The M6 Bushnell and the Rk-92 Savage are the best known examples of the second generation Arm Slave. Joining them is the German "Drache", English "Cyclone", the French "Mistral II", and the Japanese "Model 96". These have been found stationed around the world in numbers equal to tanks.

What separates them from the first generation models is the largely the use of the modern Muscle Package to impart the Arm Slave with both fast response time and precision movement. Advancements in vetronics (vehicle electronics, a ground based equivalent to avionics) and general engineering are also counted as Second Generation improvements. The M6A1 is notable for being the first Arm Slave to be equipped with an ECS. From shortfalls in generator output, these units are built with binary drive systems combining hydraulic mechanical systems with Muscle Packages. Second Generation units are also notably loud, as their gas turbine generators emit a tremendously loud howl when running.

### Third Generation

The Third Generation Arm Slave is exemplified in the M9 Gernsback, the first of its kind. It was thought that MITHRIL was the only organization operating Third Generation Arm Slaves in combat by its Response Teams. The same M9 Gernsback is officially undergoing OPEVAL (operational evaluation) by the United States under the prototype designation of XM9. The Zy-98 "Shadow" is the USSR equivalent and is in limited production. The Plan1056 Codarl and ARX-7 Arbalest, both utilizing the Lambda Driver, are Third Generation Arm Slaves fielded by Amalgam and Mithril, respectively. Additionally, the Codarl frame is based on the Zy-98, while the Arbalest is based on the M9. Later in the events of the episode "Get Together and Make My Day", another type of Arm Slave called the Eligor appears, based on the design of Codarl, and which is even more powerful than Codarl and M9. It is unknown if the type is still classified as a Third Generation Arm Slave, however.

Powered by a lightweight and high-power palladium reactor, the M9 Gernsback features pure Muscle Package drive mated to complex joints that far closer mimic the flexibility and mobility of the human body. Although not obvious, the M9 Gernsback uses lessons learned from insect and animal physiology. Its legs are roughly modeled after a grasshopper and cat joints in construction. These developments allow the M9 to execute its tremendous leaps and absorb the shock of high drops.

The Gernsback's transition to sole Muscle Package propulsion vastly increased the power-to-weight ratio. For comparison, the palladium reactor on an M9 Gernsback is rated at 3,300 hp (2,500 kW) in comparison to the 1,200 hp (890 kW) of the Rk-92 Savage diesel generator. At the same time, an M9 only weighs 70–80% as much as a Rk-92, depending on weapons loadout. With an output more comparable to a jet aircraft, the M9 is capable of punishing maneuvers that can easily injure, disable or kill the pilot. Use of the ECS combined with the very quiet operation of the palladium reactor and the Muscle Package renders the M9 extremely difficult to detect. It is often said that the Arm Slave has reached the man-machine limit, and cannot be improved in mobility. The increased power is instead used to increase the payload capacity of the craft without affecting combat effectiveness.

The increased payload has allowed the installation of an array of electronics including advanced vetronics, fire control systems, damage control, ECS, ECCS, and electronic warfare modules tied together under advanced artificial intelligence. This has allowed for the individual Arm Slave to be a powerful command and communications platform while allowing the pilot to concentrate on combat. The abilities of the Third Generation Arm Slave are shown in less threatening experiments. For example, two M9s are exhibited practicing the tango under autonomous operation. This experiment requires and shows the flexibility and agility of its complex joint and internal physiology, while highlighting the capabilities of the AI systems controlling the craft in complex interaction and motions. These could never be found in an older Second Generation RK-92 or Bushnell model.

## Internal Operation

An Arm Slave is operated in a semi-master–slave system. This is an operating method which has the slave arm (machine motion) trace the movements of the master arm (pilot motion). The Arm Slave is not a complete master-slave piloting arrangements, as full motion tracing is impractical within the limited space of the cockpit. This limitation is solved by the Arm Slave amplifying the motion of the pilot. The "semi" designation of the piloting system refers to this machine-assisted motion management. The simplest and most obvious aspect is the Bilateral Angle, or the BMSA. BMSA is the amplification factor of the master movement by the slave trace. With a BMSA of 3, a pilot motion of 30 degrees is amplified to 90 degrees. Lower BMSA values are used in training, and more accomplished pilots make use of higher values. The usual range is between 1.3 (training) to 2.4 (standard) to 3.5 (high).

While the Second Generation Arm Slaves were limited in joint flexibility and overall anatomy, Third Generation units are mechanically capable of motions difficult or impossible for humans. A full master slave system, perfectly tracing the motion of a pilot would be limited to the same capabilities of the pilot. The semi-master–slave operation, controlled by complex software systems commonly called motion managers are capable of translating pilot motion into maneuvers impossible by the human body. Skilled pilots spend a significant amount of time in optimization and personalization of the these motion patterns. Arm Slave vetronics including the motion managers form a critical component of arm slave performance characteristics. The M9 AI systems are indispensable in controlling the Arm Slave, allowing the pilot to make use of the full capabilities of the craft.

## List of Arm Slaves

### First Series

* **Rk-91 / Rk-92 Savage**: First appear in episode 4. Front-line Soviet Army unit; a common Arm Slave in the hands of terrorist organizations. One of the titular second-generation Arm Slaves created by the Soviet Union in 1992 after the Gulf War, the Savage is a mass-produced unit used by the Eastern bloc. It has also been exported to other communist nations, including North Korea and North China. The Rk-92 is an upgrade of the Rk-91 with a gas turbine engine. These mechs primarily come in desert, gray, or olive colors. Amalgam fields upgraded versions called the Rk-96M in later novels.
* **M9E Gernsback**: First appear in episode 1. The world's first third-generation Arm Slave, the Gernsback is Mithril's standard line AS, believed to be ten years ahead of any American AS. Unit 006 is later upgraded as a command unit piloted by Melissa Mao in The Second Raid.
* P**lan1056 Codarl**: First appears in episode 5. Mithril codename "Venom", the first Lambda Driver-equipped Arm Slave in Amalgam's arsenal. The Codarl series is based on the frame of the USSR's Zy-98 Shadow. Gauron pilots a silver Codarl during the Khanka hostage crisis in the first series.
* **ARX-7 Arbalest**: First appears in episode 6. The world's first Arm Slave to use Black Box technology in the form of the Lambda Drive. It was piloted by Sousuke Sagura and an AI system named AL. It was first deployed during the Khanka hostage crisis in the first series.
* **Plan1051 Behemoth**: First appears in episode 11. The largest Arm Slave in the Full Metal Panic! universe. Although it dwarfs other Arm Slaves, the mech is equipped with a Lambda Driver to help support its huge bulk. The A-21 terrorist group uses one Behemoth during its rampage in Tokyo in the first season episodes Behemoth Awakening and One Night Stand. Amalgam later deploys several Behemoths for the Merida Island assault and to defend Leonard's mansion in Mexico.
* **M6, M6A1, M6A2 Bushnell**: First appear in episode 13. The main Arm Slave of the US Army and the US Marine Corps. The USMC M6A2 uses a large reactive armor shield as optional equipment. In the Full Metal Panic! Another manga series, the Bushnell appears as a heavy weapons version called the M6A2 Bushmaster.
* **Type 96**: First appear in episode 12. Models include T96 models modified for one or two pilots. The Type 96 is a design modified from base M6 Bushnell design, similar to the relationship between the F-2 and F-16. In the Full Metal Panic! Another manga series, the JGSDF fields an upgraded version called the Type 96 Kai.
* **Zy-98 Shadow**: First appear in episode 15. Created by the Zeya Design Bureau and deployed by Amalgam, the Shadow is the USSR's third-generation Arm Slave, presumably undergoing OPEVAL with the Soviet Army. It is comparable to the M9 in terms of capability such as having ECS equipment. Sousuke Sagara's close friend, Zaied, uses a red and black colored Shadow during the Wind Blows at Home episode arc. Amalgam deploys several Shadows during the events of the Second Raid episodes The Dungeon and The Dragon and Daylight. In the light novel "Always Stand By Me," Kurz Weber uses a special sniper version. An improved version, called the Zy-99M, appears in the Full Metal Panic! Another manga series.
* **Plan1058 Codarl(i)**: First appears in episode 18. Mithril codename "Venom", ostensibly a refinement of the Codarl, but an entirely new Arm Slave. Gauron pilots a red-colored version during the events of the series where Gauron infiltrates the TDD-1. Gates also pilots a another red Codarl i in the latter episodes of The Second Raid.

### The Second Raid

* **C3-5 Mistral II**: First appear in episode 1. Created by France. The only known Arm Slave in the series to not have a pure humanoid shape, the Mistral has two arms extending from the front of its body. It is mostly seen in the Second Raid episode "Ending Day by Day" in the Balic military's service. Most of their weapons and equipment have been supplied by Amalgam via French arms manufacturers such as GIAT when they engaged in a civil war against guerrillas and were known to be involved in an attempt to perform ethnic cleansing on Balic's refugee populations.
* **M9D Falke**: First appears in episode 5. An M9 variant intended to carry a Lambda Driver; plans for this were shelved and the two produced units were used as testbeds for the Arbalest. One of them would become Mithril Mediterranean Sea Fleet officer Belfangan Closeau's personal AS.
* **Plan1211 Alastor**: First appear in episode 9. At around two meters, the Alastor is the smallest existing Arm Slave in the Full Metal Panic! universe and is also AI-controlled. Two Alastors serve as Leonard Testarossa's personal bodyguards.
* **Plan1059 Codarl(m)**: First appear in episode 10. These were mass-produced versions of the Codarl which make their first appearance during the raid in Hong Kong. The unit is painted mostly in shades of green and is armed with various melee weapons. In Invisible Victory it is noted their Lambda Drivers are not as potent as previous models.
* **Plan1059 Codarl(c)**: A blue Codarl(m) used by Xia Yu Fan to attack Hong Kong. This incarnation only appeared in Super Robot Wars adaptions but is otherwise identical to the Codarl m.

### Invisible Victory

* **Plan1055 Belial**: First appears in episode 4. Leonard Testarossa's Arm Slave, which appears in the novel Continuing on My Own as one of the world's first fourth-generation Arm Slaves. Testarossa uses it to destroy the Arbalest. Although it has no weapons aside from 40mm cannons, in the novel "Always Stand By Me," it is equipped with the "Isaiahan Bone Bow," an advanced railgun that counters the effects of the Laevatein's "Fairy's Feather" anti-Lambda Driver system.
* **Crossbow**: First appears in episode 5. A modified Rk-91 Savage used by Sosuke in Laos. Notably used the same color scheme as the Arbalest and was equipped with a hammer. While this hammer was large and could charge up with heat in the novels and manga, the anime version had it at a more practical size and usage.
* **M6A3 Dark Bushnell**: First appear in episode 11. An enhanced Bushnell model for special operations, similar to the relationship between the MH-60 and UH-60.
* **Plan1065 Eligor**: First appear in episode 12. Similar to the Venom, but more bulkier on the upper half and with a different heat-sink system. The Eligor's Lambda Driver exhibits more power than those from Codarls.
* **ARX-8 Laevatein**: First appearing in the novel Come Make My Day, the Laevatein is a new high-performance Arm Slave containing the Arbalest's salvaged Lambda Driver and AI system codenamed AL. The AI joined forces with Sarah Miller, the Whispered girl that Sousuke, Kurz and Mao rescued in the first episode of the animated series, to design the Laevatein and tailor it for Sousuke. While it has no ECS system unlike the Arbalest and Gernsback, the Laevatein is equipped with the "Fairy's Feather," a device that cancels all Lambda Drivers-even its own-when activated. It's weapons include a set of grenades, anti-tank daggers, a new Demolition Gun, and the Boxer II shotgun. It also has two manipulators hidden its chest to assist in carrying two assault rifles and is designed to take advantage of the new XL-3 flightpack.

### Other Media

* **Cyclone**: Created by the United Kingdom. Made using the combined know-how of all the country's airplane manufacturing companies, resulting in a light machine with exceptional mobility. An upgraded version called the Cyclone II packs two generators.
* **Tornado**: Created by Italy.
* **Drache**: Created by Germany. Made using technology and know-how from the nation's tank manufacturers, it boasts exceptional armor strength.
* **Wolf**: Appearing in the Full Metal Panic! Another manga series, the Wolf is Germany's first third-generation AS. It is also believed to surpass the M9 in terms of performance.
* **AS-1 Blaze Raven**: Created by Japan. The main Arm Slave of Full Metal Panic! Another, the Blaze Raven sports an appearance akin to samurai warriors, right down to the Type-10 monomolecular cutter, which looks like a katana.
* **M4**: Created by the United States.
* **M9 Gernsback Armored**: A production version of the XM9 AS deployed by the US military, the Gernsback Armored sports multiple armor plates.
* **M9A1E1 Gernsback Arsenal**: Created by the United States. A heavy-weapons version of the Gernsback, the Gernsback Arsenal is equipped with a large cannon and a UAV command interface.
* **XM9**: U.S. Army OPEVAL unit. A provisional order for 26 units has been tabled.
* **Rk-89 Shamrock**: Created by the Soviet Union. First saw action in Afghanistan, almost totally phased out of the Soviet Army.
* **Rk-02 Scepter**: Appearing in the Full Metal Panic! Another manga series, the Rk-02 is equipped with a heavy armor system, and manipulators. but few orders have been placed because of the popularity of the Rk-96.
* **ARX-6 Halberd**: A failed Lambda Driver Arm Slave prototype.
* **ARX-8 Arquebus**: A version of the Laevatein without a Lambda Driver that appears in the PS4 game Full Metal Panic! Who Dares Wins. Noted for having a white and blue color scheme.

## Black Technology

Black Technology is created by unusually gifted human beings collectively called the Whispered and new sources are certain to change the military balance of the world, and is thus heavily sought after by several groups. The origins of Black Technology are a tightly kept secret, thus most of the world is unaware of the difference of Black Technology to that of a conventionally developed one. Most of the advances of Black Technology seem to be in the fields of Electrical engineering, Computer Science, and Material science.

### Advanced Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence in the world of Full Metal Panic is far more advanced, powerful, and reliable in comparison to that of existing technologies. The AI has been installed into vehicles such as the Arm Slave, and the TDD-1. The military use of AI computer systems shows a surprising level of maturity of the technology. Curiously, this technology has not been seen in civilian usage at the current time. Special examples of AI systems have been observed expressing comprehension of concepts such as jokes, and whim. It is unknown if this is programmed response, or actual comprehension by the AI system. Al(AL), the ARX-7 Arbalest AI system is especially notable for its adaptive behavior, molding itself to become closer to its pilot. The relationship between Sosuke Sagara and the AI has been a source of trouble for the pilot, as the AI continues to defy the behavior of conventional AI systems in use. The relationship between the two has been likened to the relation between Sosuke and Kaname Chidori.

### Electronic Conceal System

A form of active camouflage, an active ECS confers near total concealment from RADAR and related electromagnetic detection. Initial systems are said to have had limited capabilities that only masked millimeter wavelength microwaves and later, infrared signatures. More recent systems are more powerful, and is capable of masking signatures in the visual range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The system works by utilizing a rapidly oscillating laser screen to project some sort of distortion around the concealed object. Specific details are not described, but has shown adaptability to sudden and violent changes in ambient conditions and the ability to see out from within the concealment, making the system suitable for combat deployment. The view from within an ECS field is washed out and tinged in violet and red.

The technology requires a significant power input and significant size, and thus deployment was limited by the power-plant of craft the ECS is to be mounted to. It is assumed that shorter wavelength (such as the visual range) is more complex and requires more power. It is noted that an ECS capable of invisible mode operation (masking visual spectrum signatures) is also capable of operating in a more limited mode, such as only masking its radar signature. Its immense power requirements make the use of the system while making combat maneuvers impossible on Arm Slaves. Human sized ECS units are also not yet possible without a suitable power source and miniaturization. In the world of Full Metal Panic, the B-2 Bomber was never developed. Instead, the B-1 Bomber was deployed with the ECS. This is designated as the B-1C. This places the development of the ECS after 1975 and before the early 1980s. As such, passive stealth technology is a largely forgotten technology.

The ECS is not impervious. Its weaknesses include its inability to mask UV spectrum emissions. A high output ECS also ionizes the air, emitting ozone. Insects, and birds attracted to insects gather around an active ECS from the UV signature. Dogs have been observed avoiding an active ECS from its ozone smell. Additionally, it is specifically stated that the ECS is useless in rain (presumably interfering with the laser or failing to mask the water accumulating on the hull) . Recent developments in countermeasures include the ECCS (Electronic Conceal Counter System) designed to detect ECS signatures. In *The Second Raid* Mithril used these on modified Sikorsky MH-67 Pave Mares.

### Electro Magnetic Fluidics Control

Electromagnetically controlled surface fluid dynamics of the submarine, TDD-1. Acts as secondary propulsion, but is used mainly to reduce surface turbulence and cavitation. The EMFC can propel the TDD-1 in any direction, including a lateral slide, at a maximum speed of 50 knots. This allows the immensely large TDD-1 an agility rivaling, if not superior to that of a Los Angeles class Fast Attack Submarine. At the same time, the EMFC greatly reduces the operating noise of the TDD-1 while allowing it a much higher top speed.

### Lambda Driver

Officially called the "false axis repulsive field generator system", the lambda driver is a pure Black Technology device capable of exerting mechanical force against space[5] with no observable physical interaction. False axis refers to the lack of physical interaction, or lack of moment arm in the application of torque. This is in direct violation of Newtonian physics, particularly Newton's Third Law. However recent research showed that this law does not apply to a room that is curved by gravity, therefore using the curving of space as leverage is possible.

A select few Arm Slaves possess the device called the Lambda Driver which can manifest emotional thought patterns into raw and devastating physical power. In Full Metal Panic! (primary series), Sousuke Sagara's ARX-7 "Arbalest" has a Lambda Driver (but due to Sagara's lack of experience, it only served to aid him most minimally and improved as time progressed). All oppositions Sousuke has faced where his enemy has used the Lambda Driver also exhibited great power, especially Gauron on three counts; and were all defeated using Arbalest's Lambda Driver.

### Muscle Package

A class of semi-biological EAP (Electro Active Polymers) produced as a low noise and high power source of mechanical motion. They are electrically activated artificial fibers that contract when exposed to an electrical current. (Similar to myomer in the Battletech series of games and novels) Similar technology is currently under research in reality. Black Technology fueled advances in material engineering created the revolutionary advances seen in the Full Metal Panic universe. While the concept and research is not fiction, the efficiency, durability and high power output of the material as demonstrated by the impossible agility and strength of the Arm Slaves in Full Metal Panic is purely fictional.

These artificial muscles are used as primary motivators on the fictional class of humanoid weapon systems called Arm Slaves. The artificial muscles offer the three favorable traits over alternate mechanical or hydraulic systems: Precision control, low noise, and high mechanical torque. In addition, the Polymers of the Muscle Package have high tensile strength, comparable to aramid fibres. This allows for the third generation Arm Slaves such as the M9 series to carry less armor plating, as the drive systems themselves serve as ballistic protection. These traits have given the third generation Arm Slave high survivability, high maneuverability and low observability.

Earlier forms of the Muscle Packages were underpowered, and required a secondary power system. Second generation Arm Slaves are noted by having a binary drive system, such as the RK-92 "Savage". The Savage operates its hydraulic actuators for high torque, and uses the muscle package for precision operations. The more recent muscle packages have overcome this handicap, removing the need for a heavy and bulky hydraulic system. The most advanced Muscle packages have unreal volumetric efficiency that drastically increases the power-to-weight ratio of the third generation Arm Slave. In exchange, the muscle package requires a massive electrical input. Traditional power generation systems such as a gas turbine engine would be required to scale up in size, increasing mass to power a muscle package system. This increased mass would require more powerful Muscle Package in a cyclic process. It is only with the Palladium Reactor that the high power-to-weight ratio is realized.

The muscle package is also a technology that requires constant maintenance. The polymers that make up the muscle package experience material stress, reducing its efficiency and peak power output every time it contracts. It has been revealed that a muscle package is only capable of 70-80% of its design specifications after 10 combat missions. This aspect coupled with the high cost of the muscle package makes the third generation Arm Slave an extremely expensive weapon to upkeep. The frequency of replacement is determined by the individual organization. Elite organizations such as Mithril, SEALs, and SAS that require 100% power for all its missions will replace the muscle package after every combat operation. Most first world armed forces replace the muscle packages at the manufacturer recommended 10 times. Organizations with a relative lack of funds may only replace it when absolutely necessary. It is noted that the muscle packages that are "tired" still find use as training sets. Under lower power demands (running the systems at 75% power), these muscle packages have a vastly extended lifespan. Many of these used sets also make their way to the black market.

From these reasons, a second generation Arm Slave under conditions where replacement parts are not readily available has several advantages. A "Savage" will degrade in performance far less than a comparable M9 unit away from a supply line. While the "Savage" will slowly lose its fine motor control, its mobility will not be affected, as most of its drive mechanism is hydraulic. The rate of decay of the Muscle Package in a "Savage" is comparatively lower, as fine motor control is not a high power application.

### Palladium Reactor

A form of a cold fusion reactor, the Palladium Reactor is an advanced electrical power generator with notable advantages in power output and low noise in addition to its low waste heat. It is called a cold fusion battery by characters, but the distinction between a reactor and battery is uncertain and could be arbitrary. Its usage has revolutionized two classes of combat vehicles. One is the Arm Slave, and the second is the submarine. The near silent operation of the Palladium reactor enables both types of craft to operate impressive amounts of equipment in a nearly undetectable manner. The power output of a Palladium Reactor is unknown, but is assumed to be slightly lower than a nuclear fission reactor of a similar size. This assumption is made from the number of reactors aboard the Assault Landing Submarine, TDD-1. The name Palladium likely refers to Palladium hydride a compound put forward as a possible means of creating cold fusion but no results have been yet produced.