CVR-3 Personal Combat Armour

The **CVR-3 Personal Combat Armour** was a body armour set designed for use with the VR-Series Cyclone mecha by the United Earth Expeditionary Force.

## Background

A key to the development and implementation Cyclone series was the small size of the Mecha, with a vehicle mode the size of a conventional motorcycle. As a result of this compact size, a full transformation would be impossible with the plan being instead that the Cyclone would be 'worn' by the user. In order to support the Cyclone during the transformation, the user would need to be wearing a suit of advanced body armour that the mecha would combine with. At the same time, the armour suit would need to be able to support the user, allowing them to 'wear' the Cyclone with no loss of mobility.

The new design drew considerable influence from the older Lightweight Personal Armour System that had been developed for the UEEF. Compared to the older suit, the CVR-3 offered a greater overall level of protection for only a slight increase in weight. However, the most important new feature was the armored telescoping boots, which were designed to increase the pilot's stride in Battloid mode, and to attach to the Cyclone’s frame and servos, removing the need for the pilot to support the heavy weapons system with his own strength. Several different iterations of the armour were used during testing, before entering service with the initial CVR-3A model in 2030.

CVR-3 armour was issued to UEEF infantry units alongside the early model Cyclones, and quickly proliferated into field use. Furthermore, large numbers of early-model suits were provided to the relief force lead by Johnathan Wolfe that was dispatched to Earth. These suits and their attendant Cyclones were utilised by Wolfe's forces and his allies in their preparations for the Invid Invasion. Large numbers of them would survive the invasion, and were used by insurgent forces during the occupation.

As the Cyclone proliferated across the UEEF during the 2030s, the CVR-3 replaced a number of older armour suits in service. With the adoption of the Cyclone as a standard survival vehicle for downed pilots, it soon became the standard-issue suit for pilots. The added bulk of the armour over older flightsuits being seen as an acceptable offset for the utility of the Cyclone. As the Cyclone proliferated, the UEEF developed several newer variants of the suit for specialty uses.

CVR-3 suits were widely issued to the First Recapture Force in 2038. While that mission failed, one side effect was the distribution of CVR-3 suits and Cyclones across Earth, which would become key resources for resistance fighters in years to come. The failed Second Recapture force in 2042 only served to further that process, resulting in the CVR-3 becoming comparatively abundant on occupied Earth. By 2043, the suit had almost completely displaced the older Gusoku Combat Armour‏‎ due to its compatibility with the Cyclone mecha.

The newest versions of the CVR-3 armour were introduced in 2044 and were utilised by the UEEF in the third Recapture Force assault on Earth. With the Cyclone expected to remain in active service with the UEEF (and other local forces on Earth) for the forseeable future, the CVR-3 will remain in use alongside it.

## Capabilities

The armor consists of a light helmet, a breastplate with shoulder guards, forearm guards, a groin harness, light thigh armor, and heavy boots that constitute the legs in Cyclone Battloid mode.

The CVR-3 armors are composed of a plastic-ceramic composite for maximal resistance to penetration and thermic explosive damage for minimal weight. The armor stops most small arms fire and grenade and shell fragments, and provides poor to fair resistance against heavier infantry weapons, such as a 12.7mm machinegun round. The armor on the thighs is substantially weaker, and provides fair protection against small arms fire, and good protection against small grenade and shell fragments. The boot pieces are identical in armor to the Cyclone, and the armor is composed of an advanced titanium-steel alloy. Protection on the boots of all models save for the CVR-3F are similar to that of the VR-052 Battler Cyclone. CVR-3F's boots are similar to that on the VR-038 model Cyclone. Vulnerable areas of the pilot are the upper arms, and a small part of the abdomen and back.

While not a true environmental suit, the CVR-3 featured a filter and independent Oxygen supply that could last 30 minutes maximum with filter and 5 minutes with internal Oxygen alone. The CVR helmet is normally unsealed, but when a seal is desired (or pressure drops suddenly) an inflatable ring at the base of the helmet expands, making a seal around the pilot's neck. This provides the wearer with a limited air supply for use under battlefield conditions, or until a rescue crew arrives in the case of a space-based ejection. It is possible to wear an environment suit under the CVR armor. The external consumables supply leads going through the CVR armor by way of special channels in the armor for connection to a standard Mecha life-support system or other oxygen supply.

In addition, the suit features limited temperature control through the use of cooling units in armor. These units conduct heat between the thermally conducting inner and outer layers of the breastplate, helmet, and leg armors. A simple reversal of the voltage can alternate the armor from heating to cooling the pilot. Between the thermally conducting layers on all these pieces, and on the inner surfaces of all other pieces of armor, is a thin insulating layer, designed to minimize non-directed heat transfer. The cooling units are powered by small batteries in the armor units that contain them, and are designed to assist pilot comfort in hot and cold climes. The units are insufficient for protection above 45 and below -25 degrees Celsius. The suit is heat resistant up to 500K for brief periods

The helmet features a variable-tint photochromic polarized polycarbon faceplate. A standard battlefield radio is built into the helmet, complete with radio microphone and speakers.

In addition, the D-model helmet features a targeting reticule that is directly tied in to the targeting systems of the VR-046 and VR-057D Cyclones. This system replaces the normal pop-up targeting system found on other models of Cyclone.

## Variants

* **CVR-3A:** Initial production model.
* **CVR-3B:** Improved model with new helmet design and refinements to construction. Most commonly issued with VR-041 Cyclone.
* **CVR-3D:** Variant helmet with targeting reticule for use with VR-046 and VR-057D Cyclones. Helmet is compatible with all other armour models.
* **CVR-3F:** Lightweight variant for use by female soldiers with reduced armour protection on the legs offering improved mobility.
* **CVR-3H:** Revised model with further structural updates and new helmet model. Most commonly issued with VR-052 Cyclone.
* **CVR-3M:** Modified version of CVR-3H for use with VR-057 Cyclones.