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‘Iron Man’ Suit Begins Design Phase, Spawns Other Pentagon Inventions

© AP Photo / Tamara LushSketches of the body armor exoskeleton during the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa
Sketches of the body armor exoskeleton during the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa - Sputnik International
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Special Operations Command acquisition executive James Geurts said in a statement that the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS), better known as the “Iron Man” suit, had been designed by the US Department of Defense to give protection and capabilities to US special operators.

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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS), better known as the “Iron Man” suit, is being designed by the US Department of Defense (DOD) Special Operations Command to give protection and capabilities to US special operators, a DOD statement said on Wednesday.

“It’s not just body armor; it’s all the things that go into that,” Special Operations Command acquisition executive James Geurts said in a statement. “This includes sensors, heads-up displays, an exoskeleton to reduce the load special operators carry, medical sensors, and much, much more.”

The TALOS program began 18 months ago with the development of this exoskeleton, allowing the wearer to move heavy gear that would feature an internal computing system, the statement read. The advantages of this Special Operations Command (SOCOM) technology, according to the statement, are nimbleness, agility, and adaptability.

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Current technologies in development include unpowered exoskeletons, advanced armor, radio that can handle multiple waveforms, optics allowing for various light condition sight, and inter-team communications using ‘3D audio,’ which indicates where a teammate is by the sound of their voice, according to Geurts. Others include lightweight face and body protection, Guerts said.

TALOS’ effort has a small join acquisition task force, concentrating on the suit’s invention, Geurts said. The process has been opened up to many different companies, government agencies and entities, and academia, who are participating in the creation of this suit, he added.

The beginnings of this suit’s creation to the “rapid prototyping event” SOCOM held last year that strengthened their network that has been growing around the suit, whose development began then around 18 months ago, Guerts said.

The main focus has been closing the distance between operator, acquirer, and technologist, Guerts said.

As a result of the research SOCOM has done, SOCOM have spun off 12 or 14 other inventions since they began work on the suit. The end-product with a fully-functional suit remains the goal, according to DOD.

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