Background
Flame Thrower variant
The All-Environment Combat Armor (ECA) is the evolution of the Next Generation Tactical Body Armor (NG-Tac Armor), which formed the basis of the Infantry Corps' body protection for it's soldiers for the majority of the Sethas-Po'leks Wars of Aggression.
ECA is slowly being interrogated into the Federal Army; because of the armor's high costs, front-line combat units and "elite battle units" are receiving the armor first. The Army expects the full integration to take three to five years, however more recent information suggests this process to take even longer, with the Army most likely keeping the armor to front-line combat units and elite units, while introducing the armor to other units on a even more reserved basis then first predicted, stretching the timeline to possibly seven years, with the ECA armor being updated as needed with technology advancements along the way.
The new ECA armor also introduced new weaponry---which provides technology benfits to the user with ECA armor---for the Infantry Corps, including:
When connected to the ECA, all of the above listed weapons provides the ECA wearer with a head-ups display in his Chemical and Biological Filter System Mask, including a basic HUD display on zoom-in and zoom-out on the range scope with targeting range data, rounds left in mag, heat of weapon (overheating warning), and any other jamming or damage alerts on the weapon.
Design
Helmet and Chemical & Biological Filter System (mask)
The ECA is designed around maximum protection and technology integration, providing the soldier with the following benefits:
- Protection greater then that of Type 3 NG-Tac Armor
- Armor has high-quality grenade shrapnel protection
- Internal communications system in helmet
- Chemical and Biological Filter System built into mask
- Can be equipped with a backpack for long-duration missions
- Armor is designed with the new Multi-Environment Technology (MET), which means the armor has equal and basic environment qualities for cold weather, desert, tropical, & hazardous environment without the need of additional armor modifications.
Cons
The ECA has several cons, verses the former NG-Tac Armor:
- Heavier then Type 3 NG-Tac Armor
- Three times as expensive as Type 3 NG-Tac Armor
- Restricted peripheral vision
Ranking Structure
Non-Commissioned (NCO) are identified by lower capes (foreground), while Corporals, Lance Corporals, and Privates are pictured in the background.
- Officers are identified by orange pauldrons on one shoulder
- NCOs by lower capes (see picture)
- Master Sergeants have the cape and a black shoulder pauldron on one shoulder, a smaller white pauldron on the other shoulder
- Sergeant First Class have the cape and a black shoulder pauldron on one shoulder
- Staff Sergeants have the cape and a white shoulder pauldron on one shoulder
- Sergeants have just the cape
Sergeant (background) and two Privates (foreground)