After an American commando fell in the line of duty by kicking open a door in Afghanistan, the top commander of U.S. Special Operations made a vow to prevent similar casualties.
After two years have passed, the U.S. military is closer than ever to putting Iron Man on the battlefield — or at least some technology that closely resembles the superhero’s suit of armor.
Unlike Tony Stark’s, the suit won’t give its operator the ability to fly, but the actual body armor may one step ahead from the fictional version: The military’s suit will be made of liquid armor that can solidify on command.
Junior Jack Loon said, “It would be so cool to see Iron Man go into battle. Well, for us at least. The enemies would probably be extremely scared.”
Fitted with the protective gear — the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) — troops will not only become more lethal and better protected, but particularly the vulnerable first soldier to breach a compound.
Sophomore Emma Balk said, “I don’t support this one bit. We can’t solve violence with more violence. Peace is what we need to establish and this is not the way to do it.”
A blend of academics, defense industry, and Pentagon personnel are attempting to fine-tune “Iron Man’s” battery powered exoskeleton. This would allow reduced strain on the body, ahead of its time ballistic protection, and boosted communications.
Junior Ameen Tabiei said, “I think it’s kind of scary. I mean, that’s almost too much power. What if some other riot like the one in Ferguson, MO happends again. You know? That would be scary how much damage that suit could do to a crowd.”