Designation:SCAR
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The Southern Cross began to move away from the CVR-1 in the mid 2020's in favor of a new full-body armor suit it had developed for its own armies. The new Southern Cross armors were extremely decorative, and the armor style not only conformed to a soldier's gender (for obvious reasons), but to their army and rank as well. Stylistically different armors were developed for the Global Military Police's Enforcement Corps, and the Armies of the Southern Cross' Tactical Air Force, Alpha Tactical Armored Corps, Civil Defense Unit, Civil Defense Flying Corps, the Tactical Corps, and many of specialized divisions, namely the Alpine Divisions, Arctic Divisions, Desert divisions, Forest divisions, and the special-forces Reconnaissance Division. Among each of these eleven army-specific types, there were divisions between male and female armors, and distinct helmet designs for unrated enlisted men, non-commissioned officers, and full officers. Because there were sixty-six distinct types of SCBA armor, the designation system was extremely arcane; for example, a female ATAC officer would wear the SCBA-ATAC/F-O; while a male sergeant in the Tactical Corps would wear the SCBA-TC/M-NC, and his male subordinates would wear the SCBA-TC/M-E.
The SCBA-series armors were simple battle-armor, with some environmental control for comfort, but no inherent space-capabilities. A limited environmental suit could be worn under the armor for protection against chemical agents. Though armies wearing this armor occasionally fought in space, there was no provision for this armor to act as a spacesuit; these soldiers had to rely upon pressurized mecha cockpits.
Though effective, mobile, and comfortable armor, the SCBA-series was heavy and difficult to don or remove, and with the collapse of the Southern Cross and the occupation of Earth by the Invid, the Southern Cross armor vanished from the scene, except as the personal armor of occupation-era warlords and as museum pieces. By 2045, virtually all armor worn by humans fighting on Earth was the REF's CVR-3, or the older CVR-1.
The SCBA-series 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 SCBA armor consists of separate leg, arm, torso, and helmet units, and covers the entire body.
The SCBA-series armors have the following features:
It is possible to wear an environment suit under the SCBA-series armor, with the external consumables supply leads going through the suit by way of special channels in the armor, after which they can plug into a mecha's life-support system or for infantry, into an environmental supply backpack.
Note that most of the weapons portrayed in the images are fanciful, and were never functioning arms. The weapons in the ATAC, GMP-EC, and TC-Recon are real general issue weapons, as are those in the mixed group pictures of the TC-Desert and TC-Forest.
Go to ASC Armor/Weapons Index.
Go to the Robotech Reference Guide Home Page.
Robotech (R) is the property of Harmony Gold. This document is in no way intended to infringe upon their rights.
Content by Peter Walker and Pieter Thomassen, with Rob Morgenstern
Copyright © 1997 Robert Morgenstern, Peter Walker, Pieter Thomassen
Last Updated: Thursday, January 8, 1997 7:58 AM
