With no idea of the actual mechanisms of strength enhancements, we have no idea of their level of redundancy. They may be able to be combined into something better than either one alone.
With exceedingly little data on the magnitude of strength enhancement on either side of the equation, we really can't say with confidence which one is superior, nor if either is universally superior. One or the other may be superior depending upon the objectives of a specific subject.
We know enough to theorize and extrapolate.
MAJ Han: "You know how eating is one of the primal pleasures? Well the UN fucked something in our heads when they change us. It's only supposed to make us feel better when we're killing AGs, but eating Antagonists sets it off too."
This tells us that the UNCG modifies their infantry soldiers somewhat extensively, particularly in the mind. This implies a high level of understanding the underlying mechanisms of the brain and bodily functions, all of which requires a high technology level. Combine this with Anna being able to procure a standard issue med-fab to integrate that came with standard nanobots. The only reason Anna didn't use them on Vivas, iirc, when she was heavily damaged by the wave force was that it would take too long to fabricate the specialized nanobot needed. As such, I think that it is reasonable to assume that the strength enhancements where done using nanobots and gene modding. If you want an example of gene modding look no further than Sandra's backstory as a designer baby.
Valks and the UN Central Government in general would love MJOLNIR. I don't know if any of the book ever gave numbers on the output of the Mark V and Mark VI Fusion reactor, but it's a fusion reactor that weighs under 500kg, can be lugged around on an personal exoskeleton, sustain output for a year and maybe longer, and not glow like the rising sun from waste heat. Sarcastic jokes from UN engineers about how they totally could get a fusion reactor that small working, albeit only for a very 'short amount of time' and running 'slightly hot' aside, that is tech that is beyond the UNCG. Fusion reactors in this setting at the size of city blocks by efficiency necessity, and because I need them to blow up dramatically when shot (mostly the second). UNSC personally portable fusion reactors would be a game changer for the UNCG.
The rest of MJOLNIR would be almost an after thought.
They would care about the power generation of the micro-Fusion reactor, which fair enough it basically is black magic. This suggests, to me at least, that they don't really need any of the crystalline lining of the MJONIR armor or what have you. An important thing to note is that Spartan armor is strong enough to tear apart an unaugmented human, so when it is said the UN wouldn't care overmuch about the rest of it I assume they already have better armor, which implies that they DO have the augmentation abilities to create their own Spartan II's. So I think it may be somewhat reasonable to conclude that the UNCG Infantry has at minimum the same unassisted strength of the Spartan II's.
It is entirely possible that the strength ad assorted other potential advances are largely meaningless, and it is doubtful that any of them are dramatic given that these are gifts rather than an uplift, but there is nothing thus far presented to discount their usefulness either, and one of the things about technology is that it often finds ways to be applied in unexpected ways...
Also, you do have a point of Shards having a nebulous level of technology, and an extremely eclectic knowledge of math, physics, etc. but that doesn't really matter as QA
can't bust out the good shit as she believes, incorrectly, that this specific world is a testing world, and thus :Mother: is trying to keep it locked in conflict for as long as possible. As such, QA believes she is not authorized to do more extensive testing of her Friends, and consequently her really good tech. How much the UN
can learn from what she has displayed is up in the air as they do have advanced levels of technology thanks to the Valkyries and the Valkyries themselves.
