Lightning Class Power Armor Proposal from Forge World Vhalkem
Archmagos Biologis Grimm, I will make this message as brief and succinct as possible per my research into your disposition.
I am Archmagos Damascus-171, Chief of Material Testing, and my team and I believe that cooperation between both of us can greatly further both the Quest and the defense of the Imperium.
Recently we have come into possession of STC fragments from the Dark Age of Technology for a module similar in purpose to the Iron Halo, that being an additional component that produces a personal protective field around an individual. After testing and initial trials, my team has managed to merge this shield generator to a modified pattern of power armors, with some compromises.
Essentially, by reducing the levels of ceramite armor to reduce mass and make space for the barrier projectors, we have created what we have named the Lightning Class Power Armor. The name comes from what we able to translate from the scattered texts of the STCs, though I digress. The rechargeable energy shielding produced by the shield module is capable of protecting the wearer from low amounts of firepower for minutes at a time and is able to survive heavy firepower, such as concentrated las- fire and plasma before needing time to recharge. Our tests have also confirmed significant increases to survivability in regard to large explosions from grenades, rockets, melta weaponry, and artillery, though those improved numbers lessen drastically the closer to the epicenter.
By all of our reports, this armor system can drastically improve the survivability of any Space Marine who can wear it.
However, the systems that govern both the generation and projection of the shielding are quite complex, easily as complex of the Iron Halo itself. This imposes limits on how much these armors can be produced at a time. Furthermore, there are significant 'concerns' among our peers in regard to the system, that range from practical issues like those related to the removal of layers of armor and manufacturing and logistical concerns to other 'foreseen issues' which typically line up along political lines of thought inside the Mechanicus, such as accusations of Tech-Heresy.
As such, after much deliberation with my team, I have decided to reach out to you with a cooperative venture. We believe that with our current allowance of production we can provide, support, and maintain roughly one thousand units of this armor, plus our experimental Lightning Plus Tactical Dreadnaught Armor. Instead of producing these armors individually to be split among a number of Chapters, these armors would be best utilized as part of the Long Founding, condensed under a single Chapter-strength force, both to ease logistics and provide a large force to gather comprehensive data on the armor system.
We eagerly await your reply,
Archmagos Damascus-171, Chief of Material Testing, Forge World Vhalkem