As a result, the armor multiplies the strength of its wearer significantly more than the first-generation suits, granting the Spartan-IVs roughly equal strength as their predecessors while wearing the suit. The armor was designed to compensate for the Spartan-IVs' less extensive physical augmentations in comparison to the previous twogenerations. Jameson Locke using his armor's thrusters. Additionally, VISR kits with an unknown manufacturer have been found by ONI operatives in the arms markets of the insurgent-controlled Venezia. Even Forerunner technology has been incorporated into the armor. The 'King' VISR utilized by some Spartans was initially created by a bored Huragok and subsequent attempts to copy the design have been met with varying levels of failure. As ties between the Swords of Sanghelios and UEG strengthen, many Sangheili artisans have gained interests in working with GEN2 armor. Some VISR designs have been created using high-tier nanolaminates and scanning elements provided by the Sangheili, while others are even compatible with the Sangheili combat harness. This Mjolnir variant is designed by Sanghelios' Kolaar Manufactorum and fielded among the Spartan-IVs. Notably, the HELIOSKRILL-class Mjolnir was designed by a Sangheili artisan-armorer designer who had managed to reverse-engineer the Mjolnir armor in an effort to test her skills against humanity's best armor manufacturers. In addition to human corporations, select other species have had a role in the development of some iterations of GEN2 Mjolnir armor and its components. Nonetheless, UNSC organizations, such as Materials Group and the Watershed Division, still continue to manufacture several variants of the GEN2 Mjolnir armor.
Many smaller industrial design firms and military subcontractors have used the common GEN2 Mjolnir software and exoskeleton as a springboard for their own innovations. In addition to these larger corporations, a major policy shift within the UEG has led to smaller corporations and businesses being given the opportunity to compete in the paramilitary, military, and security markets. Production of some GEN1 variants was shifted between corporate entities, while other contracts were transferred from the military to private industries. Even major military-industrial concerns, such as Beweglichkeitsrüstungsysteme, no longer control all aspects of their armors' tactical packages and software, both within the military and among private contractors. For example, RKD Group was responsible for designing the MIRMILLION-class armor variant, though the group contracted Korolev Heavy Industries to produce the armor and licensed the suit's BIOS from Applied Heuristics. While the previous iteration of the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor was often-though, not always-created and manufactured by organizations, departments, and branches of the United Nations Space Command, the Unified Earth Government has contracted numerous corporations to design GEN2 armor variants. As a result, the Mark VII has largely been phased out of production in favor of the GEN2 Mjolnir, though many technologies developed for the Mark VII have since been incorporated into the GEN2 armor.
Eventually, the UNSC determined that continuing to fund the first generation of Mjolnir armor-that was only focused on the Spartan-IIs-was not worth the costs, particularly given the escalating costs and capabilities of the newer Spartan-IIIs and Spartan-IVs in GEN2 armor.
However, Mark VII never saw full implementation with the rest of the Spartan-IIs due to its complexity and expense. Initially, Spartan-II Naomi-010 used MJOLNIR Mark VII Powered Assault Armor, the last iteration of the first generation of Mjolnir armor. The remaining active Spartan-IIs, such as those on Blue Team, have since donned GEN2 armor. Īs of 2558, GEN2 armor is standard-issue for nearly all active Spartans, having replaced the Semi-Powered Infiltration armor of the Spartan-IIIs.
Some of the first contemporary models of the GEN2 Mjolnir armor were first tested in combat in January 2553 when New Colonial Alliance forces launched a raid on UNSC Infinity and the five Spartan-IVs in-training aboard the warship were forced to don the armor to help combat the insurgents. Several early models of the GEN2 Mjolnir armor were field tested by Spartan Tedra Grant. The GEN2 Mjolnir armor was initially developed and created by the Office of Naval Intelligence's Materials Group as a response to the emerging SPARTAN-IV program, initiated on January 7, 2553.