Submecha suits

Utility

The development of Submecha suits began shortly after the Trausnian war began, when UNIDISC realized that ordinary human soldiers were no match for Trausnian shock troopers in ground battles. The first generations of Submecha suits were developed with a focus on imitating and synergizing with the mechanical movement of the human body. However, it was discovered that the integration of an internal AI into the suit's systems eliminated the need for such a heavy focus on robotics. These later generations of the Submecha suit with full integration are considered "Radiant" class.

Manufacturing

Submecha suits are only manufactured on Earth to prevent any capture of the technology into Trausnian hands. The manufacturing process is most akin to that of airplanes. First, the internal wiring and mechanics are built onto a central supporting frame. Then, armor plates are affixed and welded together. Lastly, the remaining systems, such as the integrated weapons and the helmet, are added and tested. Once all of this is complete, an AI unit is introduced and the systems are tested.
Due to the complexity of the process, only about 10,000 are manufactured per year.

Access & Availability

Access to Submecha suits remains solely in the hands of UNIDISC. Not only is the design and manufacturing process classified, but it is illegal for a suit to be operated by any other independent political entity. Use of a Submecha suit against human combatants is a violation of International Humanitarian Law.

Complexity

Submecha suits are exceedingly complex, so much so that the later class of suits require the integration of an internal AI to function. Submecha suits synchronize with the pilot's movements to give the illusion of 'wearing' the armor, while remaining a separate structure so that the pilot does not have to bear its weight or worry about providing propulsion.
The helmet itself is a technological marvel, providing a real-time Heads-Up-Display with a variety of useful information for its pilot. Its capabilities include, but are not limited to: target identification, the ability to scan in multiple frequencies of light, height and distance calculating, threat analysis, radar, targeting reticle, internal navigation, and more. The helmet also comes equipped with faster-than-light communications devices and universal translation systems. All of these functions are managed by the integrated AI.
Submecha suits are fully sealed, capable of functioning underwater and in the vacuum of space. However, unless specifically modified for extraterrestrial use, oxygen supply is limited to roughly an hour. However, suits have a state-of-the-art air filtration system, capable of filtering out oxygen from alien atmospheres to allow its pilot to breathe on nearly every discovered exoplanet completely unassisted.
However, all of this complexity comes at a cost. Submecha suits cannot function unpowered. If a suit's powercore becomes damaged, the suit is rendered completely defunct. Smaller emergency power cells are scattered throughout a suit's armor to provide a slight redundancy, but these do little more than activate basic life preservation protocols (for both pilot and AI) along with a black box signal. Because of this glaring vulnerability, the position of the powercore pack within the suit gets moved with every new production model made.