'Iron Man' suit being developed by U.S. military

Look out, Iron Man. Some elite U.S. forces may soon have a suit that rivals yours and even offers medical aid.

While the Marvel Comics character's suit transforms him into a superhero with incredible strength, U.S. special operations forces may be a few short years away from donning a suit that can monitor the user's vital signs, provide real-time battlefield information and offer bulletproof protection from head to toe. The suit might eventually have other features unheard of only a few years ago, including an exoskeleton made of liquid armor, smart fabrics that could help stop hemorrhaging, enhanced sensory capabilities and Google Glass-like visuals.

The Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) project is coordinated through the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. Prototypes are expected to be shown to military commanders in June, with hopes that the suit will be given to high-risk units in 2018.

While the project sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, its mission is simple, said James Geurts, the deputy for acquisition at SOCOM.

“We've lost a lot of guys to gunshot wounds and explosions,” he said. “If there's anything I can do to more rapidly field technology, give better protection, better capability, any progress, I think we've done well.”

SOCOM Commander Adm. William McRaven is widely credited with initiating the project. Last year, he described the command's unique approach to the project: By harnessing the expertise of professional engineers, the creativity of students and possibly even “local garage tinkerers,” the military will end up with a truly innovative project.

“I am very committed to it because I'd like that last operator we lost to be the last one we ever lose in this fight or the fight of the future, and I think we can get there,” McRaven said last July.

What might be more remarkable than the whiz-bang technology of the suit is how Geurts and his team are reaching out to recruit contractors in nontraditional ways.

SOCOM has held “Monster Garage”-type events for people with potential ideas, and even Geurts acknowledged: “It's certainly not the traditional Department of Defense model.”

“Looking for #collaborators to help #invent the next generation of #sof combat gear via #talos @SOFTALOS,” Geurts tweeted in September.

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