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.