Design Features:Designed to complement, rather than compete with the Firehound, the Stormhound is designed for heavy firepower and high mobility. More hulking than the more overtly humanoid Firehound, it utilises a hover system for fast movement, along with more obvious mechanical enhancement to the operators' strength. It has numerous weapon options via the use to hardpoints for interchangeable weapon systems, akin to a tactical aircraft or helicopter.
Most other systems aboard the suit use modular construction as well, allowing for rapid repair and replacement of everything from electronics packages to parts of the motive system and even entire limbs, which also allow for future growth and expansion or field-expedient modifications as needed.
The Stormhound features a number of ancilliary built-in systems to increase its' utility in the field, and allow it to better perform a wide range of battlefield roles, and give the pilot the maximum possible - or at least
practical - flexibility in pursuing their objectives, and for mission planners and tactical commanders to use the battlesuit to the maximum advantage.
With its' movement systems, armour, sensors and weapons, the Stormhound is at home in urban environments as it is in the wilderness, and has a highly adaptable piece of equipment.
The suit can house a single operator, wearing a close-fitting but toughened operators' suit that allows for the carriage of a personal weapon and other small items, and a single long-arm. The suit is controlled by a combination of context-sensitive 'waldo' like hand controls in the arms and feet combined with eye-tracking, blink-cueing and voice controls assisted by highly complex yet intuitive computer assistance. Visual displays are projected onto the interior of the polarised visor, with a modern and adaptive OS cued and navigated by the combined controls. The operators' suit also adds comfort by having a breathable inner layer that soaks perspiration while keeping air circulating. While the operators' suit is not bulletproof, it does offer some modicum of protection against the elements, and can be comfortably worn under a jacket. A separate 'head guard' rather than full helmet offers impact protection and incorporates noise-cancelling communications headphones and vocal pickups to the wearers' jawline.
The Stormhound was originally a problematic beast. Designed in parallel, but separately to the Firehound, the larger, heavier Stormhound had initial problems with its' motive systems and the enhancement aspects of its' exoskeleton. After the Firehound's development team overcame these problems, the same solutions were applied to the Stormhound, making it a viable combat armour suit. As it is larger than its' 'cousin', this brings advantages and disadvantages. It has more raw strength and can take more of a beating, and can carry a comparatively heavier weapon and/or equipment load. But it is concurrently heavier and somewhat less agile than the Firehound, and cannot fit into the same places as easily as the smaller suit, and is less discrete and stealthy. It has a higher ground pressure and overall weight, and this can lead to issues operating in built-up areas, especially in multi-storey buildings. It also adds some issues with deployment, needing a heavier vehicle to transport it to and from combat areas. The more complex and maintenance-intensive motive systems and power train often require more work than the Firehound, due to the increased stress on parts due to the heavier weight. However, it works excellently in tandem with the other unit, providing the heavy blow of the one-two punch.
Powerplant: Standard Firehound-spec hydrogen fuel-cell. Provision for multi-fuel twin-turbine engines pending completion of this system.
Sensor/Comms Systems:- Short-range LIDAR system for targeting; dual-use as laser-communication with friendly units
- Current-gen Starlight/Night-vision with thermal optics
- Scrambled and secure digital radio system with satellite uplink and cellular patch-in
- Secure wireless datalinking with friendly units; linked fully with onboard computer system, allowing for on-mission update of information, as well as data retrieval and recovery of intel or data as needed.
- Onboard hazard detection for CRBN hazards and other potential environmental hazards (e.g. extremes of temperature)
Propulsion:Designed 'for but not with' the intention of later incorporating a ground-effect hovering system for high-speed travel. The turbines were not able to be designed to an adequate low weight on the rollout of the unit, but the appropriate linkages and reinforcements to the system were designed in.
Weaponry:The Stormhound features one modular weapon hardpoint per arm, and one on each shoulder.
The arm hardpoints as usually equipped with ballistic or direct-fire weaponry, while the shoulders support launchers or other heavier weaponry as needed.
Additionally, the suit features a close-in anti-infantry system simply called 'shredders'; two are fitted to the mid-rear and two at the front midsection. When triggered, whether by automatic proximity or the pilots' input, they explosively hurl out several dozen razor-sharp hardened plastic flechettes. If all triggered in combination, they cover a horizontal 360 degrees around the combat suit.
The suits' external speakers can be configured along with the external lighting to play disorienting sounds and light patterns at high intensities and frequencies as a less-lethal, crowd-control method. Additionally, the suit features a built-in contact taser in the left forearm.
Arm Weapons:(one per arm)
- GAU-19 .50 caliber minigun
- M134D 7.62mm minigun
- Select-fire .50 cal chaingun (single-shot/3rnd burst)
- Multi-feed 12 gauge automatic shotgun
- Multi-feed semi-automatic 40mm grenade launcher
- Flamethrower
Shoulder Weapons(one per shoulder)
- 2-tube Hellfire anti-armour missile launcher
- 2-tube Stinger anti-aircraft missile launcher
- H&K GMG 40mm automatic grenade launcher
- Multi-feed Recoilless rifle
- Deployable mini-UAV
- 20mm semi-automatic cannon/Anti-materiel rifle
- High-intensity laser
- 4-tube APKWS launcher
Secondary Arms:(one pair of)
- 2 x MP7A2
- 2 X SCAR-SC w/drum magazine
- 2 x CBJ-MS with drum magazines
- 2 x Vector KRISS
Melee Weapon:Chainsaw on underside of left arm
Additional Equipment:- Interchangeable manipulators. Standard hands are human-scale, but can be swapped for specialised manipulators, such as pincers with more pressure per square inch than a standard hand, and more efficient for moving/lifting cargo.
- High-speed winch with rocket grapple - in place of shoulder weapon
- Deployable computer interface cable
- Smoke/Chaff/Flare dischargers
- Limpet mines/charges
- Exterior microphones/speakers
- Exterior lights with IR/UV filters
Auxiliary Equipment:Non-combat eqipment packages can be mounted to the suits' hardpoints, including cases/carriers for additional human-size longarms, ammunition, or other tools. An 'air-drop' pack with a parachute and landing retro-rockets has been developed and demonstrated. A similar package for amphibious assault is in development.
An arm equipment package featuring interchangeable tools, including a powered socket-wrench, cutting torch, drill, spray gun and other similar utility tools for breaching/combat engineering purposes can be equipped in place of one arm weapon.
fitted with alternate 'pincer' manipulator on right arm 
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