Engineers at the Munitions and Armor Research Section (MARS) of Poseidon Industries felt, as did most, that the Spartans were over with once the war ended. As a result they put heads together and added a few key featured to the ODST armor. The first was a cheap fusion reactor and basic body shields, the first of which were half as strong as the MJOLNIR Mk. V shields. By 2570 they were as strong as the Mk. V.