The Master Chiefs armor is real... maybe.
I've read about exoskeleton strength enhancing combat suits, or ESECS suits. They are all enclosed self-powered semi-protective sealed suits with internal cooling and oxygen supply complete with health bio-monitoring equipment. This stuff is being designed for the civilian market for obvious industrial and hazardous duty needs.
The powered suit utilizes robotic actuators to nullify its weight so the user doent have to use any strength other than what would normally be required to move walk or run. I hear the suits allow you to run faster than a human as well.
The military, meanwhile is headed in a direction with personalized infantry armor that I think will intersect with the ESECS suits. The trick is to use bio engineering and nano technology in combination with the ESECS suit. The [bleep] is unbelievably expensive, but it comes from cows. Spider silk DNA is used in cows to make spider milk which is refined to make protective bullet proof armor using nano tech. A few universities and bio tech companies are working on it. Cool stuff.
When used with a combination of new micro linked scale mesh (thinner and lighter than kevlar) which helps deform the bullet and spread the impact inertia over a larger area than can kevlar, it then hits the spider silk armor and stops dead like hitting superman. Course, if you arnt wearing something sturdy underneath, you will have a nasty bruise and or internal injuries.
Well, tthe military adds that to the outer kevlar exoskeleton and you end up with a seriously grenade, small arms, and explosive resistant suit.
The military is also testing a personel weapon that uses an electronic signal projector on the gun whoose beam is picked up by helmet mounted optics and a 'dot' is painted over whatever the soldier aims at on his HUD type visor. Couple that with this latest innovation in military electronic firearms and you have a seriously kick ass heavy infantry unit.
I can see right off that if its true the suit lets you run real fast, is impregnable to small arms fire and bio weapons, and has surefire hit capabilities, whatever it faces off against i feel real sorry for. The question is, will they use that Japan invented camera type invisible projection camoflauge?
Imagine the Masterchief with a cloak running around with a US military patch on its armsleeve in this day and age... [bleep] scary isnt it?
Edit: Next they need to work on the deflective energy shield