Overview of the PS-01 ArcAngel Equiped with AUS-01 Type-01 Armor Upgrade System

In an effort to keep 1st Generation Protean Fighters viable during the Ceres Conflict, the Neo-Hebrews of Saturn created a series of Armor Upgrade Systems (called AUS, pronounced awww-ssss) to keep the PS-01, PI-02, PA-03, and PF-04U combat worthy.

Among the most widely used of the AUS packages was the AUS-01. It was the first AUS system developed for the post-1st Interplanetary War period and was the product of lessons learned during the final years of that conflict. The AUS-01 saw considerable combat during the Ceres Conflict and Outer Sphere War of the 2182 to 2188 time period.

The AUS-01 extended the lifespan of the existing fleet of PS-01A ArcAngel by over twenty-years while the PS-01B was supposed to replace it during the 2185-2195 time frame, but the realities of fighting in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud during the Outer Sphere War made it clear the PS-01B ArcAngel-II would only be able to complement the existing fleet of PS-01As.

The sheer size and volume of space of the Outer Sphere War made replacing the PS-01A (or any fighter of battle robot) nearly impossible. Industrial capacity of most of the Earth borne stellar nations was just not large enough to allow for replacement of any machine. Upgrade and refit was the only viable option and for Protean mecha, the AUS packages were the answer.