Crash suit

Crash suits are technology from the 2005 IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

An example of aerial crash suit deployment. These boys do not believe in parachutes.

One of the most notable products of the reverse-engineering of Cybertronian technology seen on post-occupation Earth, crash suits are Transformer-sized units operated by Skywatch.

These suits can be deployed via Skywatch transport aircraft (up to two per craft, each carried externally beneath the wing engines) and have been deployed in tandem with infantry and Skywatch gunship units in the field. In Skywatch's quest to capture all remaining Cybertronians on Earth in the aftermath of the Decepticon occupation, these suits are at the vanguard of human-led efforts to engage their targets on a more level playing field.

They are powered by energon, armed with an unspecified rotary cannon mounted on the suit's right forearm, and carry their pilot in a chest-mounted cockpit.

Each suit has a three-digit identifier on its chest—with unit 001 operated by Major Spike Witwicky. The chest numbers go up to at least 360.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

The crash suits were developed by Allodyne Logic Systems, Dynomic and Darkmatter Logic. The Hanging Sword They were likely based on Cybertronian technology provided to Skywatch by the Decepticon Swindle. A Second Chance at Eden

Spike takes the "crash" part of "crash suit" very seriously.

When the rogue Decepticon Breakdown was detected attacking a power station, a Skywatch unit led by Spike Witwicky deployed to apprehend him. Deploying from a trio of transport craft, Spike crashed his suit into the Decepticon, before an inhibitor was applied to disable Breakdown. In order to lure out other Cybertronians in the facility, Spike had the particle cannons on the supporting gunship armed, to give the impression that Breakdown would be terminated, rather than interned. The ruse was a success, in drawing Prowl from hiding—who was soon caught by an infantry-launched inhibitor himself. Both Prowl and Breakdown were taken to Skywatch HQ.

Later, two crash suits were used to guard Prowl, who in turn was being used as bait to draw further Cybertronian intervention. It is unclear what role they, or other suits, played when Hot Rod led an Autobot force in an ill-fated attempt to rescue him. ...For All Mankind

A couple of camouflage-painted crash suits were present when Optimus Prime surrendered himself to Skywatch at Spike's base. New Arrivals, Old Encounters Some suits, including 024, were later involved in the capture of Hoist, Beachcomber and Tracks. A Rude Awakening After the Autobots defeated Menasor, Skywatch surrounded the area with crash suits and tanks to catch any fleeing Decepticons. Earthworks

Once an alliance had been brokered between Skywatch and the Autobots, a ship full of zombies crashed in Las Vegas. Alongside the Autobots, Skywatch crash suits were sent in to contain the outbreak. However, it turned out the zombie virus could even infect mechanical objects, as Larson in Crash 22 sadly found out. The Transformers: Infestation #1 A couple of other crash suits were also zombified, but the zombie mastermind Britt was eventually defeated and the infestation sealed away. The Transformers: Infestation #2

During the Autobot-Skywatch strike on the Combaticons in North Korea, some Skywatch people in crash suits served as Beta-Team. Ranks of Bronze Among their duties were holding down Vortex so Ratchet could cut his rotors off. Hawk Among the Sparrows When the Predacons joined the fray, Spike's suit was easily defeated by Rampage. All My Sins Remembered

Crash suits 001, 028, and 360 were present on the plane that carried the Korea team back to the U.S. The Demolished Man Fortunately, they turned out to be waterproof when Megatron shot down the plane over the ocean. Woken Furies The suits later were later waiting to be repaired at Omega Supreme, the new Autobot-Skywatch base. Enemy Mine