Brandon J. Weichert
Marvel’s 2008 film Iron Man is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be the best of all the Marvel comic book films. The iconic film launched one of the world’s most successful media franchises. It also apparently had a degree of influence in a massively expensive—though ultimately failed—covert military technology program.
In 2013, the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) undertook an ambitious effort to create a “supersuit” akin to what audiences saw Robert Downey, Jr’s iconic superhero wearing in the 2008 film. The final product came to be known as the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, or “TALOS” for short—but, as one might expect, was a far cry from the screen version.
How Adidas Became a Defense Contractor
There were other partners on the TALOS program, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. Army Research, Developing, and Engineering Command (RDECOM), and private firms like Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Revision Military.
Apparently, Adidas, the shoe and sports apparel company, was involved, too—illustrating the absurdity of the defense contracting process. Said one defense expert at the time that TALOS was announced, “It’s more than just a suit, it’s more than Hollywood, it’s more than us doing interviews in the media. It’s about changing the way we do acquisitions.”
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