COSMOS (Spriggan)

COSMOS (Children of Soldier Machine Organic System) (コスモス) or formally known as PROJECT COSMOS in the manga series Spriggan is a fictional military unit operating as a covert operations unit of the United States military. Appearances/references to COSMOS in the American translation Striker were edited out since the unit and its parent organization (emanations of the United States Government) were thoroughly characterized as villainous.

History
Created as a secret black op unit operating under the cover of the United States military, most of its ranks are filled with child soldiers of various nationalities. Kidnapped by the US military with backing from Central Intelligence Agency agents, the children are subjected to high amounts of brainwashing conducted by research scientists so as not to regain any control over themselves. The unit was commanded by Colonel Ralph Cooley.

The unit had secretly conducted covert operations from around the world, performing secret missions without involving the US military. Nearing the end of the series, COSMOS was sponsored by the Trident Corporation from the Pentagon when most of the unit took a massive number of casualties from the Spriggans after launching a raid on their facility (a US Army base in Japan) in order to rescue Rie and Akiha, held captive in order to draw Yu out of hiding.

COSMOS soldiers, now under the sponsorship of the Trident Corporation, was granted exclusive access to their prototype assault rifles as the unit was used as the corporation's special forces unit, as well as being outfitted with the Armored Machine Suit, which was made possibly under mass production. Currently, Trident Corporation is trying to use Sho Kanaya as a guinea pig to lead all active COSMOS soldiers with telepathic thoughts, reducing the need to field out experienced officers to take command during any combat missions.

Training
COSMOS recruits, after being heavily brainwashed, are taken into secret training camps throughout the United States. From there, they are given special forces-level training such as commando skills, infiltration/exfiltration techniques, small arms handlings and martial arts.

Former

 * Colonel Ralph Cooley
 * Fatman (From OVA)

Current

 * Sho Kanaya, under the direction of Larry Markson

Soldiers

 * Yu Ominae: Number 43
 * Sho Kanaya: Number 71

Equipment


In most of its missions, COSMOS soldiers are armed with Heckler and Koch MP5A5 and MP5SD6 submachine guns, Mossberg 500 "Cruiser" shotguns, Heckler & Koch PSG1 sniper rifles and Glock 17 pistols. Their standard equipment usually consist of olive green berets, M17A1 respirators and ALICE web gear.

After COSMOS was indoctrinated into Trident, they received mass-produced Armored Machine Suits and sport Trident symbols on their berets and BDU collars.