The surface can be treated in a special chemical process to increase its defensive properties substantially.

The shell is coated in a 10 micron silver ablative layer that allows for reflecting laser blasts and radiation emissions without damaging the composite surface directly. The strength of the material is further enhanced by the organic, rounded profile of the shell, improving the chances of deflecting projectiles and explosions compared to the older steel plating present on the T-45. Unlike its older sibling, the exterior shell is made from a poly-laminate composite capable of absorbing over 2.5 kilojoules of energy without damage. Like the T-45, it is designed for a single human operator, patterned after the human silhouette. Unlike its predecessor, the T-51 benefits from a long development cycle and uses custom-made components to create not a stop-gap model, but a weapon that provides the best possible protection through incorporating the latest passive defense features.

Developed over a decade of war by West-Tek, it incorporates many of the lessons gleaned from the T-45 power armor service history. The T-51 is the apex of pre-War powered combat infantry development.