Sons of the Patriots

Sons of the Patriots (short for SOP), sometimes referred to as simply "The System", was an advanced battlefield control system operated by proxy AIs' (GW, TJ, TR, AL, and JD) of The Patriots. SOP allowed state militaries and private military companies to monitor and enhance the performance of all soldiers deployed in combat via the nanomachines within their bodies. It was developed and implemented by AT Security after 2009.

SOP served three main functions. The first was to allow multiple members of a military unit to share each other's senses and work more efficiently as a team. The System basically ran a unit like a network of computers, each man able to see what the others saw, feel what they felt, and rapidly coordinate tactics. This provided a massive tactical advantage to whomever used it.

The second function was to monitor the chemical balance of every soldier engaged in combat. This allowed the nanomachines to induce an artificial "combat high" by controlling the release of adrenaline and endorphins, elevating the senses and accuracy of every soldier. Furthermore, it allowed accurate monitoring of a soldier's oral intake and excrements (water, food and sweat). This refined information allowed commanders to make more informed decisions on the flow of combat. Soldiers under SOP also had their emotions suppressed so that they felt less fear and remorse than other soldiers might. One's sense of pain was subject to the same treatment, preventing minor injuries from distracting a soldier during combat.

The third main function of SOP was to monitor and control the use of weapons on the battlefield. As each soldier's weapon (excluding a few "naked guns") were "ID locked", only authorised individual soldiers could use that particular weapon. It could also prevent soldiers from firing on their own, preventing them from committing atrocious acts and violating human rights, as well as preventing PMCs from attacking their own clients. SOP governed all small arms and ammunition, as well as vehicles such as helicopters and tanks. It did not, however, govern anything larger than small arms, leaving weapons such as missiles locked for usage by a higher-authority system.

By 2014, all state armies and PMCs were known to have SOP implanted in them and even law enforcement agencies and paramilitaries were adopting them. Of course, militias and rebel armies did not have access to the System, which explained why they lost many battles to state armies.

In 2014, Liquid Ocelot, as the CEO of the biggest PMC mother company, had built an army with enough firepower to rival that of the U.S. Army and was intending to use this military power to challenge the Patriots. Even with the reconstructed GW AI, he was unable to attack them as he knew they would simply lock his entire army down. What Liquid Ocelot originally intended to do was to take the system offline, but to do this he required the DNA of Big Boss (his "father"), which acted as a key to the System. He conducted two tests on his own PMC troops, the first test in the Middle East using his (Liquid Snake's) DNA, and the second test in South America using the DNA of Old Snake (his "brother"). While both these tests partially succeeded, the withdrawal from the system drove the troops to the brink of insanity, as they were unable to cope with the emotions and memories that had before been suppressed, some even suffering fatal heart attacks from the shock.

After stealing Big Boss's corpse from Big Mama, Liquid Ocelot used it to fully gain control of the System in Eastern Europe (the corpse was actually that of Solidus Snake, the perfect clone of Big Boss). With SOP under Liquid's control, which he renamed the "Guns of the Patriots," private armies around the world were crippled, leaving only Liquid Ocelot's personal PMCs unaffected.

The System was eventually destroyed by the FOXALIVE virus created by Naomi Hunter and Sunny Gurlukovich, along with the Patriots's AI matrix. However, with the System destroyed, this would also cripple PMCs as well as state armies worldwide, leaving behind an uncertain fate.

Metal Gear Online
In Metal Gear Online, the SOP System allows players to see where their teammates are at any given time and allows them to know if an ally has fallen into a trap, needs backup, has been killed/stunned, and the exact location, however the System needs to be activated by standing next to a comrade and pressing/holding the Triangle button. In addition, if one accidentally shoots their own teammate, the System will lock the gun, preventing them from firing for a few moments.

As well as being a gameplay tool, SOP can also be used by the opposing team. A player can capture an enemy and hack into their SOP System using a Scanning Plug to allow them to see all enemies linked to the one being scanned. Additionally, during the Base Mission mode, players can buy an "SOP Destabilizer," which, when placed on the enemy base, will render all opposing players unable to move or attack for 30 seconds, similar to how Guns of the Patriots worked.

Behind the Scenes

 * Paz Ortega Andrade alludes to Big Boss (Naked Snake) the concept of "controlling guns" (reffering to SOP) in 1974.