Project Icarus was a joint operation (deployed and founded by the private military contractor Pirandello/Kruger and the City Protection Force) to combat, suppress, and control the runners after their unsuccessful attempts to try to bring down them (especially Faith). Icarus brings down runners primarily with "Pursuit Cops" - CPF cops who are trained by PK in the practice of running and try to take down runners, usually (if not all the time) while he/she is free running. A specific name for these officers is never mentioned in the story, but they are referred to as "Pursuit Cops" in the artwork section of the unlockables menu.

Project Icarus is first mentioned at the beginning of the game when Faith picks up a piece of paper with 'Icarus' written on it. You encounter a screen midway through, that shows Faith, Mercury, Celeste (Celeste's information appears to be classified) and many other runners, who are being targeted except for Celeste, after it is revealed at the container ship that Cel is secretly an early test subject of Icarus (and possibly a double agent).

Icarus is the 'weapon of choice' for the totalitarian government's mission to kill Runners and cease illegal transportation of information.

Pursuit Cops Edit

The Pursuit Cops are highly trained CPF officers who are capable of taking down runners by using their own "sword" (Free Running) against them. Pursuit Cops are trained at large, open, and secretive obstacle courses (it assumed that more than one exists, due to the fact that the one in the game is marked by the number "05"), most likely constructed by PK or Callaghan's city construction company.

Pursuit cops wear dark teal clothing and are donned with mostly black armor, a full face mask, and a reflective CPF badge. They are armed with "Drive Stun" (not projectile based) Tasers and Smoke grenades. Pursuit cops will also use hand-to-hand combat to deal with Runners.

Pursuit Cops can be killed, but it's usually not a good idea to do it as other Pursuit Cops will quickly take you down, especially if you fight them hand-to-hand. You cannot pick up their Tasers or Smoker Grenades.

Naming of "Project Icarus" Edit

Icarus's father, in Greek mythology, builds wings made out of feathers and wax to escape Crete for them both to escape. The father warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, but Icarus ignored his father's warning. As a result, Icarus' wings melted from the heat of the sun and Icarus fell to his death. A possible explanation for the name is that the runners (taking to the rooftops) are getting too close to the Sun - they are getting harder to catch, and as a result they need to be restricted and 'have their wings clipped'. Project Icarus was most likely named such because the Pursuit Cops trying to take down the runners is an analogy to Icarus having his wings melted down, however there is no actual real explanation as to why it is named Icarus.