As we've both come up with it, I think it's an excellent point!

So did I. I cannot believe that would be a mere coincidence.

I think its just a generic space suit look, it didn't look unlike the apollo astronaut suit either.

Not the first time I've said this, but I really think Moffatt & Graham want us to make the link, owing to the very similar technology, the similar weapons and the similar spacesuits. But I also think they may be a red herring and — even if not — that there are more interesting possibilities than this being an origin story.

I can also think of much stupider theories. Would it make you feel better if I posited, for the purpose of stretching out the range, that the acid ratings are lower than normal and the mainland isn't responding because at some point the flesh cloned the entire island?

The similarities with the Sontaran's uniforms are very generalised- as Qui says - and for a good reason. They have to give the impression of armour and protection without the weight or mobility problems that causes. The usual way is a jointed front and back, some covering at the shoulders and wrists and maybe some shin and thigh pads. The rest of the "suit" is cloth or leather/metal-look material.

In fact, take away the bigger helmet (with blacked out "glass" cos they wanted a big surprise on first showing) and the Judoon are wearing pretty much the same uniform.

I disagree. We have only been pointed in the direction that The Doctor has come across the technology before, there is nothing pointing us towards an old enemy. It didn't even occur to me. Rather it immediately seemed like it is linked more to the over all Doctor dying arc than hinting at an old enemy. But we will see.

Why would that make me feel better (although it is quite a nice little distraction)? I was merely pointing out some of the fundamental differences between the Sontaran technology and the Flesh technology (there are more - but I'm keeping it light and more relevant).

To me, these more than rule out the possibility of them being the same at different stages - it just didn't even cross my mind that there could be any similarities. There would be too many obstacles to have to explain with masses of exposition - and I really doubt that will be the case.

I remember thinking that the Judoon (before the Doctor said "Judoooon") were reimagined Sontarans.

Also just noticed that the armadillo arrangement around the midriff is not unlike Cyberman armour either

I don't think this has anything to do with Sontarans. I hope it hasn't anyway. They're pretty inept, somewhat embarrassing villlains.

Just because, if people making extremely ridiculous theories hinging only very, very slightly on things shown in the episode bothers you then I was hoping — in a lighthearted fashion — that stretching out the scale so that the theories here look less extreme might improve things!

Anyway, for the record, to avoid this thread getting really dull on Saturday night: if the technology in these episodes turns out to be not in the slightest Sontaran related, that doesn't mean it didn't appear to be. If it does, that doesn't mean it was made obvious that it was going to be.

I'd agree the acid suits look just like sontarans, and that seems like more than coincidence unless the costume designer and moffat just forgot. They didnt need to look like a generic 'spacesuit' because they are using them for acid mining (a thing Im a bit confused about). They could have just made them heavy duty versions of the red suits in the impossible planet etc.

When I saw the flesh especially when it spoke i immediatly thought of the nestene conciousness/autons. At the moment they seem more individualist/human but next episode they could get crazier I suppose :P

I can see them trying to save money by spraypainting existing costume parts red and re-using them, but it's also possible that they're deliberately alluding to Sontaran cloning, while not actually having a connection to them.