MBF-P02Kai Gundam Astray Red Frame Kai

The Astray Red Frame Kai is the upgraded version of the MBF-P02 Gundam Astray Red Frame developed by the Junk Guild and the Serpent Tail. It first appeared in the photo series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED VS Astray. This unit is piloted by Lowe Guele.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Originally, the Astray Red Frame Kai differs from the original due to the recycled parts used from it's sister unit, MBF-P03R Gundam Astray Blue Frame 2nd Revise. It was armed with the standard armament of the other prototype Astray suits. These weapons include two head-mounted "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel CIWS, two back-mounted beam sabers for close combat, a Type 71 beam rifle and a single physical shield. Red Frame pilot Lowe Guele eventually added another piece of armament to the Red Frame standard armament, which is the "Gerbera Straight" katana. It is also armed with the "Tiger Pierce" Katana, from it's other unit, the Astray Red Frame Mars Jacket. The Red Frame Kai incorporates the newly developed Tactical Arms IIL from it's sister unit, the MBF-P03R Gundam Astray Blue Frame 2nd Revise as it's booster pack which also serves at it's close combat and long ranged weapons. This includes it's usual Sword Mode, Sword Arm Mode and the new Arrow Mode, which can fire beam arrows at long range. It was also revealed that the Tactical Arms IIL can go 3 additional modes as well. The first is the Work Mode, which uses the Tactical Arms as a giant pincer for moving large objects. The second is the V-Mode, which is active when the suit is in the ground. And lastly the Delta Mode, on which the wings of the Tactical Arms IIL forms a upside down delta shape, generating Voiture Lumiere particles from the backpack due to it's separate power source. This is somehow the same technology the Martian developers used in both the GSF-YAM01 Δ Astray and MMF-JG73L Turn Δ.

Unlike the other Astray units, the Red Frame had an additional feature, which can be used as a weapon. Like other mobile suits, the Red Frame is equipped with hand plugs to exchange energy with weapons the suit carries. The Red Frame has the ability to emit beam energy from his hand plugs, causing minor damage to or temporarily blinding enemies that are close by.

CIWS
As with the other Orb Astray prototype, the Red Frame Custom is equipped with head-mounted "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel CIWS.

"Gerbera Straight" katana
While Red Frame had the same basic armament of the other two Gundam Astray units, Lowe dislikes the high energy requirements of the beam weapons. Thererfore, he favores using the "Gerbera Straight", a mobile suit-sized katana given to him by the eccentric old swordsman Un No after Lowe repaired the damaged sword. Unlike the swords used by ZAFT suits like the ZGMF-1017 GINN, the Gerbera Straight is extremely sharp, and does not rely on the kinetic energy of a high-speed swing to cut through its targets. It is also covered with anti-beam coating, allowing it to parry beam sabers.

"Tiger Pierce" katana
Same as the "Gerbera Straight", the Tiger Pierce is extremely sharp, and does not rely on the kinetic energy of a high-speed swing to cut through its targets. It is also covered with anti-beam coating, allowing it to parry beam sabers.

Tactical Arms IIL
After the Red Frame is damaged in a fight with Librarian Works' replica of the Astray Red Frame, the mobile suit is heavily upgraded. Some spare parts of the Blue Frame's Tactical Arms II were also used and modified to Lowe's specifications, and with the help of Ergnes Brahe. Renaming it the Tactical Arms IIL ("L" for Lowe). The weapon is mostly identical to the Blue Frame 2nd Revise's and retains the Sword mode and Sword Arm mode. The flight mode has been changed somewhat where the configuration is similar to a sub lifter wing. The unit also adds the new Arrow mode and a hand carried Beam Torch for standard use. The Tactical Arms IIL can also go through 3 additional modes as well. The Work Mode, which uses the Tactical Arms IIL as a giant pincer, the standard V-Mode and the Delta Mode, which generates Voiture Lumiere from the backpack due to it's separate power source. This is somehow the same technology the Martian developers used in both the GSF-YAM01 Δ Astray and MMF-JG73L Turn Δ. The Tactical Arms IIL also can work as "Maga no Ikutachi" Energy Absorption Claw but 10 times stronger than the usual one which can disable three LN-GAT-X207 Nebula Blitzs. It is also able to become a DRAGOON system, however, Lowe cannot use it by himself since he's not a Coordinator.

Voiture Lumiere
When the Tactical Arms IIL resumes Turn Delta Mode, the "Voiture Lumiere" (or "solar sail") interplanetary propulsion system activates, which uses the concept of catching solar winds to propel the suit. It can also protect the Red Frame Kai from incoming beam attacks using it's Lumiere Shield ability.

The "Voiture Lumiere" system is originally used by the DSSD's GSX-401FW Stargazer and later on by the Martians through it's first mobile suit, the GSF-YAM01 Δ Astray. Variants are also used by the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom, ZGMF-X42S Destiny and MMF-JG73L Turn Δ.

History
In CE 71, the Orb Union's Morgenroete corporation built five Gundam Astray prototype mobile suits at Heliopolis, the MBF-P01 Astray Gold Frame, MBF-P02 Astray Red Frame, MBF-P03 Astray Blue Frame, MBF-P04 Astray Green Frame and MBF-P05 Astray Mirage Frame, which were used to base the five G Project Gundams that they assisted the Earth Alliance's Atlantic Federation in creating. They successfully copied the EA's beam rifle and saber technology, but Morgenroete did not have access to the Phase Shift armor design, and compensated by making the Gundam Astray units lighter and more agile than their EA counterparts. Unlike Gold Frame, Red Frame was fitted with only Orb hand plugs, and thus could not not use Earth Alliance weapons.

On January 25, CE 71, ZAFT's attack on Heliopolis to steal the Alliance Gundams also unknowingly interrupted the Astray project. In order hide their progress, Orb's military decided to destroy the Astray lab. Coordinator Rondo Ghina Sahaku, an Orb nobleman, disagreed and attempted to save all three suits. He uploaded all the Astray data into Red Frame's computer, including the latest Natural-use OS. This proved fortunate for Junk Guild merchant/technician/pilot Lowe Guele, who discovered Red Frame (as well as Blue Frame and Gold Frame's discarded right arm) shortly afterward, while searching the remains of Heliopolis for valuable salvage. Lowe initially clashed with Gai Murakumo of the Serpent Tail mercenary company, who had been hired to eliminate all evidence of the Astray program, but the two joined forces when Gai's employer double-crossed him; having seen the mobile suits, Gai himself had become evidence of the program's existence.

After the battle against U'no and his MBF-P02 Astray Red Frame replica, the Red Frame was heavily damaged. Although Lowe survived, his mobile suit was almost completely totaled from the battle and repairing would have taken months. He teamed up with Serpent Tail, using some spare parts of the Astray Blue Frame for replacement, and also modifying a spare Tactical Arms II for the Red Frame. Ergnes Brahe also helped with the redesigning of the Tactical Arms II and installed a Voiture Lumiere Engine that he delivered from Mars, which came from the MMF-JG73L Turn Δ. The result is the new Astray Red Frame Kai.

It's battle debut is in Chapter 6, when Lowe encountered the Librarian Works and Lily in his first battle against her.