GNX-704T Ahead

The GNX-704T Ahead (aka Ahead), is the A-Laws' most advanced MS reserved solely for elite pilots in season 2 of Mobile Suit Gundam 00.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Ahead is the latest in ESF MS development as of AD 2312. It was made specifically for the elite of pilots of A-Laws' MS forces; therefore even ESF-Army MS forces have no Ahead MS. Although not as advanced as Innovators' nor Celestial Being's MSs, the mass-produced unit is the dominant and superior series to all its predecessors.

The Ahead series is actually a different MS than the rest of the GNX series. Although it's the successor of the GNX-609T GN-XIII series, the Ahead series is actually made to be a next generation Tieren. ESF engineers that were formally part of the HRL were contracted to create the Ahead series. They took inspiration from the previous GNX series as well as the MSJ-06II-SP Tieren Taozi for its design. Underneath its armor, the Ahead's appearance is said to appear close to a 3rd generation Gundam, but a technical decision was made to have it covered by armor due to negative public reaction to Gundams.

Slightly larger than the GNX-609T GN-XIII, the Ahead boasts a pair of GN Thrusters mounted on either side of its shoulders, giving the Ahead greater maneuverability and speed than previous ESF units. It is typically equipped with a GN Beam Rifle, a pair of shoulder-mounted GN Beam Sabers and a GN Shield. The pair of beam sabers can be combined to double their cutting power to cut through GN Blades. For long ranged missions requiring extended travel, a GN Tail Booster can be added to provide additional thrust and particles for the journey.

A dozen Automatons can be carried onto the rear torso of the Ahead in lieu of the rear GN Thrusters, which are used as remote anti-personnel/infiltration units Ahead pilots can remotely deploy the Automatons in the middle of MS combat for search & destroy missions. The most elite of pilots are granted the special privilege of having their Aheads customized with special equipment. At least two customized Aheads exist, piloted by Mr. Bushido and Soma Peries respectively. The Ahead series ultimately became discontinued. The series ironically became a symbol of military oppression. As such, the new ESF administration barred the Aheads; however its technology and weaponry was used to help develop the GNX-803T GN-XIV series.

Armaments

 * Automaton Container
 * Optional equipment for the Ahead. It is a container for the A-Laws Automatons. The container is attached to the Ahead's back for transport, replacing the rear GN Thruster. The pilot of the Ahead is capable of monitoring the status of each individual Automaton from their suit's container.


 * GN Beam Rifle
 * The GN Sub-mechinegun with a front attachment. The cylinders seen on either side of the attachment are actually extra GN Condensers. It is capable of destroying older model mobile suits like the AEU-09 AEU Enact Space Type in a single shot. Two shots were capable of destroying a Katharon transport. Overall, its range and power is higher than the GN-X's standard rifle.


 * GN Beam Saber
 * Like its predecessors the Ahead is equipped with two beam sabers for melee combat which are stored within compartments in its shoulder. They can be converged together to create a more powerful effect and when converged, they are strong enough to break Exia's (disrepaired) GN Sword.


 * GN Shield
 * Made of high strength E-Carbon. The GN-Field's defensive effect is stacked onto the material shield to give overall higher protection. A Defense Rod is also mounted centrally within.


 * GN Sub-machinegun
 * The base weapon of the Ahead. The power of each individual shot is weakened sightly in exchange for a sightly increased rate of fire.


 * GN Vulcan
 * As with previous GN-X models the Ahead is equipped with a pair of 30mm GN Vulcan guns used to intercept and destroy incoming missiles.


 * NGN Bazooka
 * A special bazooka that can fire either non-GN missiles or GN missiles. The launcher was designed to fire against targets under conditions where particle beam weaponry is ineffective. They're best used underwater, against slow moving targets, and within anti-particle fields. The "NGN" stands for Non-GN or Non Gundam Nucleus.

Special Equipment & Features

 * GN Tail-Booster
 * Developed from data derived from the Ahead Forcing Scout Type the tail-booster is special equipment that gives the Ahead mobile suit an increased operating time allowing it to travel much greater distances and allows for overall greater independence. When equipped, it appears to be a tail-like appendage on the Ahead. The thick pole likely contains a large battery, like the Ahead Force Scouting Type, to supply energy needed to recharge the GN Drive, while the cone projection at the end is likely a second GN Drive Tau.

History
The Ahead came into service in AD 2312, 5 years after Celestial Being began its armed interventions in AD 2307, shortly before the organization's reappearance. This mobile suit was used exclusively by the A-LAWS forces and put onto teams of three in which the team leader would pilot a Ahead and lead two other pilots piloting the GNX-609T GN-XIII. The Ahead was usually reserved for commanders, team leaders, officers of at least First Lieutenant, and several elite pilots like Mr. Bushido.

Because the Ahead was used solely by the A-LAWS, its missions would mostly consist of seeking out and destroying anti-Federation dissidents whether they had military forces or not. The Ahead would be used heavily to combat Katharon's older mobile suits on the Earth and in space. It was always Ahead mobile suits that led attacks against Celestial Being and the Gundams, in the absence of the licensed officers and their more advanced mobile suits.

The series was discontinued by the Earth Sphere Federation government after the disbanding of A-LAWS due to the great symbolic association of the machine with the organization being its sole user. By AD 2314, the Ahead series was gone and completely replaced by the GNX-803T GN-XIV series as the new superior mass production mobile suit for the ESF.

Variants

 * GNX-704T/SP Ahead Smultron
 * GNX-704T/AC Ahead Sakigake
 * GNX-704T/FS Ahead Forcing Scout Type
 * GNX-Y802T Neo-Hed

Notes & Trivia

 * There are contradictions in the source materials in regards to the Ahead's performance relative to 3rd Generation Gundams. Both the High Grade 1/144 Ahead manual and DX Mechanics have noted that the Ahead surpasses the 3rd Generation Gundams (the latter mentioned that if the 3rd Generation power can be valued 100 points, then the Ahead and 3.5 Generation's power rating would be 140 and 150 points respectively) while the 2nd Mechanics book noted that the Ahead's performance is only equal to the 3rd Generation Gundams.