EMS-10 Zudah

The EMS-10 Zudah was a prototype Mobile Suit developed by the Principality of Zeon before the One Year War.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
During the Principality of Zeon's race to develop a superior fighting machine, they developed four prototype mobile suits from different engineering companies: one of these was Zimmad Company's EMS-04 Zudah. It had a good powerplant, an well-rounded armament (120mm machine gun, 280mm bazooka, sturmfausts and a heat hawk Type3), and unprecedented thrust and accleration. It also adopted a prototype engine known as the "Mercury" engine. The EMS-10 is later fitted with the improved "Saturn" engine which would later be used on the MS-09-Dom. However, the suit did have limits: if the engines were overexerted, the suit would overload and break apart. Zeonic Company used this information to outdo the Zudah with their well-known YMS-05 Zaku and successfully marketed the Zaku series.

This, however, was not the end of the story. The Zudah was resurrected under the model number EMS-10, with some minor improvements and cosmetic differences. Its left shoulder was refitted with a movable shield that could be swung to the back, and it was equipped with spikes for melee combat. A number of new weapons were also added, including all of the updated Zaku weapons, as well as a new 135mm anti-ship cannon.

Armaments

 * H&L-SB25K/280mmA-P Zaku Bazooka


 * M-120A1 120mm Zaku Machine Gun


 * Sturmfaust


 * Heat Hawk Type3


 * 135mm Anti-Ship Cannon


 * Shield


 * Spikes


 * Rocket Signal

History
During the latter months of the One Year War four of these improved Zudahs were issued to the 603rd Experimental Group. They were the subject of an extensive Zeon propaganda campaign claiming that these were new "secret weapons" that would demolish the Federation's famed Gundam and lead Zeon to victory, rather than hastily-refitted 3 year old prototypes. They were used in at least three combat actions. The first one, against a Federation Salamis-class cruiser and several RB-79 Ball units, resulting in the retreat of the Federation forces from intimidation.

However, during maneuverability tests conducted with a Musai-class cruiser, one of the Zudahs was lost due to the supposedly corrected engine overload error, along with its pilot.

Soon afterwards, the Federation learned the true nature of the Zudah as a propaganda tool. As a result, the intimidation factor the Zudah once possessed was no longer with it.

On the second operation, the three remaining Zudahs would be piloted by three skilled Zeon pilots, Jean Luc Duvall, Hideto Washiya, and Monique Cadillac, to help defend the Odessa forces that managed to escape to outer space (the majority of those MS that were stationed in Odessa were ground based, lacked the equipment to maneuver or fight in space). While they managed to destroy all of the attacking Federation units, and proved their worth by outmaneuvering and destroying the pursuing GMs during an extended fight, Duvall's suit was also destroyed by overload. In a sort of cosmic joke, the GMs suffered the same fate as the overloaded Zudah, torn apart by the forces exerted on them due to their speed. The two other Zudah's were kept on-board the test ship Jotunheim for defense, and saw action during the 603's guerrilla attacks on Federation ships being launched from Jaburo, as well as in the battle of A Baoa Qu. Both Zudahs survived that battle, although Cpt. Cadillac's Zudah was severely damaged while defending the MA-05Ad Big Rang mobile armor.

While it is unconfirmed, it is possible that the GM Camouf, a unit employed for false flag operations, is a modified Zudah, although it is also possible it is a heavily refitted Zaku II. Many parts, such as the backpack and external power pipes appear to be from the Zaku; the joints appear to be those of a Zudah.