MVF-M11C Murasame

The Murasame is a Mobile Suit in the series Gundam SEED Destiny.

Combat Abilities
Weapons wise, the Murasame is a well balanced suit, featuring shell firing weapons and a single but strong beam cannon as well as an optional beam rifle. For longer ranges it features a small compliment of missiles, while a single beam saber is mounted for close combat. Thanks to this weapon compliment, the Murasame is able to hold itself against the newest mobile suits deployed by the other superpowers of the Earth Sphere and, with the right pilots, even against the high performance prototype mobile suits of ZAFT, such as the GOUF Ignited.

CIWS
In terms of shell firing weapons, the Murasame mounts two M2M5D 12.5mm CIWS guns in its head, which are used to shoot down incoming missiles or close enemy units. Another four CIWS guns of the same type as the head-mounted are installed on the wings of the suit. These CIWS however can only be used in mobile armor mode.

Beam saber
For close combat, the Murasame is equipped with a single Type 70J Kai beam saber, which is usually mounted on the left hip of the suit if not in use.

High-energy beam cannon
For heavier firepower over greater distances, one Type 72 high-energy beam cannon is mounted on the back of the mobile suit. As with the four wing-mounted CIWS guns, this beam cannon can only be used in mobile armor configuration.

Beam rifle
Besides the high-energy beam cannon, the only other ranged beam weapon of the Murasame is a Type 72 Kai "Ikazuchi" beam rifle. This rifle has the added advantage that it can not only be used in mobile suit mode but also in mobile armor configuration, during which it is mounted beneath the right wing.

Anti-air missile launcher
Another ranged weapon of the Murasame are its four anti-air missile launchers, which are mounted around its skirt. Additional missiles can be mounted underneath its wings.

Shield
The only defense installed on the Murasame is a single physical shield, which is mounted on the left arm of the unit when in mobile suit mode. In MA configuration, the shield becomes the nose of the airplane.

System Features
Although the Murasame shares many visual similarities with the old MBF-M1 Astray, the new suit has the advantage of being able to quickly tranform into an airplane-like mobile armor configuration. In this mode, the suit is granted additional speed and agility, both inside Earth's atmosphere and in space. MVF appears to stand for Main Variable Figure (or Fighter).

History
The MVF-M11C Murasame is a transformable mobile suit designed by the Orb Union as a successor to their earlier Astray series, created some time after the Bloody Valentine War. During the Second Bloody Valentine War, a large number of these suits were used by Orb during many battles against different factions, during which they proved themself to be a powerful unit. Over time, several MS pilots painted their suits into personal colors, as had been done with other mobile weapon models in the past.

At least 20 Murasame units were stationed on the massive aircraft carrier Takemikazuchi. After the sinking of the ship, at least six Murasames were among the Orb forces which boarded and joined the crew of the independent battleship Archangel. The Archangel itself already carried a single Murasame aboard piloted by former ZAFT ace Andrew Waltfeld and painted in his red and gold "Desert Tiger" colors. Waltfeld used his during a three way battle between the Archangel, ZAFT and the joint Earth Alliance/Orb forces. This unit was later piloted by Ledonir Kisaka to defend Orb against a ZAFT invasion. The Murasames were also present in the last space battle of the second war between ZAFT and the Three Ships Alliance.

By CE 74, famous TSA MS pilot Jean Carry had upgraded from his old Astray to a white colored Murasame. When Orb was under attack, a squadron of Murasames led by Carry in his custom-colored suit, attacked ZAFT ships and MS units, and assisted in the defense of the Archangel. Later, when the Archangel headed up to space, Jean's Murasame joined the eight mobile suit complement of the ship, and led a squadron of Murasames and ZAKU Phantoms from rogue ZAFT ships in an attack against Messiah.

Over time, Orb created two variants of the Murasame, both which however were largly similar to the mainstay unit. The variants were the MVF-M11C Murasame Reconnaissance Type, created for recon missions, and the MVF-M12A Ootsukigata, a variant with an added equipment and weaponry for long-range support in battles.

Trivia
Prior to the broadcast of Gundam SEED Destiny, it was revealed that the MBF-M2 M2 Astray was the successor to the M1 Astray.

Eventually the M2 Astray was replaced by the Murasame. The Mobile armor mode of Murasame, resembling Waverider of Zeta Gundam Mobile armor mode.

Variants

 * MVF-M11C Murasame Reconnaissance Type
 * MVF-M12A Ootsukigata