GN-003 Gundam Kyrios

The GN-003 Gundam Kyrios (aka Gundam Kyrios, Kyrios) is a third generation gundam featured in season one of Mobile Suit Gundam 00. The unit is piloted by Allelujah Haptism.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Kyrios is the successor unit of GNY-003 Gundam Abulhool and predecessor to GN-007 Arios Gundam; a third generation Gundam. The unit is the product of accumulated data on Abulhool's tactical and system development; its the only Gundam of its kind that’s capable of transforming into a high-speed fighter in its time. However, its design significantly differs from its predecessor.Because Abulhool was a prototype, Celestial Being engineers never gave it a full MS form as they were focused more on evaluating untested equipment. With Kyrios, Celestial Being engineers designed and built it with a complete MS form for direct combat.

Kyrios’ flight/fighter mode doubles as a tail-less jet-fighter and a bomber. Its sensors are built at the head of the fighter, appearing as the cockpit; the true cockpit remains under Kyrios's GN Drive. In combat, its fighter form relies on high-speed dog-fighting and hit-and-run tactics. Its primary arsenal are its GN Vulcans (under the sensor head) and GN Beam Submachine Gun for dog-fighting. When additional equipment is needed, Kyrios has several optional peripheral equipment: the Tail Unit, Tail Booster, and/or GN Hand Missile. Kyrios’ transformation system is comparably simplistic over all known MSs of its time, and was built with a swift autonomous system that easily switches in between forms in mid-air (such system doesn't exist outside of Celestial Being, only talented pilots like Graham Aker, or other skilled pilots using the Graham Special, are capable of performing such a maneuver manually). However, its Meister can manually alter its transformation sequence to be in half-MS mode and half-fighter mode for specialized tactics and/or unique combat situations.

When transforming from MS to fighter, its MS legs are turned and faced to its outer-sides. The rear section of its legs are now part of the inner-sides and act as a docking clamp for peripheral equipment. Its MS feet are bent downwards to expose two thrusters and turned 90-degrees to aerodynamically level with its fighter form. In addition to its pre-existing side thrusters, it totals four GN Verniers for high-speed acceleration. The MS-arms are closed and tightened to its sides and the panels behind its arms are closed and form the upper armor portion of its fighter form. The MS head itself is fixed face-forward and the sensor unit laps over the head to cover and complete its fighter form. If it’s armed with its GN Beam Submachine Gun, the right arm will either have the weapon clamped or held by MS hand and faced forward for dog combat. The GN Shield is placed on its left MS arm and faced 90-degrees sideways to make it aerodynamic for flight. Due to the length of its shield, a small wedge exists to allow the shield to slide through the left side of its fighter wing. The cockpit rotates 90-degrees to level the pilot in between fighter and MS form. Any loaded peripheral equipment docked on its legs will have to be discarded as it interferes with its transformation. In MS mode, Kyrios’ forearms have hardpoints for docking optional GN Hand Missiles (each one with 9 missiles, totaling 18 to fire) for mid-to-long ranged combat. While Kyrios has a pair of GN Vuclans for low-yield firepower, it’s a feature that can only be used in its fighter mode as it is built into the sensor unit (that resembles a fighter cockpit). It has a pair of GN Beam Sabers tucked behind its rear armored skirt on both sides for melee combat; they're rarely deployed however.

In terms of stealth and systems, Kyrios’ GN Drive produces GN Particles that disrupt enemy sensors from detecting its presence. However, should the enemy use wide sensor networks, they can take advantage of detecting focal areas that’s been disrupted to detect their presence. To avoid visual detection, Kyrios can activate its Optical Camouflage to “cloak” itself. However, the system can’t be used while actively in motion. For the camouflage to work, it has to be remain stationary and shut off its particle distribution or the camouflage will fail and reveal itself from enemy visual contact. Because Kyrios is often deployed from space-to-Earth, the unit was given a GN Field to handle the intense heat of atmospheric re-entry, but also to repel against heavy enemy fire. For emergencies, Kyrios can activate its Trans-Am System for ultra high-speed combat to end the battle and/or make a quick getaway.

For special equipment, where Kyrios needs greater mobility and speed, it has its Gust-silhouette, GN-003/af-G02 Gundam Kyrios Gust. It's a enhanced exo-flight armor system that grants Kyrios increased speed (sacrificing sharp turns for greater distance), increase altitude flight for atmospheric combat (from an altitude of below 1 kilometer up to the upper-thermosphere at 600 kilometers), atmospheric exiting capabilities (it doesn't need an orbital elevator to return to Ptolemy), and a powerful GN Long Barrel Cannon for long-ranged firing solutions. When combat support and greater firepower is needed, Allelujah can request back-up from the Assault Container. The container has atmospheric exit and re-entry capabilities that can retrieve Gundams and provide combat support for Kyrios in emergencies. The container can also dock with a GN Arms unit, though the Kyrios was never stated to have its own GN Arms unit developed, unlike the Exia and Dynames

Armaments

 * GN Beam Submachine Gun
 * Its primary weapon, the GN Beam Submachine Gun, is a two-barreled particle beam gun that can fire in single bursts or rapid-fire against enemy targets. While similar to other GN guns, the beam submachine gun’s trigger function can be removed and fitted with a forearm clamp to give Kyrios free-hand firing solutions, however, the clamp limits its angles in shooting. Both the beam submachine gun and missile launcher can be used in between its MS and fighter form.


 * GN Vulcan
 * Below the sensor unit (appearing as the cockpit in flight mode), a pair of GN Vulcans was made there for traditional fighter dog combat. It fires low-yield particle beams that's most effective against missiles and small targets; it has little effect against large and/or shielded targets. The GN Vulcans can't be used in MS, being designed only for its fighter for combat, Celestial Being engineers never made the weapon usable in both forms.


 * GN Shield
 * The GN Shield is reinforced with GN Particles, giving it great tensile strength against enemy fire and the tip of its shield is sharp enough to tear through armored enemy targets. However, repelling against repeated beam fire can weaken the shield. More than a mere shield, the lower section of the shield can transform into a pincer-claw that can bend and extend to grab hold of its target for melee combat. An extendable blade was built in between the claw so that it could pierce through its target. The shield is docked with the unit's left knee-fin during flight mode.


 * GN Beam Saber
 * Kyrios is equipped with a standard pair beam sabers that all third generation Gundams use. Primarily used for high-speed melee combat, the pair are placed behind the rear skirt armor of Kyrios, but they're rarely used as its Meister prefers to deploy its GN Shield for rapid response against an enemy target.


 * Tail Booster
 * The Tail Booster is optional weapons system for Kyrios' flight mode. Designed through the shell of the Tail Unit, it is armed with a pair of GN Cannons and with two large GN Verniers. The GN Cannons are small, but powerful particle weapons that can take out a GNX unit with a single shot. They have a forward 90-spherical-degree firing solution, applied for mid-to-long ranged shooting. The large GN Verniers are built within the shell of the Tail Unit, replacing its missiles and bombs with a condenser and thrusters for high-speed fighter combat. Because this component is dedicated only to Kyrios' fighter form, it must be discarded if the Meister chooses to switch to MS mode.


 * Tail Unit
 * An optional missiles and bombs container, it's the most utilized weapons system in Kyrios's arsenal. One top of the unit, it has a 14-tube VLS (vertical launching system) GN Missile launcher; each tube is loaded with a single missile. On the bottom-rear section, the container can hold and drop 18 bombs to destroy land-based targets. During missions where Kyrios emptied its ordinance, but still in combat, the Meister usually discards the unit for MS combat. While top-of-the line for its time, it's also a piece of perishable equipment as it carries no GN-tech that can be used by the enemy. Because it's the most discarded equipment, a series of these Tail Units were replicated for future missions.


 * GN Hand Missile
 * The GN Hand Missile is a 3-tube missile launcher that's part of Kyrios' optional weapons silhouette; it's also an inherited weapons system from Gundam Abulhool. Each tube is loaded with three missiles, totaling 18 300 KG GN Missiles against mid-to-long ranged targets. The GN Hand Missiles are designed to be dock-able to the forearms of Kyrios and usable in between MS and flight mode; it can be configured for Kyrios to utilize a traditional weapons trigger to hold and fire. Usually when utilized, a pair of them are docked to the forearm, giving Kyrios free-hands to carry additional weaponry. However, when used in pairs, it can't carry its GN Shield as it obstructs its flight mode.

Special Equipment & Features

 * GN Field


 * Optical Camouflage


 * Trans-Am System
 * Usable after the GN Drive's blackbox is unlocked due to the system trap.


 * "Veda-based Operating System"
 * The operating system used by the Gundams that relies on a constant link to Veda. After the Veda link to the Gundams was permanently cut, the Ptolemaios team were forced to switch to an alternate and inferior stand alone system that they independently developed.

Variants

 * GN-003/af-G02 Gundam Kyrios Gust
 * Specialized for atmospheric combat, the Gust-pack is an exo-armor system, designed to allow Kyrios to travel at great distances and altitudes for specialized long-ranged combat.

History
For Kyrios's history and exploits, please go to Allelujah Haptism's page.

UN Forces Capture & Experimentation
In AD 2308, after the battle against the UN Army ended, Allelujah ejected the unit's GN Drive before it came into the hands of the UN Army. The GN Drive was recovered by Fon Spaak for Fereshte, and afterwards, Celestial Being negotiated for its return along with GN-000 0 Gundam's GN Drive.

The Kyrios, without its GN Drive, was recovered by the Human Reform League and immediately used in a test with an experimental arm unit developed from the GNX-603T GN-X and a GN Drive Tau. From this test, the HRL gained additional data on GN particle transmission and strengthened their know-how in terms of GN particle related technology. As a result, the HRL was given the role of developing the GNX-704T Ahead. It is unknown what happened to the Kyrios after the test. .

Notes & Trivia

 * Kyrios is named after Kurios, the Greek for God, lord, master, and sir.
 * Its flight mode has several similarities to MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam's wave rider mode.
 * In the early concept stages, Kyrios was codenamed "Bishop Gundam". Like Kyrios, it possessed the ability to transform to and from an MA mode, however it was commented that the actual MA design was radically different from the final Kyrios. The initial, more animalistic MA design of Bishop Gundam went into the finalized Alvatore instead but some traces were left in Kyrios animalistic claw weapon. A powerful stealth ability was also initially given to Bishop Gundam but this ability was standardized in all the Gundams in the final version.
 * Kyrios made an appearance in Gundam Build Fighters, seen participating in the Gunpla Battle racing event.