MS-06F2 Zaku II F2 Type

The MS-06F2 Zaku II F2 Type (also Zaku II Late production model) is a mass-produced general purpose multi-class mobile suit and a variant of the original MS-06F Zaku II.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The MS-06F2 Zaku II F2 Type was an upgraded and improved version of the original MS-06F Zaku II introduced in the middle of the One Year War. As the original F-Type Zaku II became outdated due to newer, more powerful Zaku variants and, later, the deployment of more efficient mobile suits like the MS-09B Dom and MS-14A Gelgoog lines, it became apparent that the Principality of Zeon would need to take steps to improve the combat ability of their large stock of Zakus.

In comparison to the original MS-06F, the new Zaku II F2 Type featured a Minovsky fusion reactor that was approximately 4% more powerful than standard Zaku's, a more heavily-armored torso that rendered projectile weapon attacks less effective at hitting the inner cockpit and reactor, and significantly lighter. The reduced weight made the mobile suit much more fuel efficient and granted it a greater operational time. The Zaku II F2 Type could also be outfitted with a pair of solid rocket boosters on its backpack that could give it a brief but tremendous increase in overall thruster output. The combination of a more powerful reactor and less weight made the F2 Type a more agile and maneuverable combatant. With these upgrades, the F2 Type was on a more equal ground when the Earth Federation began to field their first mass production mobile suit, the RGM-79 GM.

Armaments

 * Shoulder Shield


 * 3-tube Missile Pod
 * Mounted on the legs are two 3-tube missile pods. These missiles are quite effective against armored enemies. However, they were also slow and unsuited for combat against nimbler targets.


 * MMP-78 Machine Gun
 * A new model machine gun with enhanced firepower to combat Federation Forces MS. Early type and late type models exist, with differences in the location and mounting of the grip on the latter. "MMP" is an abbreviation for "Mobile Suit Machine Pistol".


 * MMP-80/90mm Ver.8 Machine Gun
 * An alternative to the MMP-78, it is an upgrade of the above weapon. It used 90mm bullets instead of 120mm type, allowing for a greater speed of firing and a higher rate of penetration. The machine gun is magazine-fed with 32 rounds per mag.


 * H&L-SB25K/280mmA-P Zaku Bazooka
 * The 280mm Zaku Bazooka was another standard weapon that could be equipped to a Zaku type mobile suit. The bazooka fired explosive rounds that were quite effective against the armor of Earth Federation mobile suits and battleships. Can be stored on the rear waist armor when not in use.


 * 880mm Raketen Bazooka
 * A new heavy bazooka that uses a five round magazine.


 * Heat Hawk
 * An axe-shaped close combat weapon, it uses a super-heated blade to cut through the armor of enemy MS or vehicles. The thermal energy is generated by the power output of the Zaku II F2's thermonuclear reactor and relayed through the MS' hands.


 * Hand Grenade
 * Throwing weapon used an alternative to the Cracker Grenade. These waist mounted grenades can be thrown like regular grenades and set to detonate upon impact with the target or timed to explode after a preset time. They come in multiple variants, allowing them to perform different roles in battle.


 * Sturm Faust
 * An explosive weapon with a rocket propelled warhead, it was designed before the beginning of the One Year War as an anti-ship weapon. Useful both in space and under gravity, it was mainly deployed for anti-ship attacks during the early days of the war. The Sturm Faust likely made a good anti-mobile suit weapon during the latter days of the war, as Zeon mobile suits could be equipped with both a Sturm Faust and a more typical ranged weapon for greater versatility. As a non-guided weapon, it is difficult to hit targets with high mobility.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Optional Solid Rocket Boosters

History
Many of the older F-Types were retrofitted into the improved F2 Type because of the cost effectiveness in doing so. The MS-06F2 Zaku II F2 Type served until the war ended in U.C. 0080. Zaku II F2 Types were used extensively by the Delaz Fleet during Operation Stardust in UC 0083. A few of the units even fell into the Federation's hands and were used for pilot training squads. After Operation Stardust, many F2 Types were retired from service.

Variants

 * MS-06F2/B Zaku II "Gouf Imitate"
 * GPB-06F Super Zaku Custom F2000