MMS-01 Serpent

MMS-01 Serpent (aka Serpent Custom) is a mass-produced heavy assault mobile suit by the Barton Foundation. The unit is featured in OVA/movie New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz. It was designed by Hajime Katoki.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The only fixed armament installed on the Serpent were two 8-tube missile launchers, one mounted in each shoulder. Besides these launchers, the suit could carry a variety of hand weapons, including a bazooka, a beam cannon and a double Gatling gun, similar to the ones carried by the improved XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavyarms Kai. Despite these strong weapons the Serpent lacked any close combat weapons, putting the suit at a disadvantage if any enemy was able to come into close proximity to the suit.

Defense-wise, the Serpent was built of the newest armor available, called Neo-titanium. This material was nearly as strong as gundanium alloy used on the Gundams but far easier to produce.

Armaments

 * 8-tube Missile Launcher
 * Stored in the shoulders of mobile suit, is a missile launcher that shoots 8 missiles from each shoulder. When not in use the shoulder armor closes up, concealing the missiles. It is the only fixed armament installed on the mobile suit. They possess enough power to destroy a MS.


 * Double Gatling Gun
 * A double-barreled gatling gun identical or nearly-identical to the ones used by the XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavyarms Kai, these weapons shoot a rapid amount of fire power. When not being used, it is attached to the storage rack on the back of the mobile suit. Unlike the Heavyarms Kai, most Serpents only carried one Double Gatling Gun per unit.


 * Bazooka
 * A weapon of destructive force, that is held over the shoulder of the Serpent when firing. It is stored on the back of the mobile suits storage rack when its not being used. It fires explosive rounds.


 * Beam Cannon
 * Is a handheld weapon that shoots a powerful beam. It can be equipped to the storage rack on the back of the mobile suit when its not being used during battle. It was derived from the beam cannons of the OZ-13MSX1 Vayeate and OZ-02MD Virgo. While it doesn't have a high fire rate, it makes up for it with sheer power.

System Features

 * Storage Rack
 * A simple easy to reach storage rack that is placed on the back of the mobile suit. Its holds the double gatling gun, bazooka, and the beam cannon when they are not needed in battle.

History
According to the background, the Serpent was designed by OZ as a general-purpose replacement for the OZ-06MS Leo shortly before or during the events of the Gundam Wing anime. During the events of the anime, the production facilities at L3 colony of X-18999 were claimed by the Barton Foundation, who then began to produce this type of mobile suits to use in an attack of the now-pacifistic Earth Sphere Unified Nation. All in all 500 Serpent units were produced. The Serpent bears similarities to the Gundam Heavyarms, most noticeably the missiles and Gatling guns, as both of which were constructed by the Barton Foundation.

Serpents are the main opponent mobile suit in Endless Waltz. The first example of a Serpent fighting was with Trowa Barton at the controls, although all later appearances were piloted by unnamed Mariemaia Army suit pilots. The three Gundams (Deathscythe Hell, Heavyarms, Sandrock) were put into a hard fight against a large number of Serpents. While the gundams were trying to avoid fatalities, it doesn't really downplay the strength of Serpent group. Following the death of Dekim Barton, the whole Serpent army dropped their weapons and surrendered.