AMS-129 Geara Zulu

The AMS-129 Geara Zulu (aka Geara Zulu) is a Neo Zeon mass-production general purpose mobile suit, it is featured in the photo-novel/OVA Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn.

Technology and Combat Characteristics
A Neo Zeon mass-production mobile suit produced at the Granada factory of Anaheim Electronics, it is the successor to the earlier AMS-119 Geara Doga. Like the Geara Doga, and its Zaku predecessors, the Geara Zulu was not a "high performance" mobile suit. Meaning that although the Geara Zulu's specs gives it a superior performance to the Geara Doga, its technology does not "push the envelope" as the mobile suits of the First Neo Zeon War did. Like the Geara Doga, the Geara Zulu's design was based on using simple and conventional mobile suit technology. This made the Geara Zulu fairly easy and cheap to mass-produce as well as simple to pilot since it does not have any difficult to use features such as a transformation system. In order to increase overall versatility the Sleeves have produced a wide variety of hand armaments that can be used by the Geara Zulu.

Generally the standard armaments the Geara Zulu mobile suits are equipped with include a beam rifle and beam tomahawk, although there is a wide range of weapons that the mobile suits can be equipped with depending on the mission profile. The Geara Zulu can have a weapon's mount placed on the back of its waist that is designed to carry several hand grenades and a beam tomahawk.

There are two basic models of the Geara Zulu, the normal type which features a shoulder shield on the right arm and a Royal Guard version that has modified shoulder and leg armor, a larger backpack possessing larger fuel tanks, and has more detailed markings. It is usually equipped with a beam rifle that has an underslung grenade launcher, and carries extra beam rifle magazines on the front skirt armor. Commander versions of these two models include a horn mounted on the units forehead.

Armaments

 * Beam Machine Gun
 * The standard armament of most mobile suits is a beam rifle powered by a rechargeable energy cap. If the energy cap runs out of energy it can be replaced with a fresh one stored on the front skirt armor. The rifle design is (aesthetically) similar to that of the WWII German Sturmgewehr-44. The machine gun can be fired in fully-automatic, firing yellow beams. Technical specifications indicate that the beam rifle possesses a modular design that allows equipment to be added and removed, thus altering the beam rifles overall abilities.


 * Grenade Launcher
 * A grenade launcher is attached below the barrel of beam rifle. These grenades are not very effective against large ships, but are ideal mid-range anti-mobile suit weapons.


 * Sturm Faust
 * One of the most common weapons used by Zeon/Neo Zeon's Mobile Suit. It is weaker than the bazooka but trades off firepower for cost. This weapon was designed before the beginning of the One Year War as an anti-ship weapon, and can be used both in space and under gravity. Because it is a non-guided weapon, it is difficult to hit targets with high mobility.


 * Hand Grenade
 * This weapon used by both Earth Federation and Zeon. It is not very powerful and accurate. However, it is capable to performing different roles in the battle.


 * Beam Tomahawk
 * The only close combat weapon of the Geara Zulu is a single beam tomahawk, which, when not in use is mounted on the rear skirt of the suit. The head of the beam tomahawk has two beam emitters, one on the side that emits the axe-blade, and the second on top that emits a beam spike that can be used for stabbing attacks.


 * Shield
 * The AMS-129 Geara Zulu can be equipped with two styles of shields. The first is a shoulder shield, similar to the model used on the MS-06 Zaku II, mounted on the right shoulder. The second is the shield used by the AMS-119 Geara Doga. Apart from being used for their standard purpose both shields can mount four Sturm Faust weapons.


 * Lange Bruno Gun Kai
 * The same weapon found on the AMS-119 Geara Doga Heavy Armed Type. While the previous Lange Bruno Gun was able to fire only solid rounds, the improved version can fire beams.


 * Beam Shotrifle
 * Based off of the same weapon used by the MSN-04 Sazabi, seen on Angelo Sauper's Geara Zulu. It has two barrels, one for the diffusing beam, and one that fires a normal beam. The shotrifle can also form a beam saber from the diffusion beam barrel for close combat.


 * Submachine Gun
 * A low damage weapon with a high rate of fire.


 * Beam Gatling Gun
 * Seen on Gilboa Sant's custom Geara Zulu, the 4-barrel beam gatling gun can fire volleys of particle beams and usually come in a pair. The two can be used as separate guns or can be combined together on the forearm of a MS. The gatling gun itself seems to have less firepower as separate guns than a beam rifle.


 * Twin 280mm Zaku Bazooka
 * A improved model of the 280mm Bazooka in which it features two barrels.


 * Gatling Shield
 * A weapon from the Gouf Custom, a new type of shield that contains a powerful 75mm Gatling Gun that was drum-and-belt fed.


 * 3-tube Missile Pod
 * A weapon from the Zaku II series, the Geara Zulu could mount a total eight pods, two on each leg and four on the shoulder shield.

History
The Geara Zulu's raw specifications are overall better than its predecessor, the AMS-119 Geara Doga. The Geara Zulu appears to have a notably smaller load out compared to the Geara Doga. In UC 0096, the Geara Zulu is the front line mobile suit of "The Sleeves", being their most advanced mass production mobile suit. Like most of the mobile suits operated by The Sleeves the Geara Zulu featured distinctive markings, most notably on the chest and wrists. The Geara Zulu also appeared to be more similar to the Zaku II than the Geara Doga. The Geara Zulu also featured many variations.

Although an efficient mobile suit, the Geara Zulu is outperformed by the RGZ-95 ReZEL mobile suits used by Londo Bell in UC 0096.

Variants

 * AMS-129 Geara Zulu (Guards Type)
 * AMS-129 Geara Zulu (Angelo Sauper Unit)
 * AMS-129 Geara Zulu (Gilboa Sant Unit)
 * This Geara Zulu belongs to Gilboa Sant, a member of the Garencieres crew. The Geara Zulu is a commander type. The heavy armament backpack attached to its back has two large propellant tanks, and provides increased thrust and a longer operating time. Just like Angelo Sauper's Geara Zulu it uses a Lange Bruno Gun Kai as well as a beam gatling gun. Gilboa's Geara Zulu is destroyed by a stray shot from the Unicorn's beam magnum shot meant for Full Frontal whilst entering the atmosphere.


 * AMS-129M Zee Zulu
 * YAMS-132 Rozen Zulu
 * YAMS-130 Krake Zulu

Notes & Trivia

 * The Geara Zulu's head resembles a German gas mask soldier in 1915.