FD-03 Gustav Karl

The FD-03 Gustav Karl is a mass-produced general purpose mobile suit, that is based on the RGM-89 Jegan. It was featured in the 3 volume novel series Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The FD-03 Gustav Karl combat abilities are reminiscent of its predecessor the RGM-89 Jegan, however it is far larger. The Gustav Karl stands several meters above the head of the RGM-89 Jegan and features heavier armor. The Gustav Karl's larger size allows it to be equipped with a more powerful Minovsky ultracompact nuclear reactor than any model of Jegan to ever exist. For combat the Gustav Karl was equipped with a very simple armament consisting of a head mounted vulcan guns, a pair of beam sabers, a beam rifle, a grenade launcher, and a flexible shield. A commander version, the Dora Karl, is fitted with different communication equipment.

Armaments

 * Vulcan Gun
 * Mounted on the left side of the head, these shell firing weapons have a high-rate of fire but have little power and can't damage the thick armor of a mobile suit, though it can damage lightly armored areas such as the sensors. The weapons are ideal for shooting down small, fast moving, lightly armored targets such as missiles, small land vehicles, and attack helicopters.


 * 2-tube Grenade Launcher
 * The Gustav Karl is equipped with a 2-tube grenade launcher mounted on the left forearm. The grenades are moderately powerful self-propelling explosives that can deal significant damage to a mobile suit, but are particularly effective against machines with heavy defenses against beam weapons. While grenade launchers used during the One Year War fired unguided grenades, later versions launch homing missiles with their own optical guidance systems.


 * Beam Saber
 * The standard close range armament for most Federation mobile suits. The beam saber is a small cylindrical device held in the mobile suit's hands when operated and is powered by an energy capacitor that is recharged from special racks. The beam saber is capable of cutting through any metal that has not been treated with anti-beam coating. The Gustav Karl is equipped with two beam sabers, that when not in use are stored in the recharge racks located on each thigh.


 * Beam Rifle
 * A standard hand carried ranged beam weapon is the beam rifle. The beam rifle carried by the Gustav Karl is a rapid fire, but short range type. Sensors built into the rifle provide interface between the weapon and the Gustav Karl camera sensor.


 * Flexible Shield
 * The shield of the Gustav Karl is not mounted on the arm as typical with most mobile suits, its instead mounted on the shoulder. This is not a fixed mount and is capable of swiveling the shield 180 degrees, offering protection straight forward, straight backward, and from any angle that is left or right. Because the shield is mounted on the shoulder, it cannot be brought up to defend the center of the torso.

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
The FD-03 Gustav Karl is an Earth Federation Forces mobile suit put into service 3 years after the Second Neo Zeon War. It was used to defend the Federation's Cheyenne base during the Laplace conflict. During Bright Noa's investigation of the base the Tri-Stars team disarmed a Gustav Karl by covering its main camera and cutting off its forearm with a beam saber in a surprise attack.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash
9 years later, it would be used to defend Federation cabinet members in Adelaide, Australia from a terrorist attack led by Mufti Nabiyu Erin (a.k.a. Hathaway Noa). The Earth Federation Forces would use the Gustav Karl alongside the RX-104FF Penelope to counter the terrorist group's Me-02R Messer and Mufti powerful RX-105 Ξ Gundam. As mobile suits were entering the age of miniaturization, the Gustav Karl was produced in limited numbers.

Trivia

 * The original novel design was done by Yasuhiro Moriki. It later appeared in the video game SD Gundam G Generation, and was redesigned by Kazumi Fujita.
 * The Gustav Karl gets its name from the real-life Carl Gustav anti-tank rocket launcher system.