RGM-79FD Armored GM

The RGM-79(GRS) Armored GM is a Mobile suit that first appeared in Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front and later the Mobile Suit Gundam - Zeon MS Boys: The War of Independence manga series.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
One of the last in the line of the many GM variants seen in the One Year War, the RGM-79(GRS) Armored GM was second to none in the class of speed. The huge leg-mounted air intakes, four powerful thruster nozzles in the backpack, and bank of twin thrusters mounted in each leg were enough to propel the Armored GM at fantastic speeds, putting it on a level with the RX-78-6 Mudrock Gundam and the Zeon’s MS-09 Dom. There are several similarities in design and performance between Gundam Mudrock and the RGM-79SP GM Sniper II. The Armored GM shares the same leg-mounted thrusters as the GM Sniper ll, and the backpack shares several differences that might signify a scaled-down version of the Gundam Mudrock’s backpack. The question of whether or not the Armored GM is a scaled down version of either suit, or a conglomeration of each suit’s best parts remains unanswered. In either case, the Armored GM saw a very limited production run.

Armaments

 * BLASH HB-L-07/N-STD Hyper Bazooka
 * Similar to the Zaku's Bazooka, the Hyper Bazooka was a heavy weapon used by the GM. Technically a large rocket launcher it could fire several 360mm missiles to attack targets at long range. While very powerful the Hyper Bazooka had a slow rate of fire and fairly little ammunition. Most oftenly used to take out slow, heavy armored targets.


 * HWF GMG·MG79-90mm Bullpup Machine Gun
 * Because of the expense and difficulty of producing beam rifles, or even beam spray guns, the Earth Federation also produced mobile suit sized machine guns and bazookas, similar to what Zeon's Zaku mobile suits used, because they are cheaper and easier to produce, requires less energy, and is overall easier to maintain because it relies on older, less complex, well known technology. In addition machine guns had the advantage of holding considerably vastly greater amounts of ammunition, and mobile suits could carry fresh clips around to reload their weapons should the current clip run out. This allows a mobile suit to operate with greater independence as during the One Year War the only known way to rearm a spent beam rifle was to return to a base with the proper recharging equipment. The trade off is that machine guns are less effective. If a beam rifle or beam spray gun should so much as glance off of an arm or a leg, that limb will be rendered useless if it is not outright destroyed, and a hit to the torso is almost always fatal. Machine guns have greater difficulty penetrating the armor of a mobile suit, and must typically be fired from at least mid-range with multiple shots hitting the target before it can take down the target. And even then it is not always a sure thing.


 * Beam Spray Gun


 * NF GMG-Type.37/100mm Machine Gun
 * The standard armament for Federation mobile suit ground forces, the Type 37 is an open-bolt, gas-operated, magazine-fed, mobile suit handheld machine gun. It fires a 100x450 millimeter round at a rate of 500 rounds per minute and is loaded with a 20-round box magazine. Features include a folding stock and swivel forward hand grip. Accuracy is limited due to the aiming from regular iron sights and not a targeting sensor. Maximum effective range of 1.5 kilometers.


 * Beam Saber
 * The Armored GM is equipped with a single beam saber stored in a recharge rack in the left forearm. 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.


 * Large Shield


 * Middle Shield


 * Small Shield

History
The Armored GM was not deployed until very late in the One Year War, and was designed primarily as a ground combat mobile suit. Thus, the capabilities offered by the Armored GM were toned down in favor of the more versatile, and cheaper, RGM-79. One of the few recorded instances of the Armored GM being fielded was January 1, UC 0080, in the vast stretches of the deserts of North Africa. The Midnight Fenrir, answering a distress call from several Magella tanks attached to the Number 11 Supply Corps, fought off several waves of attacks by standard GMs, supplemented by a squad of the new Armored GMs.