ZGMF-X56S Impulse Gundam

The Impulse is a Mobile Suit in the series Gundam SEED Destiny.

Combat Abilities
The weaponry of the Impulse is largly identical to its Earth Alliance counterpart GAT-X105 Strike, although far more advanced. Its armament includes CIWS guns, anti-armor knifes, a beam rifle and a shield for defense. Additional armament is granted through the use of Silhouette packs.

CIWS
Like most other mobile suits, the Impulse also mounts two MMI-GAU25A 20mm CIWS guns to shoot down incoming missiles or enemy units at close range. While most other suits have these CIWS guns installed in their heads, the Impulse instead mounts these guns in his chest.

Anti-armor knife
For close combat, the Impulse is equipped with two M71-AAK "Folding Razor" anti-armor knifes, which are stored in the hip armor of the suit when not in use. While not realy effective against weapons like beam sabers, it is nonetheless capable of cutting into the armor of another mobile suit.

Shield
For defense, the Impulse mounts a single physical MMI-RG59V mobile shield on its left arm, a feature which is similar to most other suits. The Impulse' shield however is far more advanced than that on most other suits. It usually is rather small, but it can expand and be reinforced by a beam-deflecting energy barrier, which grants the shield enhanced defense, even against strong beam attacks.

Beam rifle
The Impulse usually uses a single MA-BAR72 high-energy beam rifle for ranged combat, a feature similar to most other advanced mobile suits. When not in use, this rifle is stored on the back of the suit, underneath the Silhouette pack.

System Features
As with the other Second Stage Gundams created by ZAFT, the Impulse is equipped with the new Variable Phase Shift armor, which uses less energy than the old variant. The suit is also among the new units to be equipped with the new Deuterion Beam Energy Transfer System, which allows a properly equipped battleship to remotely recharge a mobile suit's battery. Like the other suits, the Impulse uses the operating system Generation Unrestricted Network Drive Assault Module.

Modular design
The Impulse is unique in the fact, that its mobile suit mode is made up of three different modules. The main module is the transformable YFX-M56S Core Splendor, which is similar to an old jet. The Core Splendor contains not only the cockpit of the suit, but can slo fly and fight on its own. The other modules are the Leg Flyer and Chest Flyer. If one of the later two modules is damaged or destroyed, they can be easily replaced. Additionally, the Silhouette packs can be changed in mid-battle, since these packs are all equipped on a remotely controlled Silhouette Flyer.

Silhouette packs
While the other suits of the Second Stage series are capable of transforming into a mobile armor mode, the Impulse instead is similar to the Strike in the fact, that it can adapt to different situations by using exchangeable Silhouette packs. In addition to adding weapons and equipment for different mission profiles, these packs also reconfigure the Impulse's Variable Phase Shift armor. The most comonly pack used by the Impulse is the high-mobility α Force Silhouette, which adds only a pair of "Vajra" beam sabers to the armament, but greatly enhances Impulse's speed and allows it full atmospheric flight capability. Force Impulse has the standard blue, white, and red color scheme.

After the Impulse is completed, additional Silhouettes are designed. The first of these are the δ Chaos Silhouette, ε Abyss Silhouette, and ζ Gaia Silhouette, which are designed for use with their own alternate Leg Flyer units, and duplicate the abilities of the ZGMF-X24S Chaos, ZGMF-X31S Abyss, and ZGMF-X88S Gaia respectively. Chaos Impulse is green and white, Abyss Impulse is solid blue and Gaia Impulse is black and white. Later the θ Destiny Silhouette is developed, which is a ZAFT counterpart to the EA P202QX IWSP. An additional Silhouette, with the designation of η, predates the Destiny Silhouette but has not yet been revealed. Its quite possible that this Silhouette copies the ZGMF-X23S Saviour. Since the other packs copy the other three units (Abyss, Chaos, and Gaia), it is possible that this pack could allow the Impulse to use a Savior-like MA form.

History
In late CE 73, ZAFT created a new series of advanced mobile suits to succeed their previous generation of Gundams, which were all lost in the previous war. Since the Treaty of Junius baned the military use of the Neutron Jammer Canceller, these new Gundams use conventional battery power instead. However, technological improvements over the last two years mean that battery efficiency is improved. One of these new suits was the Impulse, a multi-role unit similar in concept to the Earth Alliance's old Strike. The Impulse was designed simultaneously with ZAFT's new battleship Minerva, which includes a catapult exclusive to its use. Using this smaller catapult, the Impulse launches with its modules divided, while combining in flight.

The Impulse was initially piloted by Shinn Asuka, who was selected personally by PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Gilbert Durandal. Shinn performed very well with Impulse, destroying over a dozen enemy warships, numerous mobile suits, and the stolen ZGMF-X31S Abyss. He even managed to defeat the ZGMF-X10A Freedom. After he received the new ZGMF-X42S Destiny, Impulse was reassigned to Lunamaria Hawke. Lunamaria first piloted the Impulse during Operation Ragnarök, the invasion of Heaven's Base in Iceland, where it assists Shinn's Destiny and Rey's ZGMF-X666S Legend in defeating the base's GFAS-X1 Destroy squad. Impulse was heavily damaged at the end of the Second Bloody Valentine War in the battle near Mobile Space Fortress Messiah by Athrun Zala's ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice, however it's ability to regenerate proves it's survival.

Additional three units of the Impulse were built during the course of the war. These three units were all equipped with a θ Destiny Silhouette, with two suits being piloted by Mare Strode and Courtney Heironimus.

Trivia

 * Impulse's head crest displays the text "X-56S SEI", which means "Six" in Italian and is a reference to Impulse's series number.
 * Impulse's role in Gundam SEED Destiny is highly reminiscent of the Gundam Mk-II in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Like the Gundam MK II, Impulse is heavily based on the primary mobile suit of the series, and each is eventually transferred from the protagonist to a female pilot in his squad.

Variants

 * ZGMF-X56S/β Sword Impulse
 * ZGMF-X56S/γ Blast Impulse
 * ZGMF-X56S/θ Destiny Impulse