D-50C Loto

The D-50C Loto is a special operations transformable infiltration mobile weapon, it is featured in the photo-novel/OVA Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. The unit is only known to be piloted by Daguza Mackle and Conroy Haagensen.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The DC-50C Loto is a transformable mobile suit/tank, used by Earth Federation's Londo Bell and ECOAS special forces; the Loto functions as a stealth infiltration unit.

As a special operations mobile suit the Loto can take part in a variety of missions. To allow greater versatility the Loto can mount a variety of weapons on its shoulders (or the hardpoints between shoulder and head) including a pair of 120mm cannons, a large gatling gun, or a smaller machine gun. Its set armaments include a beam burners and a pair of 12-tube missile launchers. Like other descendants of the RX-75-4 Guntank, the Loto does not posses standard mobile suit "hands" instead possessing a set of missile launchers.

Like its predecessors the Loto requires multiple pilots to operate. The Loto has two seats reserved for a pilot and a gunner, these seats are located in the upper chest. Located in the lower torso is a third seat likely given to a communications/sensor officer. Both compartments possess separate cockpit doors on the front of the mobile suit.

One new feature that sets it apart from its ancestors is how the Loto has a large compartment situated on its upper back, and connected internally to the cockpit, that is designed to hold up to eight armed soldiers, allowing it to act as an armored personnel carrier; it can also function as a field headquarters and has a variety of sensors and communications equipment. A second compartment on the lower back, and again connected internally to the upper cockpit, that is used to quickly deploy the soldiers. This transport capability likely explains why the Loto has a smaller low-output reactor.

In terms of maneuverability the Loto surpasses its ancestors though it falls short of other mobile suits. With its ability to transform into a mobile suit with movable limbs the Loto can use the AMBAC system allowing for mobility in space as opposed to the Guntanks which were limited to operating as Earth-use attack vehicles. However their limbs are not as sophisticated as other mobile suits which in turn translates into a less sophisticated AMBAC. The Loto also possesses a number of rocket and vernier thrusters, but because of its small size and the fact that so much of its exterior is devoted to other devices such as its wheel treads, the number of thrusters and the size of their fuel tanks are small. While incapable of high speed acceleration or the maneuvers of modern mobile suits the Loto is comparable to older generation machines. Though not designed for combat in open space the Loto performs admirably as a mid to long range support unit in colonies or on asteroids.

The Loto was developed by the Strategic Naval Research Institute (SNRI) and its operating data would be used for the development of future miniaturized mobile suits.

Armaments

 * Beam Burner
 * The Loto is equipped with two beam burners, these beam burners are a melee weapon similar the beam saber. The beam burners are part of sub-arms mounted on the missile launchers. The sub-arms are simple in their design, appearing similar to the robotic arms used for manufacturing purposes, possessing little to no armor and mounting simple manipulator claws that can grasp something but cannot perform fine manipulation. As seen when the sub-arm was easily bent by the MSN-06S Sinanju. The beam burner is set in the "palm" of the sub-arm between the manipulator claws. When active the beam burner has a noticeable blue color and is smaller then a beam saber. In addition to combat, the beam burner can also be used for cutting through walls for infiltration purposes.


 * 12-tube Missile Launcher
 * In place of standard manipulator arms the Loto possesses a two 12-tube missile launchers. These missile launchers are 12-tube micro-missile launchers.


 * 120mm Cannon
 * The Loto can mount a pair of 120mm cannons on the each shoulder's hardpoints. By arming the Loto with these cannons, the Loto can function as a artillery mobile suit. These 120mm cannons are shell firing weapons, which are less sophisticated and power intensive than a beam cannon, yet retain the same power and effectiveness as the cannons used on its Guntank ancestors. It has been shown possessing enough power for a single shot to destroy a mobile suit. The cannons can be fired separately or in tandem and can elevate or depress for a wider angle of fire.


 * Mega Machine Cannon
 * The Loto can mount a four-barrel heavy machine cannon on its right shoulder. This large weapon fires heavy-caliber armor-piercing anti-mobile suit rounds that can rip older mobile suits to pieces within seconds. The appearance of this weapon is similar to a gatling gun.


 * Machine Gun
 * The Loto can be equipped with a right shoulder mounted machine gun. Although this weapon is ineffective against most mobile suits, although it is ideal for shooting down small, fast moving, lightly armored targets such as missiles or small vehicles.

Battle at Industrial 7
Two Loto units were seen dispatched during UC 0096, each with their own small commando troop to infiltrate the space colony Industrial 7. Their mission was to intercept Neo-Zeon forces, the Sleeves. One of the units appeared for an ambush against the Sleeves' NZ-666 Kshatriya, but the unit was quickly destroyed. The fate of the other unit is unknown.

Battle of Palau
Four Loto mobile suits were seen dispatched to the asteroid Palau for the operation of rescuing Banagher Links and retrieving the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam. They entered the asteroid's airspace and landed on its surface by hiding in dummy asteroids. Each Loto carried ECOAS soldiers equipped with explosives that were planted around Palau. After the Nahel Argama fired its hyper mega particle cannon into Palau's military district one Loto piloted by Daguza Mackle moved to the 14th space gate to pick up Banagher while the other three took up positions to act as mobile turrets that would fire on the Sleeves' deploying mobile suits, catching them in a crossfire with the Federation's approaching mobile suit team. During the battle the three Lotos destroyed several enemy mobile suits before the two equipped with 120mm cannons were quickly destroyed by Full Frontal and Angelo Sauper.

Battle of Laplace
During the investigation of the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam it was suspected that one of the seals on Laplace's Box would be broken if the Unicorn Gundam was present inside the remains of the Laplace colony as the colony passed over a specific set of coordinates. The Nahel Argama's remaining two Loto mobile suits were brought out as part of the escort force. When the Sleeves attacked, orders were given to retreat, with the Loto's acting as turrets on the ship to provide extra firepower. However because the Lotos were at Laplace and required the assistance of another mobile suit to return to the ship the retreat was delayed.

Late Universal Century
During the early half of the second universal century the Earth Federation came to a period of peace it had not known since the first half of the first universal century. Because of that peace there was no need for a stealth/infiltration mobile suit and the Loto was retired. At this time Anaheim Electronics created the F-50D Guntank, a new small scale transforming artillery mobile suit that was based on the Loto. However unlike the Loto the F-50D Guntank was considered a failure with only a single prototype being produced that was auctioned off and purchased by a civilian collector.

Variants

 * Loto Cannon Type
 * The Loto Long Cannon Type is a range bombardment Loto outfitted with two 120mm cannons. This unit resembles the RX-75-4 Guntank. The cannons can disable or even destroy a mobile suit with a single shot.


 * Loto Machine Cannon Type
 * The Loto Machine Cannon Type is fitted with a shoulder mounted machine cannon. This unit resembles the RXR-44 Guntank R-44 Powered Weapons Type.

Notes & Trivia

 * Loto also appeared in U.C. 0123 as SNRI's defense squad (Mobile Suit Gundam F91).