SVMS-01X Union Flag Custom II

SVMS-01X Union Flag Custom II (aka GN Flag), is a GN-technology upgrade variant of Graham Aker's Custom Flag unit in episode 25, season 1 of Mobile Suit Gundam 00. The unit is piloted by Graham Aker.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The GN Flag is essentially Graham's Custom Flag that has been hastily fitted with a GN Drive Tau at Graham Aker's request through the influence of Billy Katagiri's uncle, Homer Katagiri. Most of the original means of propulsion, such as the plasma engine backpacks, have been removed to make room for the GN Drive Tau, save for a few maneuvering thrusters for use in close combat.

The GN Drive Tau does not integrate elegantly with the Flag and weapons have to be powered via an external cable as the MS was not designed to be used with a GN Drive of any kind. The drive itself uses a swing mechanism to switch position. When the drive is attached to the rear of the suit, it provides the GN Flag with propulsion for travel. This is not without problems however, as the GN Drive Tau also disrupts the Flag's body balance. In order to activate the GN Beam Saber, the GN Drive Tau swings to a latch behind the left shoulder, powering the saber. The GN Flag only has one GN Beam Saber, confiscated from GNW-001 Gundam Throne Eins; this is the unit's only offensive weapon and is equipped via the aforementioned cable that provides the GN particle feed for the beam saber.

Because of the modifications, the unit can no longer transform into a fighter. One major flaw in this design is the fact that the unit lacks the G-force dampeners (that other GN Drive powered suits are equipped with); it's detrimental to the pilot who, in Graham Aker's case, he suffers internal bleeding, which ends up coughing blood while fighting the Gundams. Designed for the single purpose of defeating a Gundam, specifically GN-001 Gundam Exia, the GN Flag is the physical representation of Graham's vengeance for his fallen comrades (Howard Manson and Daryl Dodge) and his love for challenging opponents in single melee combat.

The unit is overall inferior to the GNX-603T GN-X and is certainly weaker than the Gundams, but it has proven to be quite formidable against a power-downed Gundam after Trans-Am.

Armaments

 * Defense Rods
 * The GN Flag mounts two defense rods on both sides of the waist to increase stability in flight. It is unknown whether they can be used to defend the GN Flag against incoming attacks.


 * GN Beam Saber
 * The same beam saber taken from Gundam Throne Eins. It is now used as the main armament for the Custom Flag II. In order to feed GN Particles to the Beam Saber, the Custom Flag II is equipped a cable that provides the GN Particle feed for the Beam Saber.

System Features

 * GN Field
 * In conjunction with the beam saber and a GN Particle based propulsion system, the GN Flag also possesses the ability to generate a GN Field through a generator located on its right arm. However, because the parts were hastily constructed, its stability is unsatisfactory.

History
When thirty GNX-603T GN-X units were delivered to the three power blocks, one belonging to the Union was assigned to ace pilot Graham Aker (GN-X #21). However, having sworn on Howard Mason's grave that he would defeat a Gundam in a Flag, Graham instead requested that a modification be made to his custom Flag. Billy Katagiri, the acting chief engineer of the Overflag at the time, used his uncle's influence to acquire one of the 10 GN Drive Tau units and apply its technology onto one of their custom Flags. The result was the GN Flag, a hastily-built GN-powered version of the Flag which nonetheless sported power enough to match the Trans-Am weakened GN-001 Gundam Exia in solo combat.

Driven nearly mad by his obsession with the Gundam which had first awed him, Graham's fight with Setsuna F. Seiei resulted in the destruction of the GN Flag and the near-destruction of Gundam Exia, tearing off its left arm, gouging out its right eye, and decapitating it. In the aftermath, Graham and Setsuna were both believed dead, though both survived the encounter and would meet again on the field of battle four years later. What has happened to the GN Flag remains unknown but it is known that the data of the GN Flag was later used in the development of a new experimental A-Laws mobile suit.

Notes & Trivia

 * One of the advantages Billy sees in upgrading the Flag with a GN Drive Tau is the symbolic effect of showing the world of the Union's power by defeating the Gundams with a Flag.
 * The 'GN Flag' is one of the few GN-Drive equipped mobile units not to have 'GN' in its official model number; it is certainly the only such unit outside of Celestial Being to make this distinction. In addition, the 'SVMS' part of its model number is negated by the fact that it is no longer a Variable Mobile Suit, nor does it draw power from the Solar Elevators.
 * In other media, the Union Flag Custom II is seen with a Linear Rifle as in the Robot Damashii figure, Gundam Assault Survive for the PSP and Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters for the PS2.
 * While the port of 20mm machine gun can be seen on Union Flag Custom II's drumframe, the weapon is rarely listed among its armaments. Few exception including SD Gundam G Generation Wars.