ZGMF-600 GuAIZ

The ZGMF-600 GuAIZ (pronounced "gates" in Japanese and "gwaze" in English) is a mass-production general-purpose mobile suit, it is first featured in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The GuAIZ is a mass production MS deployed by ZAFT in late C.E.71, and unlike ZAFT's previous MS, it is developed by a group of companies (which later merged into the Integrated Design Bureau) led by Maius Military Industries. GuAIZ is designed to replace the outdated ZGMF-1017 GINN and its performance surpasses that of the ZGMF-515 CGUE and the EA's GAT-01 Strike Dagger. The suit is the first ZAFT MS to fully incorporate data obtaind from analysing the technology of the four stolen Earth Alliance units, and hence it has head-mounted CIWS, rocket anchor-like Extensional Arrestor and is armed with miniaturized beam weaponry. This incorporation is also the reason for the suit's late deployment, the original design for GuAIZ was completed earlier and last minute modifications were made to the plan to include the new technology. Like the GINN and CGUE, the GuAIZ also has head-mounted fin-shaped sensor array but the radar system has been improved. The suit also has enhanced armor and a new backpack with higher output, which not only improves its performance in space, but also on Earth and within PLANT. Due to its excellent base structure, GuAIZ is also used in the development of ZAFT's nuclear powered MS.

Armaments

 * MMI-GAU2 "Picus" 76mm CIWS
 * The GuAIZ features 2 "Picus" 76mm CIWS guns mounted in the head. These light projectile weapons are used to shoot down incoming missiles and enemy units at close range.


 * MA-MV03 Composite Shield
 * Mounted on the left arm, the Composite Shield is an anti-beam coated shield with two beam claw emitters mounted at the tip. This combination allows the GuAIZ to quickly switch between defense and close quarter combat.


 * EEQ7R Extensional Arrestor
 * A pair of Extensional Arrestors is mounted on the suit's waist, these weapons are actually rocket anchors equipped with small caliber beam cannon, which is usually used as a beam spike due to its short firing range. Each of the arrestor is connected to the suit's backpack via a cable and can be launched to grapple enemy units tens of meters away. Due to the weapon's unique nature and limitation, they are not popular among the pilots and can only be used effectively by skilled pilots.


 * MA-M21G Beam Rifle
 * The standard long range weapon of the GuAIZ, the beam rifle is typically held in the right hand when used is and is powered by the suit's battery. It is developed by Maius Military Industries based on the data from the GAT-X units and can easily destroy conventional armor with one shot. It is effective enough to destroy Earth Alliance warship with a handful of shots, but is mostly ineffective against armor that has anti-beam treatmemt.

History
After ZAFT stole the four prototype mobile suits from the Earth Alliance, the technology incorporated in them was studied and reverse engineered to be used in ZAFT mobile suit. The first mass-produced MS featuring these new technologies was the GuAIZ, created in the last months of the war. When in combat, the GuAIZ proved to be superior to the other faction's mass production MS and was even able to hold itself against the GAT-X105 Strike. However, the GuAIZ was inferior to the ZGMF-X10A Freedom, but this should not be taken as a strike against it, since the Freedom, the ZGMF-X09A Justice, and the rest of ZAFTs First-Generation Gundam-type weapons were all designed to be superior to any and all mass-production units. While the GuAIZ was the most advanced mass production unit of the war, ZAFT was unable to build them quickly enough to field it in sufficient numbers. After the war ended, ZAFT created a more user friendly version of the GuAIZ, the ZGMF-601R GuAIZ R.

Variants

 * YFX-600R GuAIZ Experimental Firearms Type
 * ZGMF-601R GuAIZ R
 * YMF-X000A Dreadnought Gundam