MS-06D Zaku Desert Type

The Zaku Desert Type is one of many variants of the standard MS-06 Zaku II created by the Principality of Zeon during the One Year War.

History
During the One Year War the battle field shifted from space to Earth after the signing of the Antarctic Treaty. Because of Earth's many different terrains and environments, the Principality of Zeon had to adjust their mass production MS-06F Zaku II model to be more suitable in the varying climates.

Developed in the captured Earth Federation California Base, the MS-06D Zaku Desert Type, also known as the D-Type, was designed for Earth's desert and tropical regions. Early test units used a double antennae but when Zeon finalized the mobile suit for mass production, they dropped it down to a single antenna. They also repainted the Zakus to a more sandlike colour. The Zaku Desert Type featured several new features for its adaptation to the new climates. The biggest change was the replacement of the Zaku II's standard thruster jetpack with a heat-dissipating radiator backpack. The D-Type was thus fitted with jet thrusters in the legs and skirt armor so that it had a small boost in mobility.

The D-Type was a great success. Overall, 114 MS-06D Zaku Desert Types were produced, with 43 two-antennae types and 71 one-antenna types. The Zaku Desert Type was well suited for its environment and operated very effectively. The Zaku D-Type would dominate Zeon's Earth forces in North Africa and the Middle East for many months until it was replaced by the more mobile and powerful MS-09F/trop Dom Tropen. Eight years later, surviving units were still known to be in operation in the hands of Zeon forces operating in Africa.