MS-06JC Zaku II

Technology & Combat Characteristics

A variant of the MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type, the JC-type featured improved rocket thrusters which were slightly more powerful than those on the standard J-type. The most significant change to the design of the Zaku was the movement of the cockpit. It was moved higher up on the chest and in the center behind the T-piece armor rather than on the side of the T. The cockpit was also redesigned. The control sticks were moved to the sides of the seat and more screens were added. Despite these modifications, the two models were essentially the same in their outward appearance.

Armaments

• Shoulder Shield

Mounted on the right shoulder, it is a simple defense used to block most physical projectiles.

• Spiked Shoulder Shield

For Zeon's Southeast Asian forces, the JC-type has a set of spikes on its shoulder shield to enhance its melee combat abilities.

• 120mm Machine Gun

A standard weapon for Zaku-type mobile suits. It is a shell firing gun that does not require energy to be used, however its effectiveness against heavy armor is very limited. It holds 100 rounds per drum with spare drums that can be stored on waist armor racks.

• MMP-80/90mm Ver.8 Machine Gun

An alternative to the 120mm Machine Gun. It used 90mm bullets instead of 120mm type, allowing for a greater firing speed and better penetration capabilities. The machine gun is magazine-fed with 32 rounds per mag.

• 280mm Zaku Bazooka

The 280mm Zaku Bazooka was another standard weapon for Zaku-type mobile suits. The bazooka fired explosive rounds that were quite effective against the armor of Earth Federation mobile suits and battleships. The bazooka was magazine-fed and could be stored on the rear waist armor when not in use.

• Heat Hawk

An axe-shaped close combat weapon, it uses a super-heated blade to cut through the armor of enemy MS or vehicles. The thermal energy is generated by the power output of the Zaku II's thermonuclear reactor and relayed through the MS' hands.

• Knuckle Shield

A modified Zaku II shoulder shield carried on the arm, with the curve of the armor fitting over the mobile suit's hand. One of the modifications is the additions of three spikes placed on the plate that rests in front of the hand. These spikes make the knuckle shield an effective bashing weapon.

• ZIM/M·T-K175C 175mm Recoilless Rifle

The main gun of the HT-01B Magella Attack main battle tank, it is remodeled as an MS artillery weapon. It is mainly used for long distance attacks in ground combat, and can be loaded with HEAT or APFSDS rounds.

• 3-tube Missile Pod

A pair of optional 3-tube missile pods can be mounted on the legs for mid to long-range attacks.

• MIP-B6 Cracker Grenade

Identical to those used by infantry, the cracker grenade is an explosive weapons designed to be thrown or launched by the MS and detonate after a set amount of time. The "cracker" breaks into several smaller munitions over a wide area. The Zaku II can optionally equip up to four cracker grenades, that are stored on the left and right waist armor racks, with two on each side.

• Sturm Faust

A simplified, disposable rocket launcher. As the warhead is not equipped with a guidance device, it is extremely hard to use the Sturm Faust to hit a moving target accurately. However, it is still a highly destructive portable weapon.

• FADEGEL RGM-M-Sh-003 Shield

A defense armament obtained from a RGM-79 GM. The shield is a thick sheet of armor designed to take severe punishment that would normally destroy a mobile suit. Since the introduction of beam weaponry, shields have been treated with an anti-beam coating to withstand several beam shots before the coating wears off. Typically, physical shields can only take so much damage before they succumb to the pressure and break.

History

The JC-type Zakus were notably employed in the Southeast Asia campaign and in Australia.

Gallery

Zaku II JC Type: design works for High Complete Model Progressive (HCM-Pro) figure release

280mm Bazooka

ZIM/M·T-K175C 175mm Recoilless Rifle (Magella Top Cannon)

Spiked shoulder shield

Zaku II JC-type strikes at Gundam Ground Type with Heat Hawk (from The 08th MS Team OVA)

Zaku II JC-type firing 280mm Bazooka (The 08th MS Team)

Zaku II JC-type armed with ZIM/M·T-K175C 175mm Recoilless Rifle (from Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team - Battle in Three Dimensions)

Zaku II JC-type (Dell's Unit) armed with ZIM/M·T-K175C 175mm Recoilless Rifle (The 08th MS Team)

December, U.C. 0079: Inside the besieged Zeon secret base in South East Asia, from left - Zaku II JC-type, Gouf Custom, and Dom (The 08th MS Team)

Gunpla

1/144 High Grade "RX-79[G] Gundam vs. MS-06J Zaku II" model kit set (1996): box art

1/144 High Grade "MS-06J Zaku II" model kit (1998): box art

Notes & Trivia

• The J-type models seen in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (1996) were modified forms of the original MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type that appeared in Mobile Suit Variations published in 1983. However, the overall specifications published for both units conflicted in many areas. Subsequently, the 08th MS Team version of the J-type was retconned into a new model, the MS-06JC, so it no longer conflicted with the MS-06J.

References

External links

• MS-06JC Zaku II on MAHQ