Technology & Combat Characteristics
An advancement on the YMS-09D Dom Tropical Test Type, the Zeon military introduced the MS-09F/trop late in the One Year War, designed to operate exclusively in localized desert and tropical regions on Earth.
In addition to additional sand filters to protect its equipment, specialized block-shaped armor designed to help keep sand from getting inside, and powerful cooling systems to overcome the desert heat, the Dom Tropen also featured special sand filtering intakes for its leg-mounted thermonuclear jet engines, allowing the mobile suit to retain its high ground hovering speeds without fear of sand ruining the engines.
Armaments
- Scattering Beam Gun
- The scattering beam gun is a beam weapon mounted in the left side of the Dom Tropen's chest. As an offensive weapon the scattering beam gun is completely incapable of damaging an enemy machine. Though it cannot do any damage it does produce a bright light that is capable of momentarily blinding eyes and visual sensors.
- Heat Saber
- Stored on the backpack when not in use, this weapon bears a strong resemblance to the beam sabers used by Earth Federation mobile suits, however it still relies on the older technology of using thermal energy to superheat a metal blade, allowing it to melt through the armor of an enemy machine at high speed.
- MMP-80/90mm Ver.8 Machine Gun
- As part of the United Maintenance Plan new weapons were produced that could be used by numerous mobile suits such as the MMP-80 90mm machine gun. The machine gun is magazine-fed with 32 rounds per mag with extra magazines stored on the waist armor.
- 880mmRB-T27 Raketen Bazooka
- A new heavy bazooka which features powerful rocket-propelled rounds, and improved targeting sensor with protective cover for aiming. The bazooka is magazine-fed and can hold 5 rounds per magazine. The bazooka can be stored on the rear skirt armor, while spare magazines can be stored on the Dom Tropen's waist armors.
- H&L-SB25K/280mmA-P Zaku Bazooka
- A bazooka originally designed for use by the Zaku line of mobile suit. The bazooka fired explosive rounds that were quite effective against the armor of Earth Federation mobile suits and battleships.
- Hand Grenade
- Throwing weapon used an alternative to the Cracker Grenade. These waist mounted grenades can be thrown like regular grenades and set to detonate upon impact with the target or timed to explode after a preset time. They come in multiple variants, allowing them to perform different roles in battle.
- An explosive weapon with a rocket propelled warhead, it was designed before the beginning of the One Year War as an anti-ship weapon. Useful both in space and under gravity, it was mainly deployed for anti-ship attacks during the early days of the war. The Sturm Faust likely made a good anti-mobile suit weapon during the latter days of the war, as Zeon mobile suits could be equipped with both a Sturm Faust and a more typical ranged weapon for greater versatility. As a non-guided weapon, it is difficult to hit targets with high mobility. Can be stored on waist armor storage racks.
- 3-tube Missile Launcher
- An optional 3-tube missile launcher can be attached to the left forearm of Dom Tropen. It is similar to the model used by the MS-06D Zaku Desert Type and MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon.
- Heat Sword
- A melee weapon originally developed for the Gouf line of mobile suits. When in use, the blade is heated to high temperatures in order to increase its cutting capacity. Appears on a customized Gunpla in episode 24 of Gundam Build Divers.
Special Equipment & Features
- Sand Filters
- Because the Dom Tropen can be used in desert environments, it required special sand filters to make sure its systems remain operational.
- Cooling Systems
History
Not many Dom Funfs were produced before the end of the One Year War, thus not many could be modified into the Dom Tropen. However, there were at least eight units were known to exist. One unit was assigned to Lt. Sandra of Midnight Fenrir Corps near the end of One Year War, another unit was piloted by her former Fenrir teammate Sophie Fran during Operation Silver Lance in U.C. 0084. Another two units, piloted by Delaz Fleet's Gaily and Adamski, would participate in the theft of the RX-78GP02A Gundam "Physalis" from the Earth Federation Forces's Torrington Base in October U.C. 0083. Another four units were seen aiding the defense of Zeon's underground Kimberlite Base in eastern Africa.
In U.C. 0096, at least one more of these suits was used by Zeon remnants to attack the Federation's Torrington Base in combination with a MS-09G Dwadge and a MS-06D Desert Zaku. Its group would later be destroyed by the regrouping Federation Forces during the Federation counterattack.
Gallery
Fan Art
Gunpla
Notes and Trivia
- The name "tropen" is German for "tropical".
- In SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online the Dom Tropen has two variations - a standard colored one and the Kimberlite Fleet colors, known as "Desert Colors". Both versions use the Heat Rod and the Sturm Faust, but the standard Dom Tropen uses the machine gun and the "Desert Colors" uses the Raketen Bazooka.
- In the video game Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front, the Dom Tropen team can also use a beam rifle, which appears to be an early Gelgoog design. This has not been confirmed in other MSV sources.
References
External links
