Technology & Combat Characteristics
The first Gundam produced by ZAFT, it is based on the technologies that ZAFT obtained from the four stolen GAT-X machines. The Dreadnought Gundam is developed as a testbed for the DRAGOON system (which is later utilized by ZGMF-X13A Providence) and the N-Jammer Canceller technology, making it the first nuclear powered mobile suit in CE. Manufactured around the same time as the ZGMF-600 GuAIZ, both suits share many common parts and some of the Dreadnought's weapons are derived from GuAIZ's.
Dreadnought is armed with four head-mounted "Picus" 76mm CIWS, a MA-MV04 composite armed shield system that is capable of emitting a beam saber, a MA-M22Y beam rifle, and two types of remote weaponry controlled by the DRAGOON System: two waisted-mounted beam reamers and four backpack mounted weapon pods. Due to the positions of these pods, Lowe Guele nicknamed the completed form of the Dreadnought as "X Astray".
Armaments
- MA-M22Y Beam Rifle
- An improved model of the beam rifle used by GuAIZ. This rifle also serve as an early model of the Providence Gundam's MA-M221 "Judicium" beam rifle.
- MA-MV04 Composite Armed Shield System
- Mounted on the left forearm or handheld, it is developed from the GuAIZ's composite armed shield system. The shield is longer than GuAIZ's and emits a beam saber rather than dual beam claws.
- MMI-GAU2 "Picus" 76mm CIWS
- Mounted in the head, the four MMI-GAU2 "Picus" 76mm CIWS guns have a high rate of fire but poor penetrating power. Thus, they are mainly used to shoot down incoming missiles and enemy units at close range.
- XM1 "Pristis" Beam Reamer
- Developed from the GuAIZ's extensional arrestors, a pair of them are mounted on the waist of the Dreadnought. The beam reamers have a beam gun each and are controlled through the DRAGOON System. While these weapons are tethered to the suit by wires, the wires are simply to recover the weapons in the event of a malfunction in the still-experimental system.
- DRAGOON Pod
- Four DRAGOON System controlled pods are mounted on the specialized backpack. Each pod is armed with 10 beam guns and, like the beam reamers, are connected with wires to the suit, although they also can function without them. A tetrahedral beam shield can also be emitted from these DRAGOON pods. The way the pods are mounted is the reason why Dreadnought is also called "X Astray" by Lowe.
Special Equipment & Features
- As with the other five Gundams produced by ZAFT later, the Dreadnought is equipped with a Neutron Jammer Canceller, which counters the effects of the ubiquitous Neutron Jammers and allows these suits to be powered by nuclear reactors. This gives them almost limitless combat endurance, even with Phase Shift armor activated. Dreadnought and its variant is the only MS to have the NJC installed in the head.
- Operating System
- The Dreadnought uses the Generation Unsubdued Nuclear Drive Assault Module complex operating system.
- Like the other Gundam units produced by ZAFT later, the Dreadnought is equipped with Phase Shift armor. Thanks to its N-Jammer Canceller and nuclear reactor, the PS armor is capable of being active for a lot longer than on non-nuclear powered suits.
History
In mid CE 71, ZAFT creates a series of advanced mobile suits based on technology reverse-engineered from the captured Earth Alliance G Project suits. Like their EA predecessors, the ZAFT Gundams are armed with advanced beam weaponry and protected by Phase Shift armor. However, an additional technology is incorporated as well: the Neutron Jammer Canceller, which counters the effects of the ubiquitous Neutron Jammers and allows these suits to be powered by nuclear reactors. This gives them almost limitless combat endurance, even with Phase Shift armor activated. The first of these suits is the YMF-X000A Dreadnought Gundam. Unlike the other nuclear-powered Gundams built by ZAFT afterwards, which are entirely new designs, the Dreadnought is actually built from a heavily modified ZGMF-600 GuAIZ frame.
The Dreadnought Gundam is test piloted by Courtney Heironimus, but for unknown reasons ZAFT did not manufacture its specialized backpack and the suit is dismantled after the tests are completed. The full set of parts are then transferred over to Prayer Reverie so that he can bring it back to Earth to Reverend Malchio, who wants to use its N-Jammer Canceller technology to end the energy crisis on Earth. However, Prayer's ship is attacked during the journey and the Dreadnought's head, which contains the N-Jammer Canceller, is stolen. After a series of events, the Dreadnought's parts are acquired and assembled by Lowe Guele and his companions, with the missing head replaced by a GuAIZ's head. Due to this change, the suit could not use its Phase Shift armor and is now battery powered. It is later piloted by Prayer to fend off attacks from Eurasian Federation. Shortly before the war's end, the stolen head was returned, and Lowe fits it together with the DRAGOON backpack (mounts weapon pods similar to those of the Providence) that was built based on blueprints handed to him by Andrew Waltfeld who is safeguarding the data on behalf of Siegel Clyne. The configuration of the backpack causes Lowe to nickname the Dreadnought "X Astray." The completed Dreadnought is used against Canard Pars and his CAT1-X1/3 Hyperion Gundam Unit 1. In the end, the Hyperion is destroyed, but Prayer protects Canard from the explosion by using the DRAGOON pods to create a tetrahedral energy shield. Prayer then dies shortly thereafter due to flaws in the cloning process.
Gallery
Gunpla
Notes & Trivia
- The ability of Dreadnought Gundam's DRAGOONs to form a 360 degree beam shield is similar to the ORB-01 Akatsuki Gundam's M531R Guided Mobile Beam Turret System. Both of these are similar to the Fin Funnels of the RX-93 ν Gundam.
- In SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Battle Destiny, the Dreadnought's complete and incomplete forms are given two different designations, with the incomplete form retaining the original name while the one with the DRAGOON backpack has the "X Astray" nickname. The GuAIZ Head version is also playable unit.
- The GuAIZ Head version is also a playable unit in SEED Battle Destiny, but doesn't have Phase Shift-related capabilities as per the official settings.
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