The YMS-08A High Mobility Test Type (高機動型試作機 Kō Kidō-gata Shisaku-ki?) is an experimental mobile suit introduced in the design series Mobile Suit Variation.
Technology & Combat Characteristics
For Zeon's Earth Invasion campaign which began in March UC 0079, the MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type was developed by removing space equipment from MS-06F Zaku II which were unnecessary for ground battles and replacing the software, but this was ultimately a stopgap measure.[1] The development of new land warfare MS was a major undertaking, and its development began almost at the same time as the start of J-Type Zaku's production.[1] Under Zeon's First Phase Ground Combat MS Development Plan,[2] two new designs were created and competed against each other, namely the YMS-07A Prototype Gouf by Zeonic, and the YMS-08A High Mobility Test Type by Zimmad.[1]
Designed mainly for close combat and guerilla warfare,[3] the YMS-08A used the basic design of the F-type Zaku II, but had a stronger radiator and armor, and was lighter.[3] Appearance-wise, the YMS-08A's head and torso shared some similarity with Zaku and its competitor Prototype Gouf, with enhanced sensor on its forehead and bull horn-like pauldron on both shoulders.[4] Its waist design bore similarity with EFF's RX-78-2 Gundam, with sources indicated its design was referenced with data obtained from the latter, but the veracity was unknown.[4] The basic concept of YMS-08A was to improve mobility in ground battles. The prototype features improvement the cooling system for its thermonuclear engine, strengthening the armor while reducing the MS' overall weight.[4] In addition, new thrusters were added to its back and legs to enable short-distance jump flight,[4], in a way similar to what Gundam did in ground battles.[5]
Armaments
- M-120A1 120mm Machine Gun
- The same portable firearm used by the Zaku II. It can switch between semi-automatic and automatic fire. Although useless against Luna Titanium Alloy, it can still destroy weaker armor material with multiple shots. It fires 120mm caliber rounds that are stored in a 100-rounds drum magazine.
- 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 mobile suit's thermonuclear reactor and relayed through it's hands.
- Shield
- A defensive armament mounted on the left forearm. Its main purpose is to defend in close combat rather than at long range.
History
Soon after the YMS-07A Prototype Gouf was completed on March 13, UC 0079, five units of YMS-08A High Mobility Test Types were ready by Zimmad in time for the testing and evaluation under the First Phase Ground Combat MS Development Plan.[2] The YMS-08A exceeded the Prototype Gouf in terms of maneuverability and had high close-quarter combat capabilities, but the new thrusters did not produce enough thrust to obtain sufficient jump capacity.[4] More importantly, it also lacked Prototype Gouf's ability to work with the Dodai YS bomber for dramatically increase MS operation speed and range.[4] In the end, the Zeon military's assessment for YMS-08A was "nothing more than a refinement of the MS-06,"[6] and the YMS-08A development was discontinued in favor of Prototype Gouf, with the former's jet-assist jump technology was merged with the subsequent MS-07B Gouf for mass production.[6] Despite the failure, Zimmad's idea of a highly mobile ground mobile suit proposed by YMS-08A was later perfectly realized in the form of MS-09 Dom.[6]
Gallery
Lineart
Fan Art
Notes & Trivia
References
The Official Gundam Perfect File
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 (June 2000) 機動戦士ガンダム MSV コレクションファイル [地球編] (in Japanese). 講談社, 95. ISBN 9784063465518.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 (December 2011) ガンダム パーフェクト・ファイル No.14 (in Japanese). デアゴスティーニ, 20A. ISBN 4910205620124.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 (April 1984) 講談社ポケット百科シリーズ33 機動戦士ガンダム モビルスーツバリエーション2 ジオン軍MS・MA編 (in Japanese). 講談社, 89. ISBN 406107783X.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 (October 2011) 双葉社MOOK グレートメカニック・スペシャル モビルスーツ全集4 MS07/09グフ&ドムBOOK (in Japanese). 双葉社, 47. ISBN 9784575464610.
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam Episode 9, Fly! Gundam
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 (May 2019) 双葉社MOOK グレートメカニック・スペシャル モビルスーツ全集13 ジオン陸戦モビルスーツ&兵器BOOK (in Japanese). 双葉社, 37. ISBN 9784575465150.