DRAGOON system
From the The Gundam Wiki, the ultimate guide to Gundam
| DRAGOON system | |
|---|---|
| |
| DRAGOON on ZGMF-X666S Legend | |
| Production Information | |
| Manufacturer | |
| Designer | ZAFT |
| Type | Remote weapon |
| Model | Mobile Suit/Armor weapon |
| Technical Specifications | |
| Discharge | Energy beam |
| Power source |
|
| Control systems | Quantum communication system |
| Usage | |
| Affiliation | |
| Timeline | Cosmic Era |
The DRAGOON (Disconnected Rapid Armament Group Overlook Operation Network) system is a weapon system used in the Cosmic Era timeline.
Contents |
Technical Informations
The DRAGOON (Disconnected Rapid Armament Group Overlook Operation Network) system is a control system developed by ZAFT to guide remote weapons.The system allows a single mobile weapon pilot to control several smaller weapon pods to attack enemies from different angles using Quantum Communication to send signals to weapon pods to move them around the battlefield. This is performed without the awkward wire-guidance restrictions used in mobile armors such as the TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero, or the Striker Pack AQM/E-X04 Gunbarrel Striker. The original system was first tested in the YMF-X000A_Dreadnought_Gundam, tested by ZAFT pilot Courtney Hieronimus and then later civilian Prayer Reverie. These pods are usually stored on several points on the suit (usually a large backpack) and after use must return to their respective unit to recharge. Over time, several versions of this system have been invented, with most of them having different capabilities.
The DRAGOON system is so powerful that a mobile suit equipped with this system and piloted by a skilled pilot can match the firepower of a team of conventional mobile suits, but with more coordination than a group of individual pilots. This is shown in the final battle between Rau Le Creuset and Kira Yamato, during which the ZGMF-X13A Providence, with the help of the system, severely damages the ZGMF-X10A Freedom. Over two years later Kira again displays the strength of the system when he disables 25 ZAFT mobile suits in just under 2 minutes.
An alternate version of the DRAGOON system was developed by Earth Alliance's Azrael Financial Group and utilized in their prototype TSX-MA717/ZD Pergrande mobile armor. This version required three pilots, and didn't require a pilot with spatial awareness; instead, the computer maneuvered the pods using the X, Y, and Z coordinates from the pilots. These pods mounted a beam cannon and a beam gun, which made it much more powerful than the regular DRAGOON system mobile suits. The Pergrande was destroyed during testing by ace pilot Gai Murakumo of the Serpent Tail mercenary group.
In CE 73 a new version of the DRAGOON system is developed by ZAFT. This system doesn't require a pilot with highly spatial awareness and thus even a normal pilot can control this weapons (Even though spatial awareness do improve the use of this system) through the pilot's brain waves. The new ZAFT Gundam-type mobile suit ZGMF-X666S Legend is equipped with this new DRAGOON version, as is the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom. Also the ZGMF-X24S Chaos uses a simplified version of this system in the form of two Gunbarrel-like weapon pods. It is likely that the Earth Alliance copied this technology for the GFAS-X1 Destroy's detachable arms.
The ORB-01 Akatsuki can be equipped with the "Shiranui" backpack, which is equipped with 7 mobile weapon pods that function in a manner similar to DRAGOONs and have the capability to create a beam shield large enough to surround a battleship. The Dreadnought Gundam also had the capability to create a tetrahedral beam shield from its DRAGOON units.
ZAFT also tested but never fielded a "DRAGOON Flyer" system for ZGMF-X56S Impulse. The intention was to replace Impulse simple Silhouette Flyers with combat-capable DRAGOON versions, which would accompany it in battle. These DRAGOONs would be armed with four small beam guns each, but their primary purpose would be to allow Impulse to switch Silhouette packs without waiting for them to be launched from Minerva. As the DRAGOON Flyer could only be used by the four Impulse units, it was likely considered unwise to expend scarce wartime resources on completing the system.
Weaknesses
Despite its immense strength, the DRAGOON system has several weaknesses. The first one being its extraordinary power consumption - all suits with full-fledged DRAGOON systems are nuclear powered. This is because all pods of the system use beam technology, which consumes an immense amount of energy to move and fire. The second one being its extraordinary difficulty to operate: a person with great spatial awareness and mental and physical prowess is required to use the system to its full potential. However, the newer versions of the system have been able to overcome this shortcoming through use of quantum computers, although it is still difficult to coordinate the pods properly nonetheless. The third drawback of the system is that it cannot be used on Earth since none of the pods can achieve atmospheric flight. Also, even if the pods can fly in the atmosphere, they will unlikely be as effective as they are in space because they will be less maneuverable in the atmosphere due to air resistance and the thrust needed to overcome gravity. The fourth drawback is that once a pod is destroyed, the system's power diminishes. As more pods are destroyed, the system becomes less and less useful. For example, the Providence is very powerful when its DRAGOON system remains intact. However, when stripped of all its pods, it is nothing more than a nuclear-powered version of the ZGMF-600 GuAIZ .
Users
Over time, several mobile weapons were equipped with this system, with most of the being prototype units.
YMF-X000A Dreadnought
The first mobile suit created by ZAFT to use the DRAGOON system was the YMF-X000A Dreadnought, which also served as a testbed for system. The Dreadnought was equipped with two XM1 "Pristis" beam reamers (beam cannon/scissor anchors), which were mounted on the hips of the suit. While these weapons were tethered to the suit by wires, they were completely DRAGOON controlled; the wires were simply there to recover the weapons in the event of a malfunction in the still-experimental system. Later a large backpack mounting four weapon pods was installed on the suit. These pods mounted a total of nine GDU-X7 beam guns and, like the beam reamers, were connected with wires to the suit, although they also could function without them.
ZGMF-X13A Providence
The last Gundam-type mobile suit created by ZAFT during the Bloody Valentine War, the Providence was equipped with 11 units (the highest number so far), which mounted a total of 43 beam gun nozzles.
ZGMF-X3000Q Providence ZAKU
A testbed unit created by ZAFT after the first war to test the new DRAGOON system which can be used by ordinary pilots. The system on this ZAKU unit is the same as the one later used on the Legend.
ZGMF-X666S Legend
The successor of the Providence which uses the new DRAGOON system first tested on the Providence ZAKU. The suit mounts ten units, with two of them being large pods, each mounting five GDU-X7 beam machine guns and four beam spikes. These spikes are capable of penetrating a Positron Deflector shield used on some Earth Alliance mobile armors. Besides these two the Legend also mounts eight small DRAGOON pods, each being equipped with two GDU-X4 beam assault cannons. Also different to earlier versions of the DRAGOON system, the pods can swap up or down when mounted on the backpack, an then fired to concentrate their firepower on one target even if not disconnected.
ZGMF-X24S Chaos
Although the suit doesn't use the DRAGOON system as its main armament, it is equipped with two EQFU-5X mobile weapon pods, which utilize the new form of the DRAGOON system. Thanks to their small wings and thrusters the pods can be used not only in space but also in the gravity of a planet. Each pod mounts a single MA-81R beam assault cannon as well as a large number of AGM141 "Firefly" guided missiles. The weapon pods also function as additional boosters while attached to the Chaos, providing it with high mobility in MA mode.
The prototype unit of the Chaos, called the XMF-P192P Proto-Chaos, is also equipped with these pods but features four instead of two units.
ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom
One of the newest suits designed by ZAFT and completed in secret by Terminal, the Strike Freedom is an upgraded form of the old ZGMF-X10A Freedom. It is equipped with eight EQFU-3X Super DRAGOON mobile weapon pods in its wings, each mounting a single MA-80V beam assault cannon.
ORB-01 Akatsuki
Created by the Orb Union in secret during the first war, the Akatsuki features an optional Striker Pack called the "Shiranui" Space Pack. This backpack mounts seven DRAGOON units, which each mount a beam cannon as well as beam shield emitters that when coupled with other DRAGOON units, can provide full defense in a limited area, of around 1-2 ships' size. Whether this version of the DRAGOON System can only be utilized by a pilot with highly spatial awareness is unknown, since the only pilot using it was Mu La Flaga, who has such abilities.
TSX-MA717/ZD Pergrande
The Pergrande is an Earth Alliance-created mobile armor, which features a unique version of the DRAGOON system. Instead of using a pilot with high spatial awareness or the new ZAFT-created control system, the modified DRAGOON system utlizes 3 pilots, which taps into each of the pilots brainwaves and extracts the X, Y, and Z coordinates necessary to utilize the pods. The Pergrande is equipped with six pods, each mounting two large beam cannons, one beam cannon and two beam guns.
DRAGOON flyer
ZAFT also tested but never fielded a "DRAGOON Flyer" system for the ZGMF-X56S Impulse. The intention was to replace the Impulse' simple Silhouette Flyers with combat-capable DRAGOON versions, which would accompany it in battle. These DRAGOONs would be armed with four small beam guns each, but their primary purpose would be to allow the Impulse to switch Silhouette packs without waiting for them to be launched from the Minerva. As the DRAGOON Flyer could only be used by the four Impulse units, it was likely considered unwise to expend scarce wartime resources on completing the system.
History
The DRAGOON system was a control system developed by ZAFT to guide remote weapons. The original system was first tested in the YMF-X000A Dreadnought, piloted by ZAFT pilot Courtney Heironimus and then later civilian Prayer Reverie. The most prominent unit in its time using the DRAGOON system was the prototype unit ZGMF-X13A Providence, piloted by ZAFT ace Rau Le Creuset during the Second Battle of Jachin Due.
An alternate version of the DRAGOON system was developed by Earth Alliance's Azrael Financial Group and utilized in their prototype TSX-MA717/ZD Pergrande mobile armor. The Pergrande was destroyed during testing by ace pilot Gai Murakumo of the Serpent Tail mercenary group. Later a small number of Pergrande units was produced to protect the space station of Logos member Matisse Adukurf.
In CE 73 a new version of the DRAGOON system is developed by ZAFT. This system doesn't require a pilot with highly spatial awareness and thus even a normal pilot can control this weapons (Even though spatial awareness do improve the use of this system). The new ZAFT Gundam-type mobile suit ZGMF-X666S Legend is equipped with this new DRAGOON version, as is the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom. Also the ZGMF-X24S Chaos uses a simplified version of this system in the form of two Gunbarrel-like weapon pods. It is likely that the Earth Alliance copied this technology for the GFAS-X1 Destroy's detachable arms.
The ORB-01 Akatsuki can be equipped with the "Shiranui" backpack, which is equipped with 7 mobile weapon pods and utilizes a similar system as the DRAGOON system. The suit is piloted by Mu La Flaga who uses it during the Battle of Messiah.
Trivia
- The DRAGOON system is similar to the Funnels used in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam series.
- The Anno Domini era also features a similar technology called fangs.
| Cosmic Era technology | |
|---|---|
| Standard technology Deuterion Beam Energy Transfer System | Lightwave Barrier | Mirage Colloid | Phase Shift armor | Positron Blaster Cannon | Positron Deflector | |
| Mobile Suit technology DRAGOON system | G Project | METEOR | Second Stage Series | Striker Packs | |
| Superweapons Cyclops System | GENESIS | Hyper-Deuterion Nuclear Reactor | Neutron Jammer | Neutron Jammer Canceller | Neutron Stampeder | Nibelung | Requiem | |
| Human enhancements Coordinators | Extended humans | Newtypes | SEED factor | |
