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The MS-05A Zaku I Early Type was the first successful mobile suit (MS) design to be developed by the Zeonic Company in the Principality of Zeon's quest to develop a combat-capable mobile weapon.

Technology & Combat Characteristics[]

The Zaku I was the world's first nuclear-powered MS to achieve combat status in the UC timeline. The Zaku I was developed from the MS-04 Prototype Zaku, and featured technologies that would become standard in all mobile suits. It ran on a thermonuclear reactor developed and manufactured by the ZAS company that provided the Zaku I with an unlimited power source. The reactor was cooled by stored liquid hydrogen during missions in space, and an air-cooled system when operating on Earth. The Zaku I used the head-mounted mono-eye camera system, which was used in conjunction with several cameras mounted around the mobile suit's body and granted the pilot excellent visibility from the enclosed cockpit. The Zaku I also incorporated laser sensors, infra-red sensors, and a powerful computer to facilitate the MS's operation.

Armaments[]

  • ZMP-47D 105mm Machine Gun
A standard weapon for Zaku type MS, this model is the initial type of machine gun used by the Zaku series. A 100-round drum magazine is mounted on the right side vertically.
  • Initial Type Bazooka
An early design of the bazooka, which featured a block ammo cartridge and a single exhaust port.
  • 280mm Zaku Bazooka
A portable, physical projectile-type firearm. It is primarily for anti-ship combat and displays its power in hit and run attacks. It can also be used against enemy mobile suits, but it is harder to hit a constantly moving target.
  • Heat Hawk
An axe-like melee weapon, whose name is short for "tomahawk". Thermal energy is used to superheat the heat hawk's blade, allowing it to slice through the armor of enemy warships or mobile suits.
  • Shotgun
A pump-action shotgun, it is of the same type as the one used by the MS-18E Kämpfer.
  • Double Bazooka
A combination of two 280mm Zaku Bazookas into a single weapon.

History[]

The Zaku I was first developed and built in U.C. 0074 as the YMS-05, with the design being selected for Zeon's "SUIT Project", and tested against the EMS-04 Zudah for a development contract. It wasn't put into mass-production until the following year, as the MS-05B Zaku I. The last production run of the MS-05B was in U.C. 0077, before it was replaced by the newer MS-06 Zaku II. Only 27 Zaku I Early Type units were produced. While the Zaku I series was no longer being mass-produced, it was not difficult to obtain one. Most Zaku Is were assigned to pilots that requested them, or to newly formed squadrons that were unable to obtain the best equipment available. More would be assigned to the Midnight Fenrir Corp teams.

The successful use of these suits prompted the Zeon Navy to commission ships that could carry them into combat, primarily the Musai-class. The Zaku I was rendered obsolete by the Zaku II before the beginning of the One Year War, and thus they were relegated for use in the rear lines as supply and construction suits. They still saw some action, though, as colony gassers in the One Week War and, towards the end of the war, they joined frontline combat to reinforce the Zeon's weakening military lines. Despite being an antiquated machine, it was still deployed in U.C. 0096 by the Zeon Remnants.

Gallery[]

References[]



MSV Mechanics
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Earth Federation
Mobile Weapon
Gundam's variations
FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam | PF-78-1 Perfect Gundam | RX-78-1 Prototype Gundam | RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam
GM's variations
RGC-80 GM Cannon | RGM-79L GM Light Armor | RGM-79SC GM Sniper Custom | TGM-79 GM Trainer
Guntank's variation
RMV-1 Guntank II
Guncannon's variations
RX-77-3 Guncannon Heavy Custom | RX-77-4 Guncannon II

Land Vehicle
RTX-44
Aircraft / Spacecraft
AF-01 Mongoose | FF-3 Saberfish | FF-6 TIN Cod | FF-S3 Saberfish | Flatmouse | Flydart
Principality of Zeon
Mobile Weapon
Zaku I's variation
MS-05A Zaku I Early Type
Zaku II's variations
MS-06A Zaku II First Mass Production Type | MS-06C Zaku II Early Production Type | MS-06E Zaku Reconnaissance Type | MS-06E-3 Zaku Flipper | MS-06F Zaku Minelayer | MS-06F Zaku II Dozle Zabi Custom | MS-06FS Zaku II | MS-06M Zaku Marine Type | MS-06R-1 Zaku II High Mobility Test Type | MS-06R-1A Zaku II High Mobility Type | MS-06R-2 Zaku II High Mobility Type | MS-06R-2P Zaku II High Mobility Test Type | MS-06RP Zaku II High Mobility Test Type | MS-06T Zaku Trainer Type | MS-06W Worker Zaku | MS-06Z Psycommu System Zaku | MSN-01 Psycommu Test High Mobility Type Zaku
Zaku II Ground Type's variations
MS-06D Zaku Desert Type | MS-06G Zaku II High Mobility Ground Type | MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type | MS-06K Zaku Cannon | MS-06V Zaku Tank | MS-06V-6 Zaku Tank Green Macaque
Gouf's variations
MS-07A Gouf | MS-07B Gouf M'Quve Custom | MS-07C-3 Gouf Heavy Arms Type | MS-07C-5 Gouf Test Prototype | MS-07H Gouf Flight Test Type | MS-07H-4 Gouf Flight Test Type | YMS-07A Prototype Gouf | YMS-08A High Mobility Prototype
Dom's variations
YMS-09 Prototype Dom | YMS-09D Dom Tropical Test Type
Gelgoog's variations
MS-14B Gelgoog High Mobility Type | MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon
Acguy's variations
MSM-04G Juaggu | MSM-04N Agguguy
Zeong's variation
MSN-02 Perfect Zeong
Other
EMS-05 Agg | MSM-08 Zogok
Civilians
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Pod
SP-W03 Space Pod
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