C-20 (RX-288) Kitsune Gundam

General and Technical Data
Model number: RX-288, C-20
Code name: Kitsune
Unit type: Prototype general purpose/newtype, multi-role mobile suit
Manufacturer: Anaheim Electronics, Strategic Naval Research Institute (SNRI)
Operator: Earth Federation Forces (Londo Bell)
First deployment: UC 0095
Accommodation: Pilot only, in panoramic monitor/linear seat cockpit in torso with core block system using core fighter
Overall height: 18.75 meters
Weight:

• Base weight: 25.9 tons
  
• Loaded weight: 50 tons
  
• With Flight Unit: 67.2 tons
  
• With Heavy Weapons Unit: 70.9 tons
  
• With Back Weapons System: 65.6 tons
  
• With Fin Funnel Unit: 71.4 tons
  

Armor materials: Gundarium alloy
Powerplant: SNRI minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 2600 kW
Equipment and design features:

• Sensors, range 14900 meters
  
• Dual-feed magazines for CIWS
  
• 2 x External propellant tanks, utilizes leg hardpoints
  
• Psychoframe cockpit
  
• Psycommu system
  
• Magnetic coated joints
  
• Modular design hardpoints
  
• Separable transformation components, can be operated from Core Fighter via remote control
  

Fixed armaments:

• 4 x 60mm vulcan gun, mounted in head and core fighter respectively (Fire-linked)
  
• 2 x Beam sword-axe, stored in recharge racks in forearms, hand-carried in use
  

Optional fixed armaments:

• Shield, mounted on left arm
  
  
  
  • 2 x 2-tube Small Missile Launcher, 3 round magazine per tube (12 rounds total)
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Weapon pods
  
  
  
  • 2 x 90mm Gatling gun, mounted on forearms
    
  • 2 x 2-tube grenade launcher, 2 rounds per tube (8 rounds total), mounted on forearms
    
  • 2 x 3-tube missile pod, 1 round per tube (6 rounds total), mounted on legs
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Flight unit
  
  
  
  • 2 x High-energy beam cannon
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Heavy weapon unit
  
  
  
  • 350mm Rail gun, mounts over right shoulder
    
  • High-energy mega launcher, powered by e-cap, mounts behind left shoulder, hand-held in use
    
  • 8-tube Missile launcher, 3 rounds per tube (24 rounds total), mounts over left shoulder
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Back weapons system
  
  
  
  • Large beam cannon
    
  • 2 x Beam cannon (Fire-linked)
    
  • 2 x 6-tube missile launcher, 1 round per tube (12 rounds total)
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Fin Funnel unit
  
  
  
  • 8 x Fin funnel wings
    
    
    
    • High-energy beam cannon
      
    • Beam shield generator
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Optional hand armaments:

• Compatible with most EFF hand-held weapons
  

Technical and Historical Notes
Late in the eighth decade of the Universal Century, the Admiralty of the Earth Federation approached the Anaheim research division looking for a new high performance mobile weapon with which to replace the rapidly aging GM series. This request marked the beginning of several new development projects in a race to see who's design would prevail as the successor to the GM line and become the new frontline suit of the Federation. In the end, despite numerous new weapon types and high quality blueprints, the final two submissions selected for prototype construction and testing were the test bed for the new Jegan series and a revolutionary and little known design codenamed Kitsune. So named in homage to the Japanese animal spirit known for its shape-shifting abilities.

Initially developed as a multi-role mobile weapon capable of being easily reconfigured in the field, the Kitsune was the most recent design to revisit the concept of a core/shell mecha once again. It had been demonstrated numerous times in combat by the legendary RX-78 during the One Year War, that the ability to quickly change machines during combat was a strategic godsend. It would be further explored and improved upon by several modular designs following the war, most famously by the Gundam Development Project's GP-01 prototype and the Axis' Zaku III. But while both of these designs significantly advanced the technologies behind the modular mobile weapon, the process involved was much too time consuming to make it practical in the field. Because of this the designers at Anaheim decided to try and combine the idea of the reconfigurable mecha, with the newer core flyer template that had been recently introduced in their ZZ Gundam design. The idea being to fly alternately configured modules out to the core unit during a battle, and then swap them out by ejecting the older components in favor of the new. This would also allow the pilot to discard damaged components in favor of fresh ones and thus increase the survivability of their unit. This plan went through several incarnations on paper, the final template calling for three separate modules aside from the core fighter: the chest flyer with reconfigurable forearm units, the leg flyer with modular calf pods, and the dorsal flyer with differing backpack configurations.

Field trials of the newly constructed prototypes showed that the Kitsune had superior theoretical performance values to the Jegan, and even some of the mass production Zeta variants. It would seem that the designers had outdone themselves, but while the suit's numbers were truly something to be proud of, the data also revealed that this concept would prove too costly to fill the desired niche it had been commissioned for; as the required automated systems to achieve this without a second pilot, in addition to the modifications to the suit's frame necessary to make the design workable would also make it more expensive then anything currently deployed in the field. Because of this, the design was deemed infeasible, losing out to the Jegan and its counterparts despite the fact that its cost to performance ratio was superior to that of its competition. Thus the core plans were shelved until such time as the technology theoretically became more cost effective, or could be used to fill a role that was more open to the increased financial needs of the design.

Despite the prototype being rejected by the Federation administration however, the engineers at Anaheim refused to let the ideas from this advanced MW concept die. The Kitsune's original purpose may have been rendered moot for the moment due to budgetary concerns, but they still felt that the design had much to offer if they could figure out alternative means of achieving their goals. Seeing as the suit's frame was still stronger then the one in use by most of the Federation’s designs, the designers re-evaluated and reworked the prototype, removing systems that did not perform well during testing and replacing them with either modern components or proven alternative versions taken from some of their other designs that hadn't tested well despite the improved systems. This included swapping out the advanced high-performance engines which had been one of several costly components which had led design's downfall, and replacing them with retooled variants taken from the Nero series. In addition to this they removed the unique and expensive weapons that had been designed for use by the design, and refitted it to instead be compatible with the most of the currently available weapon systems. Their aim was to create a new template for the machine conceptualized by the administration when it had initially approached them looking for a new modular mobile weapon by creating a cut-down version of their previous design, while at the same time preserving the vision which had inspired it in the first place.

While this was going on however, they also found a new use for the modularity of the prototype. In spite of having been passed over in favor of a lesser machine, the Kitsune would end up finding a new niche as a test bed for concepts that would end up appearing in later designs. Its easily reconfigurable nature made it a natural choice for this, as opposed to building expensive prototypes that would prove impractical once the funds had been wasted. Most notable of these instances were the module that became Back Weapons System for the ReGZ and a unit that would later become the backpack storage system for the Fin Funnels on the Hi-Nu Gundam.

Following the founding of the Strategic Naval Research Institute (SNRI) in the wake of the Second Neo Zeon War, several of the suit's chief designers were co-opted by the organization. Even going so far as to take their research data with them so that they could continue their work alongside a fresh set of minds. Once in the hands of SNRI the design was dissected in minute detail in order to better understand Anaheim's design secrets and improve upon them. One of the main improvements made was the inclusion of one of their new ultracompact reactors, which significantly boosted the suit's power output while at the same time freeing up tonnage in order to increase overall maneuverability. They further capitalized on this by using the precursor to the miniaturization technology they'd use on the Loto to give the Kitsune a better reinforced internal structure without having to increase is overall size. At the same time adding magnetic coating to the suit's joints in order to further enhance the improved reaction times it had gained as a byproduct of the newer frame and upgraded reactor. The final results of their redesign was a suit much closer to a traditional modular frame mobile weapon then its predecessor, better capable of exploiting the benefits of the modules that had been designed for it, but was still deemed too costly due to its core block system. Its baseline performance may not have been anything to write home about when compared to newer generation prototype MS like the Sinanju, but it did show a marked improvement in terms of speed and maneuverability over the previous production line of general purpose suits due to the frame's stronger internal structure, in addition to boasting a noticeably more robust and diverse payload. This was deemed an acceptable trade-off by the engineers behind the refit however, as the performance ratings of the unit were still superior to that of the grunt designs still being pumped out by Anaheim. And it showed, as the Kitsune’s influence could obviously be seen in some of the modifications that were being fielded, such as the kit for the Stark Jegan or later on the Jesta Cannon.

This was because the new innovations and technology inspired by the design had succeeded in coming much closer to what had been requested then anything submitted previously. Pleased by their improved results from utilizing SNRI's technology, and seeing their ideas being stolen by their old company, and now biggest competitor, the designers felt that it was time to once again reevaluate ways of cutting costs while maintaining the integral modularity of the template. This has led into several promising research projects utilizing either drone flyers for pack delivery, or simplified core block variants in which the core fighter is built directly into the torso unit. The primary inspirations for this idea being the initial prototype for the ZZ gundam and the Axis Bawoo. Unfortunately it is felt that more practical field data of the modern incarnation of this concept is required before anything significant can me accomplished. To that end, one of the three existing prototypes for the Kitsune project has been turned over to the care of Londo Bell for actual combat testing.

Dual-Feed Magazine
The biggest problem with most CIWS is the lack of space for cramming in ammunition due to tonnage requirements for other more important systems. Realizing that spacing was somewhat less of a problem for the Kitsune due to the extra tonnage afforded the design by its modular nature, the designers at Anaheim came up with a new dual-feed type magazine capable of holding two separate types of ammunition within the space provided, which the pilot could access with the flip of a switch on their HOTAS. While each individual magazine is only capable of holding about 60% of what is considered the standard capacity for the 60mm CIWS, the combined ammunition count of the two storage system components used together actually puts it at about 20% above what is normally carried by the normal system currently employed across the board. Meaning that the Kitsune actually enjoys a slight edge in total ammunition over its mass production counterparts. The typical payload for this system is to have the primary magazine loaded out with the normal armor piercing ammunition utilized by the Federation forces and the secondary one loaded with either high-explosive or a type of scattershot/fragmentation round for use against missiles and other area based targets.

Limb Equipment Pods
One of the earliest innovations in the theory of modular mecha design, the limb equipment pods were first utilized by the Zaku series during the One Year War. Since then they have made numerous appearances, including the newest incarnation used on the Jesta Cannon. In the case of the Kitsune, they are meant to provide supplementary weapons and fuel to enhance the effectiveness of the various equipment packs. Currently there are two types for use with the arms, and two for use on the legs. The arm units come as either a basic 2-tube grenade launcher, inspired by the ones used by the Zeta Gundam. Or a single 90mm gatling based on the one used by the NT-1 “Alex” prototype from the One Year War. The legs can be equipped with either the traditional 3-tube missile pod, or an external propellant tank to provide additional operating time. As with all of the other equipment modules used by the Kitsune, these units can be ejected once they’ve been expended in order to decrease weight.

Flight Unit
Designed specifically for flight and mobility, the Flight Unit is intended as a supplementary backpack module for the Kitsune. In space, the additional thrusters, verniers, and control surfaces make the Kitsune more maneuverable. On Earth, the pack allows the suit to make high jumps and attain sustained flight. Aside from the extra thrusters, the Flight pack adds two high-energy beam cannons to the Gundam's armaments. After falling into the hands of SNRI, this pack was modified in order to test the feasibility of drone module drops by rigging it so that it could operate with limited independence as a fighter craft using a derivative of the Minvosky transmission remote technology used in the Bawoo Nutter. Because of its extra mobility, this pack is the most widely used of the backpacks in space and on Earth.

Heavy Weapon Unit
The Heavy Weapon Unit is equipped for long range combat similar to the Full Armor RX-78, GM Sniper series, or the ZZ Gundam. Its main weapon is a high-energy mega launcher, which is powerful enough to blast through a space colony's wall. Additionally, the unit is equipped with a pair of weapon pods; one housing an 8-tube missile launcher and the other a 350mm rail gun.

Back Weapons System
Developed for use with the Re-GZ, the Back Weapons System concept was an attempt from Anaheim Electronics to mass produce the MSZ-006R Zeta Plus R from the Gryps Conflict and the First Neo-Zeon War. The transformation mechanism was considered too costly to mass produce, and removed in favor of a special Back Weapon System (BWS), which the main suit was able to dock with to change to a Waverider-like form. Because the weapons of the unit cannot function when docked, the BWS is armed with additional beam weapons and missile launchers. While made most famous by the suit seen during Char’s Rebellion, a variant of the BWS was tested on the Kitsune, utilizing a specialized set of hydraulic hinges to fold onto the suit’s back when not in use. This in turn would later evolve into the integrated version used on the ReGZ Custom and ReZEL.

Fin Funnel Unit
Developed to test the feasibility and technology to be used in the backpack of the Hi-Nu Gundam, the Fin Funnel unit is a space module which is armed with eight independently controllable psycommu drones called Fin Funnels. Although they are technically "bits" and not "funnels" (since the fin funnels have their own onboard reactors for power), they are far more advanced than normal bits or funnels in that, in addition to serving as remote beam weapons, they can also be used in geometric formations to create a "beam barrier", offering a target 360 degrees of protection against most weapons fire. The testing for this module required the Kitsune’s core fighter to be refitted with a psychoframe based cockpit, which in turn further enhanced its performance in the hands of a Newtype pilot. It should be noted however, that while this module mounts eight of these units, only six were included in the final design. This was done as both a cost cutting measure, and to place less stress on the docking mechanisms as well as the base suit's frame during 0g combat. As a result of the SNRI refit however, the Kitsune is now capable of handling the additional strain of the two extra funnels as well as the Hi-Nu can handle its current six, so this pack was included in the ones that were sent to Londo Bell.

Additional Reference Image: Beam Saber Storage
Additional Reference Image: High-agility flight unit
Additional Reference Image: Heavy weapon unit
Additional Reference Image: Back Weapons System
Additional Reference Image: Fin Funnel unit
Additional Reference Image: Core Fighter

I like what you've got going on so far. I take it this was meant as a multi-purpose unit similar to the Striker packs/Wizards from CE. Or so I assume. I haven't read through all of it yet but I'm liking it so far, except for the core block system but that's only because I never really liked it to begin with. I feel its a bit dated but then again it is.. the only suit on the boards to do that so I have no real complaints about it.

No ideas about artwork though, unfortunately. :/

2 x 2-tube Small Missile Launcher, 3 round magazine per tube (6 rounds total)

Wouldn't this be 12 rounds total?

Also, I see you're lacking some ammo counts for the projectile weapons for the pods and other things. This may need fixed.

I see you've taken a lot of stuff straight from one of your MSAD submissions, whole paragraphs only slightly retooled to account for the changes. This causes some confusion to me because it makes me think of your MSAD concept while trying to read into this, sadly.

In this, you have Anaheim researchers leaving for SNRI to make this thing, and later this thing is being used to test the Fin funnels and other Anaheim-built systems? You've confused me even further. Perhaps you could rearrange this if the timeline is out of order or something?

I'm not too sure how I feel about a unit that uses stock MS systems to cut corners, only to use the most advanced cockpit and weapon systems possible. Seems like some clear weaknesses would come out in testing if that was done...aside from the occasional testing of new components, I don't see it doing too well in combat if I understand this right. A weakened frame isn't good for testing multiple configurations anyway, especially if those configurations aren't defined from the start. A heavy system like the Nu Gundam fin pack can be as bad for a structurally unsound machine as an inability to handle high acceleration.

Maybe it's the wording, maybe it's the repeated text making my mix in thoughts of your MSAD submission in my head, maybe it's the unclear changing and mixing of niches, but this submission has generally failed to clearly communicate to me its intent, niche, and other critical elements. It will either need a rewrite or some elaborate explanation to me. I'm sorry.


Edit: Concerns have been addressed, I think it's ready to go!

Well most of the concerns seem to be fixed now. Anything else anyone wants to say about it? If not I think its good by me.

Admin Approval 1/2

Approval 2/2
(Aaron said I was allowed to give the second approval)