AMX-009 Dreissen – MechaBay | Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

The AMX-009 Dreissen was a mass production heavy mobile suit developed by Neo Zeon for ground combat operations during the First Neo Zeon War.

The “AMX” in the model code indicated it was an Axis mobile experimental design, with “009” denoting it was the ninth design in the series. The “Dreissen” codename derives from the German word for “three”, referring to its distinctive tri-blade weapons.

History

As Neo Zeon launched its assault on Earth during the First Neo Zeon War, several new mobile suits were designed for this ground campaign. One of the more popular models was the AMX-009 Dreissen, which was loosely based on the old Principality of Zeon’s MS-09 Dom.

The Dreissen was first seen aboard the Sadalahn-class battleship, with one unit piloted by Rakan Dahkaran, commander of the Mindra. During the AEUG’s first attempt at disrupting Neo Zeon’s invasion of Earth, Rakan Dahkaran and his Dreissen battled against Judau Ashta’s MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam, proving how formidable the Dreissen was in close combat.

Although initially produced in small numbers for combat on Earth, the Dreissen’s excellent performance and adaptability proved it to be a popular and versatile mobile suit, and it was soon mass produced for both ground and space combat for the rest of the war.

Near the end of the war, a large number of Dreissens were taken and used by Glemy Toto’s splinter faction during the brief civil war among Neo Zeon’s forces. These machines were repainted with a grey colour scheme.

In UC 0096, the Neo Zeon remnant group, the Sleeves, utilised several surviving Dreissens as part of their mobile suit forces during the Laplace Incident.

Design

Designed based on the data of the MS-09R-2 Rick Dom II, the AMX-009 Dreissen is however much more similar in function to its distant ancestor, the MS-09B Dom, as it was designed with high speed ground combat in mind. Although larger than the Dom and Rick Dom II, the new materials used in Dreissen’s construction make it much lighter and thus more agile.

Unlike both the Dom and Rick Dom II, the Dreissen was designed with melee combat in mind, but it proved to be a versatile suit thanks to the triple beam cannons mounted in its arms. Although developed with an emphasis on ground combat, it could also operate in space without issues.

The Dreissen featured thick Gundarium alloy armour that provided heavy protection while remaining relatively lightweight. It was powered by a Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor that generated an output of 2,380 kW.

The mobile suit had an array of rocket thrusters that generated 107,800 kg of total thrust, providing excellent mobility for such a heavily armoured unit.

Armaments

Although armed with a 3-barrel beam gun in each forearm, the Dreissen was more well-suited to melee combat, as it could carry a beam lancer and a large beam tomahawk, both of which could be combined into a single, two-handed beam melee weapon.

3-barrel beam cannon

Mounted in each of the Dreissen’s forearms is a triple-barreled beam cannon, which fire beams rated at 2.8 MW. The cover of the weapon slide up when in use. It is powered directly by the suit’s generator, with each barrel also having an internal energy cap system. The weapon can fire beams rapidly from a single barrel or utilize all three barrels simultaneously to produce a stronger beam.

During the First Neo Zeon War, the beam cannons on the Dreissen’s forearms have exposed power supply cables, which can render the weapon inoperable if the cables are damaged during combat. The Sleeves’ Dreissens later featured an improved power supply system with internalised cables and increased output.

Tri-blade

The Dreissen also carried three tri-blade weapons, which were basically razor sharp, mobile suit-sized boomerangs. Each Dreissen carries three tri-blades, throwing weapons that have three high-speed rotating blades each and can move towards their target using the single vernier mounted at the bottom. They are stored on backpack when not in use.

Beam lancer

The beam lancer was the Dreissen’s primary melee weapon, powered by a rechargeable energy cap with a power rating of 1.7 MW. It could be combined with the beam tomahawk to form a single, two-handed beam weapon for increased reach and power.

Beam tomahawk

The beam tomahawk served as a powerful close-combat weapon that could be used independently or combined with the beam lancer. When combined, the two weapons formed a devastating two-handed melee weapon capable of dealing significant damage to enemy mobile suits.

Giant bazooka

Like its predecessor, the Rick Dom II, the Dreissen can also utilize a Giant Bazooka for improved ranged combat capabilities. This Giant Bazooka is a newly designed weapon created by the Sleeves based on the Sinanju’s Rocket Bazooka, it is used for both anti-MS and anti-ship combat. It is magazine-fed and capable of carrying 5 rounds per magazine.

Heat saber

The heat saber is not part of the Dreissen’s original armament. By the time of the Dreissen’s introduction, the heat saber was an outdated weapon when compared to beam sabers that were the standard for mobile suit combat. Still, when put into service by the resource strapped Sleeves, the Dreissen was equipped with a heat saber like its predecessor, the Rick Dom II, due to the weapon’s simple structure and excellent cost performance.

Known pilots

Rakan Dahkaran
Mashymre Cello (customised version)

Behind the scenes

The original mechanical designer was Mika Akitaka. The name “Dreissen” comes from the German word meaning “three”, referring to its distinctive tri-blade weapons.

Appearances

External links

AMX-009 Dreissen on the Gundam Wiki
AMX-009 Dreissen on MAHQ