Apsaras III – MechaBay | Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team

The Apsaras III (also known as Apsalus III) was a base attack mobile armor developed by the Principality of Zeon as the final prototype in the Apsaras Project.

The name “Apsaras” was derived from a rendering of “Apsara”, a female spirit of clouds and water in Hindu and Buddhist culture, reflecting the mobile armor’s atmospheric flight capabilities. The designation “III” indicated it was the third and final variant in the development sequence.

History

The final version of the Apsaras series, the Apsaras III was completed at Ginias Sahalin’s Southeast Asian mobile suit factory on 7 December UC 0079. After the Apsaras II was lost, Ginias began work on the final version of the Apsaras Project.

However, not long after the Principality of Zeon lost Operation Odessa, the Apsaras Project was ordered to be halted. Ginias, driven by a mad determination to see his project completed, demanded the work on the Apsaras to continue despite the orders that Zeon prepare moving all of their available resources and supplies to space, and he went so far as to murder anyone who he felt stood in his way.

Primarily addressing the problem of insufficient generator output to drive its Minovsky craft system, the Apsaras III was equipped with three power generators pulled from MS-09R-2 Rick Dom II units. It also mounted two Minovsky craft systems instead of one, making the Apsaras III much more stable during atmospheric flight. These Minovsky craft modules were mounted on giant, spindly legs which anchored the mobile armor to the ground while firing its main cannon.

With the three RX-75 Guntank Mass Production Type destroyed, the Apsaras III launched from its mountainous base piloted by Ginias and his sister Aina Sahalin. Aina, in a desperate attempt to get wounded Zeon soldiers into space, used the mobile armor’s beam weaponry to draw a boundary line and request a cease-fire to get the soldiers out via the Kerguelen cruiser.

Mad with grief, Aina prepared to vaporise the Federation base Iser was at until she spotted the RX-79[G]Ez-8 Gundam Ez8 and curved the beam away tearing a massive hole through a mountain. Ginias shot Aina in retaliation for her sudden change of heart, only being saved by the Ez8 catching her, and took over piloting the mobile armor, intending to kill Shiro Amada for “brainwashing” his sister.

The GM Sniper dealt heavy damage to the armor and destroyed one of its Minovsky craft systems. With Aina alive, she and Shiro teamed up to take out the suit once and for all with the Ez8’s beam saber. However, the GM Sniper turned its attention to the Ez8, attacking the mobile suit, allowing Ginias to reactivate the Apsaras III, killing the pilot of the GM Sniper and turning its attention to the Federation base.

The Ez8 ended the Apsaras III and Ginias’ twisted dream as the suit smashed its good arm through the cockpit, but not before it fired its weapon one last time, killing Iser. However, the Apsaras III was never used against its intended Jaburo target, as word of it reached the Earth Federation Forces and their Kojima Battalion destroyed it before it ever got out of Southeast Asia.

Design

The final version of the Apsaras series solved the power issue plaguing its predecessors, caused by the power-intensive mega particle cannon and Minovsky craft system, by mounting the generators of three MS-09R Rick Dom units. The number of its Minovsky craft systems was also increased to two. Its output was so high that it would not run out of energy even when using the mega particle cannon and the Minovsky craft system at the same time.

The Apsaras III was powered by three Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactors, each generating 1,220 kW for a total output of 3,660 kW. This represented a significant increase over the previous variants and finally provided sufficient power for simultaneous operation of all systems.

To maintain its posture when firing, the mobile armor was able to deploy three stabilising legs. These giant, spindly legs anchored the mobile armor to the ground during firing operations, providing the stability necessary for accurate long-range bombardment with its massive main cannon.

The dual Minovsky craft system configuration made the Apsaras III much more stable during atmospheric flight compared to its predecessors, addressing the balance and control issues that had plagued earlier variants.

Armaments

The Apsaras III’s armament represented the culmination of the Apsaras Project’s development, featuring a devastating mega particle cannon and enhanced Minovsky craft capabilities.

Large high mega particle cannon

The Apsaras III featured a mega particle cannon that, like the Apsaras II, was capable of superheating earth and causing an explosion on impact. The weapon was able to project a thin beam just outside the barrel for a free range of motion without having to move the cannon itself. At full output, the charging process had the beam energy being shaped like an hourglass before firing.

Its mega particle cannon could be readjusted to engage multiple targets at once, and was able to burn through a mountain when fired at maximum output. The weapon’s immense power made it capable of destroying entire Federation bases with a single shot, fulfilling the original vision of a weapon capable of attacking Jaburo from the stratosphere.

Dual Minovsky craft system energy pulse

With two Minovsky craft systems, the Apsaras III could generate even more powerful energy pulses than its predecessors. The dual systems provided both enhanced lift capability and greater offensive potential when used to generate shockwave attacks.

Minovsky craft system

The Minovsky craft system was a lift-generating system that allowed the Apsaras to resist the pull of Earth’s gravity. The Apsaras III featured two such systems, significantly improving stability and performance compared to earlier variants.

When Minovsky particles were released into the air, the positive and negative particles spontaneously align themselves into a three-dimensional cubic lattice. Because of the repulsive and electrostatic forces between the particles, this lattice resisted compression, and the Minovsky craft system used this phenomenon to push the underside of the vehicle away from the planet’s surface.

The dual configuration allowed for more precise control and eliminated the balance issues that had plagued the Apsaras II. The systems were mounted on the giant stabilising legs, which could anchor the mobile armor during firing operations.

Known pilots

Behind the scenes

The Apsaras III was designed by Katoki Hajime for the OVA Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team. The design represented the culmination of the Apsaras Project, solving the technical challenges of earlier variants whilst creating a truly formidable weapons platform.

The mobile armor also appeared in Gundam Build Fighters, built as a Gunpla by Tatsuzo. In this version, the Apsaras III could release a gas that made enemy Gunpla’s armor brittle, and was also armed with Adzam-type leaders.

Like its predecessors, the name “Apsaras” has been officially localised as both “Apsaras” and “Apsalus”, with “Apsalus” being used in official subtitles and dubs whilst “Apsaras” is used in model kits.

Appearances

External links

Apsaras III on the Gundam Wiki
Apsaras III on MAHQ