CAMS-15 Raven

The CAMS-15 Raven was an autonomous mobile weapon developed by the Congressional Armed Forces under Project Raven. Known as “The Black Suit”, it represented the pinnacle of unmanned mobile weapon technology in UC 0223 and boasted performance that exceeded existing mobile suits, including the G-Saviour.

Model number

The CAMS-15 Raven model number can be broken down as follows: “CA” indicated it was developed by the Congressional Armed Forces, “MS” denoted it as a mobile suit type weapon, though it was classified as a mobile weapon (MW). The “15” indicated it was the fifteenth design in the CAMS series. The codename “Raven” reflected the unit’s black coloring and its role as the titular mobile weapon of Project Raven.

History

The CAMS-15 Raven was developed as part of Project Raven, a mobile weapon development initiative created by the Congress of Settlement Nations and headed by Colonel Bais Bashing. The project aimed to increase the military strength of CONSENT and regain control in the Earth Sphere through advanced autonomous mobile weapons.

The AI used in the Raven was initially developed at facilities within the Kilimanjaro Fortress. After the Lightning Squad raided and destroyed the fortress, research and development moved to a hidden factory located inside Angel Halo. To avoid appearing aggressive, the mobile weapons were not sent to Congressional Armed Forces directly, but instead to the covert Gremly Sheep unit.

The Lightning Squad first encountered the Raven while scouting a dropped space colony, where they had planned to hide while waiting for supplies. The Raven nearly killed Reed Fox, but a squad of J-Saviour mobile suits managed to save him.

During the Lightning Squad’s attack on the remaining Gremly Sheep unit, Reed returned to the dropped space colony to fight the Raven. After destroying what appeared to be the cockpit, it was revealed that the Raven was in fact an advanced mobile weapon controlled by an AI named Rysis, which had been developed using the mind of Reed’s friend Race Patrick. This “bug” was then deleted, and the Raven switched to its mobile armor mode before being finally destroyed by Reed.

Design

The CAMS-15 Raven was designed as an unmanned mobile weapon with performance capabilities that exceeded existing mobile suits and even the G-Saviour. The unit featured a transformable design that could switch between mobile suit and flight modes, providing exceptional versatility in combat situations.

The Raven was controlled by an onboard AI named Rysis, which proved to be highly sophisticated and capable of independent tactical decision-making. The AI system was developed using advanced neural mapping technology that incorporated elements from human consciousness.

The mobile weapon’s design philosophy was similar to the Mobile Dolls used in other conflicts, representing a move towards fully autonomous warfare systems that could operate without human pilots.

Armament

Beam cannon

Multiple beam cannons were mounted across the Raven’s frame, providing devastating firepower in both mobile suit and flight modes. These weapons could deliver concentrated fire that proved effective against conventional mobile suits.

Beam shield/beam saber combination

The Raven was equipped with a unique combination weapon that functioned as both a defensive beam shield and an offensive beam saber. When transforming into flight mode, the beam shield could be mounted in the nose, providing forward protection and ramming capability.

Flight boosters

The Raven could be equipped with additional boosters to extend flight time and enhance its aerial combat capabilities. These optional systems further improved the mobile weapon’s already superior mobility.

Known pilots

Rysis (AI system based on Race Patrick’s neural patterns)

Variants

CAMW-15 MW-Raven - Unmanned mobile weapon variant

Behind the scenes

The concept of the Raven and other mobile weapons in G-Saviour is similar to those of the Mobile Dolls in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. The development of autonomous mobile weapons represented a significant shift in Universal Century warfare philosophy, moving towards unmanned combat systems.

Appearances

G-Saviour (PlayStation 2 game, 2000)