FA-93HWS ν Gundam HWS – MechaBay | Char's Counterattack Mobile Suit Variations

The FA-93HWS ν Gundam HWS (Heavy Weapon System) was a proposed upgrade plan for the RX-93 ν Gundam developed by Anaheim Electronics for Londo Bell.

The “FA” prefix stood for “Full Armor”, indicating the additional armor plating incorporated into the design. The “93HWS” designation combined the original model number with “HWS” for “Heavy Weapon System”, reflecting the enhanced armament package.

Development

The FA-93HWS ν Gundam HWS was conceived as a comprehensive upgrade plan for the RX-93 ν Gundam during the Second Neo Zeon War in UC 0093. The design was inspired by the FSWS (Full-armor System and Weapon System) utilised by the FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam during the One Year War in UC 0079.

The upgrade plan was designed to enhance the ν Gundam’s functions in the event of the Second Neo Zeon War becoming prolonged. It provided higher defensive and offensive capabilities through additional armor and enhanced weaponry systems.

Due to the disappearance of Amuro Ray’s ν Gundam at the end of the Second Neo Zeon War in UC 0093, the FA-93HWS plan was never implemented in combat operations.

Design

The FA-93HWS featured additional armor pieces that covered the ν Gundam’s body whilst maintaining mobility through integrated thrust systems. Several armor pieces included thrusters that prevented the extra weight from hampering the mobile suit’s performance.

The improved defence came from additional armor mounted on several parts of the body, with some armor pieces featuring built-in propellant tanks and thrusters to offset the added weight. The leg armor and thruster units were inspired by the Zeta series leg structure.

The mobile suit retained the psychoframe cockpit frame from the original ν Gundam, enabling Newtype pilots to maintain enhanced responsiveness despite the increased mass. The learning computer system continued to provide adaptive combat capabilities.

Enhanced armor system

The Full Armor system provided comprehensive protection through strategically placed armor segments that covered vulnerable areas of the ν Gundam’s frame. The additional armor increased the mobile suit’s survivability against concentrated enemy fire whilst maintaining structural integrity during extended combat operations.

Built-in thrusters within various armor segments ensured that the increased mass did not significantly impact the mobile suit’s mobility and manoeuvrability during combat.

Armaments

The FA-93HWS featured a substantially enhanced weapon loadout designed for prolonged combat operations and engagement of multiple enemy units simultaneously.

Vulcan guns

A pair of vulcan guns were mounted in the FA-93HWS’s head, identical to the standard ν Gundam configuration. The vulcan guns were used primarily against light-armored support units and for missile defence.

Shoulder missile launchers

The FA-93HWS included a pair of shoulder missile launchers, which were improved versions of the MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam’s missile systems. These launchers provided area-effect capability against groups of enemy mobile suits and support vehicles.

Hyper mega rifle

The powerful hyper mega rifle served as the FA-93HWS’s primary ranged weapon, offering significantly greater firepower than the standard ν Gundam’s beam rifle. This weapon was capable of engaging heavily armored targets and fortified positions with devastating effect.

New hyper bazooka

The new hyper bazooka was clip-fed with 4 rounds per clip plus 1 round in the chamber, and could be stored on the backpack storage rack when not in use. This weapon provided heavy anti-armor capability for engaging enemy mobile suits and installations.

Shield and High Mega Shield

The FA-93HWS utilised both the standard shield and an additional high mega shield. The high mega shield mounted two mega particle cannons, providing additional defensive capability whilst serving as a weapons platform.

The standard shield retained its beam cannon with a power rating of 7.8 MW and 4 small missiles, whilst the high mega shield’s dual mega particle cannons offered enhanced offensive firepower during defensive operations.

Fin funnels

Six fin funnels were retained from the original ν Gundam configuration, stored on backpack storage racks. The fin funnels provided all-range attack capabilities and could create defensive barriers when arranged in specific formations.

Service history

Although the FA-93HWS plan was fully developed by Anaheim Electronics, it was never implemented due to the conclusion of the Second Neo Zeon War. The disappearance of Amuro Ray’s ν Gundam during the final battle at Axis meant that the Heavy Weapon System upgrade could not be deployed in combat operations.

The FA-93HWS plan demonstrated Anaheim Electronics’ commitment to providing comprehensive upgrade paths for successful mobile suit designs. The concept influenced later full armor mobile suit developments and established design principles for heavy weapons systems that would be applied to future projects.

The FA-93HWS could also be applied to the RX-93 ν Gundam DFF variant, making the upgrade system compatible with multiple ν Gundam configurations.

Known pilots

Amuro Ray (intended)

Behind the scenes

Izubuchi Yutaka was the original mechanical designer of the FA-93HWS ν Gundam HWS. The mobile suit first appeared in Char’s Counterattack Mobile Suit Variations (CCA-MSV), exploring potential upgrade paths for the ν Gundam platform.

The FA-93HWS design demonstrated how the successful ν Gundam could be enhanced for different combat scenarios, providing inspiration for later full armor mobile suit concepts in the Universal Century timeline. The design’s emphasis on maintaining mobility whilst adding significant firepower became a template for future heavy weapons system developments.

Gunpla

Bandai has released multiple model kit versions of the FA-93HWS across different scales. The High Grade Universal Century 1/144 scale kit was released in 2009, featuring additional armor parts and enhanced weaponry. The Master Grade 1/100 “FA-93HWS ν Gundam HWS (Ver. Ka)” was released as a Premium Bandai exclusive in 2016, supervised by Hajime Katoki.

The Real Grade 1/144 “FA-93HWS ν Gundam HWS” was released as a Premium Bandai exclusive in 2020, featuring newly moulded parts with expansion and deployment gimmicks for the chest, waist, legs, Hyper Mega Rifle, and High Mega Shield. The kit was moulded in a new matte colouring different from the original RG ν Gundam.

An expansion set approach was also offered, allowing builders to upgrade their existing ν Gundam kits with the Heavy Weapon System parts, demonstrating the modular upgrade concept central to the FA-93HWS design.

External links

FA-93HWS ν Gundam HWS on MAHQ
FA-93HWS ν Gundam Heavy Weapons System Type on the Gundam Wiki