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Komusai II

Improved atmospheric re-entry spacecraft used by the Principality of Zeon and Zeon remnants.
Jenxi Seow Published 23 Jun 2025 Updated 23 Jun 2025
Komusai II

The Komusai II was an improved atmospheric re-entry spacecraft used by the Principality of Zeon during the late One Year War and by Zeon remnants afterwards. It served as an upgraded transport vessel for deploying mobile suits from space to Earth.

The Principality of Zeon developed the Komusai II as an enhanced version of the original Komusai shuttle to address operational limitations and improve performance. The spacecraft was specifically designed for use with late production Musai-class cruisers and featured significant technological improvements over its predecessor.

History

The Komusai II emerged during the latter stages of the One Year War as Zeon engineers refined their atmospheric entry vehicle designs based on combat experience. The improved spacecraft incorporated lessons learned from extensive use of the original Komusai during Earth invasion operations and featured enhanced engines and a more aerodynamic design optimised for atmospheric flight.

Following the end of the One Year War, Zeon remnant forces continued to operate Komusai II shuttles for transport missions. The most notable deployment occurred in November UC 0083 during the Delaz Fleet’s Operation Stardust. A Komusai II was used in the Gundam-jack operation to steal the RX-78GP02A Gundam GP02A Physalis from the Earth Federation Forces’ Torrington Base in Australia.

During this mission, Anavel Gato successfully infiltrated the base and captured the nuclear-armed Gundam. The Komusai II was positioned to extract Gato and the stolen mobile suit back to space. However, the extraction was thwarted when Kou Uraki in the RX-78GP01 Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes destroyed the Komusai II just before takeoff, forcing Gato to escape by alternative means.

Design

The Komusai II represented a significant advancement over the original Komusai design, incorporating numerous improvements based on operational experience. The most notable enhancement was its more aerodynamic fuselage design, which improved atmospheric flight performance and reduced atmospheric entry stress. The engines were upgraded to provide better thrust and fuel efficiency compared to the original model.

Unlike the original Komusai’s narrow rear hatch, the Komusai II featured a large cargo access hatch that covered the entire bay area. This modification allowed the spacecraft to accommodate a single large mobile suit instead of two smaller ones, making it ideal for transporting newer, larger Zeon mobile suits such as the Gelgoog series or captured Federation units.

The mobile suit docking hatch was relocated from the rear of the shuttle to the top of the main body, providing better access and improved structural integrity during atmospheric operations. This design change also simplified the loading and unloading process for ground crews.

An optional booster unit could be attached to the Komusai II to provide sufficient flight capability to reach Earth orbit without relying on an external launching system from a Musai-class cruiser. This enhancement gave the spacecraft greater operational flexibility and reduced dependency on mother ships for certain missions.

Armaments

The Komusai II’s defensive armaments were significantly improved over the original model’s simple vulcan guns.

Gatling gun turrets

Two rotary gun turrets were mounted on the engine nacelles for self-defence. While the exact calibre remains unknown, these weapons demonstrated the capability to damage mobile suit armor during combat encounters. The turret-mounted configuration provided better coverage and targeting flexibility compared to the fixed-forward vulcan guns of the original Komusai.

These defensive weapons proved effective against pursuing Federation forces during extraction operations, though they were primarily intended to deter enemy fighters and provide covering fire rather than engage heavily armored targets.

Behind the scenes

The Komusai II was designed by the mechanical design team for Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, including Kawamori Shoji and Katoki Hajime.

The spacecraft’s design philosophy emphasised improved functionality and performance over the original Komusai whilst maintaining the essential atmospheric entry and transport capabilities that made the original design successful.

Appearances

See also