MAN-03 Braw Bro
Prototype Newtype-use mobile armor developed by the Flanagan Institute.
The MAN-03 Braw Bro was a prototype Newtype-use mobile armor developed by the Flanagan Institute for the Principality of Zeon. It was the first mobile weapon to be equipped with the psycommu system.
The “MA” in the type code referred to it being a mobile armor, while the “N” designated it as Newtype-use model. Although it was the first unit to be developed, the “03” in the variant code indicated that it was the third design.
History
With the emergence of Newtypes during the One Year War, the Principality of Zeon began investigating their potential as weapons. The Flanagan Institute was tasked with studying Newtypes and developing weapons to harness their abilities.
The Institute developed the MAN-03 Braw Bro as its first Newtype-use mobile weapon. To ensure test data could be preserved, the Braw Bro was designed with three separable modules.
A prototype was tested near Side 6, piloted by Simus Al Bakharov. The RX-78-2 Gundam destroyed its left block, but the right block escaped. A second unit was built using recovered data and assigned to Challia Bull, a Jupitris transport captain who exhibited Newtype abilities. This unit was also destroyed by the Gundam during testing in the Corregidor Shoal Zone.
A third unit was reportedly encountered by the Thoroughbred while escorting Zeon Prime Minister Darcia Bakharov to Granada. Ford Romfellow destroyed it with the RX-78-5 Gundam Unit 5.
Design
The MAN-03 Braw Bro was the size of a small battleship and served as the first mobile weapon developed specifically for Newtypes. It pioneered the psycommu system that allowed Newtypes to control the mobile armor and its wire-guided weapons through thought alone.
Although designed for Newtypes, the Braw Bro could be operated by normal humans. Its cockpit had three seats for one pilot and two gunners. The pilot maneuvered the mobile armor while the gunners manually controlled the wire-guided weapons. Four gunners would be needed to match the combat effectiveness of a single Newtype pilot.
Armaments
The Braw Bro’s standard weapons were wire-guided mega particle guns mounted on its body.
Two-barrel mega particle guns
Two wire-guided two-barrel mega particle guns were mounted on the top and bottom of the Braw Bro. These powerful weapons could incinerate an anti-beam coated shield with an indirect hit. The wires allowed the guns to be maneuvered independently even under Minovsky particle interference.
Mega particle guns
Single-barrel wire-guided mega particle guns were mounted on each side of the Braw Bro. While less powerful than the two-barrel variants, they were more maneuverable due to their lighter weight.
Special equipment and features
Modular separating body
The Braw Bro could separate into three independent blocks to preserve test data if parts of the mobile armor were damaged or destroyed in combat.
Psycommu system
The Flanagan Institute discovered that Newtypes emitted non-electrical thoughtwaves called psycho-waves. They developed the psycommu system to translate these waves into computer commands, allowing Newtype pilots to control remote weapons through thought alone.
Known pilots
- Challia Bull
- Simus Al Bakharov
- Cowal
- Lilia Flaubert
- Gusta Piper
- Huyman Carlyle
Behind the scenes
Okawara Kunio was the original mechanical designer.
The Braw Bro’s designation “MAN” stands for Mobile Armor Newtype. During Mobile Suit Gundam’s production, the Braw Bro was temporarily named the Gelgoog.
Appearances
Anime
OVA
- Gundam Evolve
Games
- Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: MS Generation
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs Zeon DX
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space
- Gundam Crisis
External links
- MAN-03 Braw Bro on the Gundam Wiki
- MAN-03 Braw Bro on MAHQ