MS-12 Gigan

The MS-12 Gigan was a prototype artillery mobile suit developed by the Principality of Zeon as part of the Pezun Project at the Pezun asteroid base.

The “MS” in the model code meant it was a mobile suit, and the “12” indicated it was the twelfth design in the series. The name “Gigan” derives from “gigantic,” reflecting its role as a moving artillery battery.

History

The MS-12 Gigan was part of Zeon’s Pezun Project at the Pezun asteroid base. Like the Earth Federation Forces’ RX-75-4 Guntank, the Gigan was a mobile suit that didn’t use humanoid legs for mobility. The Gigan was one of the few Pezun Project mobile suits to actually be produced and see use outside of Pezun. The Gigan was mass-produced in small quantities and sent to many of the Principality of Zeon’s bases for use as guard and defense units.

In UC 0096, a number of these mobile suits survived and would be used by “The Sleeves” during the third of the major Neo-Zeon Movements. Due to the fact that The Sleeves lacked the resources to compete with the Earth Federation’s production capabilities, they deployed any mobile suit they could get a hold of, even outdated machines as far back as the One Year War. These surviving units featured modified weaponry and propulsion systems and were repainted in a new green colour scheme with the distinctive markings of The Sleeves.

In UC 0116 a Gigan belong to Zeon Remnants’ Legacy fleet seen during the Siege of Trimurti satelite cannon.

Design

The Gigan is a fortress defense MS, and is practically a moving battery. The lower body does not have feet for walking, the Gigan’s movement is instead done with three wheels and four auxiliary thrusters. The cockpit is a double-seat type to accommodate the pilot and a gunner.

Unlike the Guntank’s caterpillar treads, the Gigan had three wheels for added speed. The mobile suit featured overall height 16.2 meters with head height 13.9 meters, and weighed empty 71.1 metric tons with max gross 101.3 metric tons. Its armor materials consisted of super hard steel.

For space operations, the lower half of the body is replaced with a high mobility vernier for space, allowing it to operate as a space warfare MS, similar to the MSN-02 Zeong. In the year UC 0096, the Gigan units deployed by the Sleeves had their front two wheels replaced with the same large propellant boosters used by the YAMS-130 Krake Zulu, and the rear wheel has been abolished.

Armaments

The Gigan’s standard weapons were designed for long-range artillery support and defensive operations.

180 mm recoilless cannon

Its main and most prominent weapon was the 180mm recoilless cannon mounted on the top of the Gigan’s head, which served as the weapon of choice for long-range bombardment. This cannon was the mobile suit’s primary weapon for fortress defence and artillery support roles.

60 mm vulcan guns

The Gigan was equipped with 2 x 60mm vulcan gun, mounted in head. These rapid-fire weapons served as close-range defensive armament against infantry and light vehicles.

120 mm four-barrel machine gun

For use in close to mid-range combat the Gigan also featured a 120mm four-barrel machine gun mounted in the place of its right forearm. This weapon provided suppressive fire capabilities and was effective against mobile suits at medium range.

Behind the scenes

The Gigan was originally slated to appear in the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime, but was cut out when the series was reduced from 52 episodes to 43. In one of Tomino’s trademark ironic twists, the original script for the series called for a Gigan with an unnamed pilot to destroy the RX-78-2 Gundam, rather than Char Aznable’s MSN-02 Zeong as depicted in the final animated version.

A non-canon space version of the Gigan called MS-R12 Rick Gigan is briefly shown in the manga Mobile Suit Vs. Giant God of Legend: Gigantis’ Counterattack.

Appearances

• Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
• Mobile Suit Gundam MS-X
• Mobile Suit Vs. Giant God of Legend: Gigantis’ Counterattack (MS-R12 Rick Gigan variant)

External links

• MS-12 Gigan on the Gundam Wiki
• MS-12 Gigan on MAHQ