RGM-89Gmh Jegan Ground Type A

The RGM-89Gmh Jegan Ground Type A (Man Hunter) was an anti-personnel ground combat mobile suit mass produced by Anaheim Electronics for the Earth Federation’s Criminal Police Organization (FCPO). It was a variant of the RGM-89G Jegan Ground Type A.

The “R” in the type code meant it was a Federation model,¹ and the “GM” that it was a mass production Gundam mobile suit. The “89” in the model number denoted that the line was first established in UC 0089, the “G” variant code indicated that it was a ground type mobile suit, and the “mh” designated it as a Man Hunters customisation.

History

Anaheim Electronics developed the RGM-89Gmh Jegan Ground Type A (Man Hunter) as a customised version of the RGM-89G Jegan Ground Type A. It was designed specifically for the Man Hunters of the Criminal Police Organization, a law enforcement agency tasked with tracking down and deporting illegal immigrants living on Earth.

The Man Hunter variant saw deployment in urban environments for civilian crowd control and intimidation. A notable deployment occurred in April UC 0105 when the Man Hunter Jegan was sent to the streets of the Philippine city of Davao for a routine inspection and roundup of illegal immigrants.

Design

Anaheim Electronics modified the RGM-89Gmh Jegan Ground Type A (Man Hunter) from the base RGM-89G Jegan Ground Type A to suit the Man Hunters’ specific usage.

The most striking alteration was the installation of a manned 12.7 mm anti-personnel machine gun turret nest. Mounted on the waist just beneath the cockpit hatch, it provided the Man Hunter Jegan with potent crowd control capabilities.

To accommodate these new features, designers removed some of the front armor and certain weapons from the original Jegan model. This alteration not only made room for the new systems but also likely reduced the unit’s weight, potentially improving its manoeuvrability in urban settings.

They addressed the removal of armor by adding new skirt armor to the rear of the suit, offering additional defence while maintaining the Man Hunter’s intimidating silhouette.

The Man Hunter Jegan retained the ultracompact Minovsky power plant of the base model, generating an output of 1,870 kW. It also kept the array of rocket thrusters that produced 61,400 kg of thrust.

Like the base Jegan Ground Type A, the Man Hunter Jegan variant had searchlights on each shoulder that markedly enhancing visibility during night-time operations and in poorly lit urban environments.

It also sported the base model’s redesigned backpack that drew inspiration from the venerable RX-79[G] Gundam Ground Type of One Year War fame. The backpack came equipped with a winch, a practical addition that could assist with various lifting tasks during urban policing operations.

The mobile suit featured two cockpits: the standard cockpit in its torso with a panoramic monitor and linear seat for the pilot, and an external turret nest mounted on the pelvis for the gunner.

Armaments

The Man Hunter Jegan’s armaments were specifically tailored for its anti-personnel role.

Vulcan pod system

The vulcan pod system, mounted on the Man Hunter Jegan’s head, was retained from the base Jegan model. This system was developed from the vulcan pod used by the RX-178 Gundam Mk-II, and was smaller and semi-fixed compared to earlier iterations. It comprised two main components: a gatling vulcan gun mounted on the left side of the head, and a removable magazine on the right side that stored case-less rounds.

While the vulcan pod system provided relatively low firepower, it proved highly effective in its intended roles. Its primary function was to keep enemies at bay during close-range encounters. At very close range, it could destroy cameras, sensors, and joints on enemy units, potentially crippling their combat effectiveness. Additionally, the rapid-fire capability of the vulcan pod system made it a valuable asset for missile defence, allowing the Man Hunter to intercept and destroy incoming projectiles.

This versatile weapon system enhanced the Man Hunter’s capabilities in urban policing scenarios, providing a means of suppressive fire and self-defence without resorting to heavier armaments that might cause excessive collateral damage.

Anti-personnel machine gun

The Man Hunter Jegan had a manned 12.7 mm anti-personnel machine gun mounted in an external turret nest on the waist of the mobile suit. Unlike the integrated weapons typically found on mobile suits, this heavy machine gun was mounted in an external turret nest on the waist of the mobile suit, just beneath the cockpit hatch. This unique configuration allowed for a separate gunner to operate the weapon, increasing the suit’s overall combat effectiveness and situational awareness.

The choice of a 12.7 mm calibre was significant. This large-bore weapon provided substantial firepower against unarmored or lightly armored targets, making it ideal for its primary role in crowd control and civilian intimidation during Man Hunter operations. The heavy slugs fired by this weapon could easily penetrate most civilian vehicles and structures, serving as a potent deterrent against resistance.

However, the machine gun’s capabilities extended beyond mere intimidation. In combat situations against other mobile suits or armored vehicles, the 12.7 mm rounds could potentially damage exposed sensors, joints, or other vulnerable points at close range. This gave the Man Hunter Jegan a measure of defensive capability against more heavily armed opponents, albeit limited.

The external mounting of the machine gun also provided several tactical advantages. It allowed for a wider arc of fire compared to fixed, torso-mounted weapons, enhancing the suit’s ability to engage multiple targets in an urban environment. The separate gunner could maintain suppressive fire or engage secondary targets while the pilot focused on manoeuvring the mobile suit, significantly increasing the unit’s combat effectiveness in complex urban policing scenarios.

Moreover, the visible presence of a manned turret likely added to the psychological impact of the Man Hunter Jegan. The sight of a human gunner, as opposed to an automated weapon system, could potentially make the threat feel more immediate and real to civilian onlookers, furthering the unit’s role as a tool of intimidation and crowd control.

Behind the scenes

Katoki Hajime and Nakatani Seiichi were the original mechanical designers for the base RGM-89G Jegan Ground Type A. The specific designer for the Man Hunter variant is unknown.

Appearances

• Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway

External links

• RGM-89G Jegan Ground Type A (Man Hunter) on the Gundam Wiki
• RGM-89G Jegan Ground Type A (Man Hunter) on MAHQ

Footnotes

1. Federation in Japanese is renpou, hence the use of “R”. ↩