RMV-1 Guntank II – MechaBay | Mobile Suit Gundam

The RMV-1 Guntank II was an artillery mobile suit developed by the Earth Federation Forces as a successor to the RX-75-4 Guntank.

The “R” in the model code meant it was a Federation model¹ and the “MV” designated it as a mobile vehicle. The “1” indicated it was the first design in this particular line.

History

Although limited in its ability to be deployed as a mobile suit, the RX-75-4 Guntank proved highly effective as a heavy artillery base assault and fire support unit. The Guntank’s service record was impressive enough to make the Earth Federation Forces continue to develop the unit’s concept even after the One Year War. The end result of this development was the RMV-1 Guntank II.

According to various sources, the Guntank II entered mass production either after the end of the One Year War or in September, U.C. 0079, after Matilda Ajan delivered the combat data of the White Base team back to Jaburo. The Guntank II was built in limited numbers, with only six units constructed and assigned to North America and Central Asia before the end of the war, none of which saw combat.

The Guntank II remained in service for almost two decades, despite advances in mobile suit technology rendering it obsolete. In U.C. 0087, two units were seen defending the Jaburo base during the AEUG’s attack and were easily defeated. In U.C. 0094, a captured unit operated by Zeon Remnants was destroyed by Braier Ryude’s Mass Production Type ZZ Gundam. In U.C. 0096, another unit was seen assisting in the defense of the Torrington Base alongside two Guncannon Detectors against invading Zeon Remnants and was destroyed by a Galluss-K.

Design

Resembling a traditional mobile suit even less than its RX-75-4 predecessor, the Guntank II represented a reversion to a more traditional armoured vehicle design. The design philosophy emphasised firepower and armour over mobility, reflecting its role as a defensive artillery platform.

While the RX-75 Guntank performed poorly as a mobile suit, its performance was very high for an armoured fighting vehicle. Therefore, the Earth Federation Ground Force reinvented it as the RMV-1 Guntank II, a fire support ground unit designed to cover the assault of infantry and mobile suit units.

The Guntank II featured several key improvements over its predecessor. Its primary armament was a pair of long-range cannons, now mounted in an enlarged head turret, thus overcoming the problem of the limited firing arcs of the original Guntank’s fixed mounted cannons. Since the torso of the Guntank II could now rotate independently of the main cannons mounted on the head turret, traditional mobile suit style arms were no longer necessary.

The removal of the Core Block System allowed for more efficient use of internal space and reduced complexity. The Guntank II has a more tank-like appearance than its predecessor, and due to the removal of the Core Block System, its torso is capable of independently rotating.

The Guntank II still required two crew to be operated: the gunner remained in the head turret, but the driver was now moved into the more well-armoured caterpillar/engine drive base of the Guntank II. Some sources suggest it could accommodate a crew of three, with one operator in the head turret and two in the drive base.

Armaments

The Guntank II’s standard weapons were long-range cannons for artillery support, supplemented by rocket and missile launchers for secondary fire missions.

Long-range cannons

Its primary armament was a pair of long-range cannons, now mounted in an enlarged head turret, thus overcoming the problem of the limited firing arcs of the original Guntank’s fixed mounted cannons. These cannons provided the Guntank II with its main offensive capability, allowing it to engage targets at extreme range while remaining in defensive positions.

4-tube rocket launcher

A 4-tube rocket launcher was mounted on the right side of the main body. This weapon system provided the Guntank II with additional firepower for suppressive fire and area denial operations.

3-tube missile launcher

A 3-tube missile launcher was mounted on the left side of the main body. The missile launcher complemented the rocket launcher in providing secondary offensive capabilities against both mobile suits and ground targets.

60 mm autocannon

A 60 mm autocannon was mounted in the drive base. This weapon served as close defence against infantry and light vehicles that might approach the Guntank II’s position.

Smoke dischargers

Two 2-tube smoke dischargers were mounted on the drive base. These defensive systems allowed the Guntank II to create concealment when under direct attack or when repositioning.

Known pilots

The Guntank II was operated by various Federation crews throughout its service life, though specific pilot records are limited due to its primarily defensive role.

Variants

The Federation developed the RMV-3M Local Control Type Guntank as a variant designed specifically for colony interior combat operations.

Behind the scenes

Okawara Kunio was the original mechanical designer for the Guntank II as part of the Mobile Suit Variation line.

Some Japanese reference material classifies the Guntank II as a mobile vehicle instead of a mobile suit, hence the RMV code in its model number.

Appearances

External links

RMV-1 Guntank II on MAHQ
RMV-1 Guntank II on the Gundam Wiki

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