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DWM-04XMS/RGV-30 Randgrith
Model number: DWM-04XMS/RGV-30
With the success of its first indigenous mobile suit series, the Europe-based defense firm Dahlgren Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (Dahlgren Weapons and Munitions Factories) continued development of weapons technology through most of the 230s. Around UC 234, under mysterious circumstances, a group of former Atlantic Federation engineers wound up on DWM's payroll, bringing with them a medley of documentation and projections about future Federation projects that would never see the light of day. The majority of the DWM design assets began work on what would eventually become the Gundam-class Huckebein, but some years later even more embryonic concepts began to see the light of day as DWM exploratory projects. The DWM-04XMS Randgrith ("Grasshopper") represents a hybrid of several existing pre-war designs - because it has almost no mechanical commonality with the earlier Gespenst series, the Randgrith's model number was later changed to the internal designation RGV-30. The Randgrith's body is extremely well protected, showing some similarity with the Human Reform League's Tieren series of mobile suits - the use of more advanced construction materials have greatly reduced the weight, but it is still significantly heavier than any conventionally arranged mobile suit. The wide body with thick limbs and a relatively compact frame design belies the ruggedness of the mobile suit's construction - its thick armor plating provides a high degree of protection against most ballistic weapons, while an anti-beam laminate applied to the exterior surfaces can completely negate attacks by beam rifles, though it tends to fail against shots fired at close range. Due to the Randgrith's considerable mass, its ground mobility is rather low - observers have reported its walking stance more closely resembles a waddle than anything else. To allow it to move more quickly, the mobile suit is armed with a very powerful set of boosters on its back and legs, enabling it to make jet-assisted jumps over a respectable distance. It can also perform a long dash in a relaively straight line, provided the ground below is mostly flat. Similarly to the Atlantic Federation's Gundam Leopard, the Randgrith is well armed with a variety of built-in weaponry. Its primary armament is the large-caliber linear bazooka, which is fired over the mobile suit's shoulder. The magnetically-accelerated solid projectile is accurate over long range, and can defeat most forms of conventional armor protection on sheer velocity alone. The Randgrith's head is little more than a giant battery of sensors and ballistic cogitators to assist with long distance combat, making it a highly effective mobile suit for bombardment. However, the linear bazooka's massive recoil requires the unit to be stationary before firing. For defensive purposes, an antiaircraft missile launcher is mounted to the opposite shoulder, allowing the Randgrith to blanket a large area with explosives when faced with enemies boasting superior mobility. Additional missiles are stored in the unit's shield-like plates on the outside of its arm areas - each stores a large canister containing four more missiles, which are launched from the canister at relatively close range to the target, using a system similar to the Gespenst's split missile package. The Randgrith can also use some of the Gespenst's handheld weaponry, and is provided with a Gundarium alloy knife for hand-to-hand combat. As a relatively new design, the Randgrith has not seen large production numbers - DWM has advertised its functions as being a good upgrade for militias and security forces currently using ex-League Tierens, offering significantly improved maneuverability and easier handling characteristics for a modest increase in mechanical complexity. Whether or not the rather "retro-designed" Randgrith will catch on with the more mobility-oriented combat situations of the present remains to be seen.
Head Linear bazooka M105 anti-armor knife M13 shotgun M950 machine gun Rear view Shoulder detail |
