Description
The RGC-83 GM Cannon II is a mobile suit introduced in the OVA Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.
The successor of the RGC-80 GM Cannon, a medium-range support mobile suit developed in the late stage of the One Year War, the RGC-83 GM Cannon II was based on the RX-77D Guncannon Mass Production Type and inherited the Chobam Armor concept of the RX-78NT-1 Gundam NT-1. It was the culmination of the Federation's artillery support mobile suit development.
Thanks to improvement in technology and productivity, the GM Cannon II was installed with a powerful generator, allowing it to be equipped with two shoulder-mounted beam cannons. This made it the first mass production unit to have high-powered beam cannons. These beam cannons were usually powered by the generator itself, but could also be powered by the two Energy CAP mounted on its backpack. A sighting device located on the pilot seat's headrest can be used to aim the beam cannons. For precision shooting under gravity, the stabilized gear on the waist could be deployed to stabilize the machine.
The GM Cannon II's other weapons included a pair of head-mounted 60mm vulcan guns, a shortened beam saber stored in the left forearm, and the same GM Rifle and shield used by the RGM-79N GM Custom. Due to its role as a fire support mobile suit, the beam saber was only meant for close-quarters self-defense and it rarely had the chance to use it. The GM Cannon II also has relatively poor mobility due to the mass of its weapons and armor.
The design of the GM Cannon II's basic components prioritized parts interchangeability with GM type mobile suits. Parts of its exterior was covered in composite armor, similar to the Chobam Armor used by the RX-78NT-1 "Alex". This composite armor improved bullet resistance while keeping the mobile suit's weight down. Unlike the Alex's Chobam Armor, the composite armor was built directly onto the frame and could not be purged when damaged. Despite their structural differences to Alex's armor, the composite armor was often referred to as "Chobam Armor" for convenience.
Like the GM Custom, there was a plan to mass produce the GM Cannon II, but due to issues such as cost and the fact that the machine was meant to operate alongside the GM Custom, only a few units were actually deployed. After the Delaz Conflict, the project itself, including its development staff, was placed under the control of the Titans. The GM Cannon II's production was halted and a direct successor to it was never developed.
