The MS-06R-2 is an aircraft manufactured by Zonic for the selection of the next main space warfare mobile suit of the Principality of Zeon. The MS-06 type mobile suit, which was developed with the aspect of a general-purpose spacecraft, is also showing signs of becoming obsolete with respect to the progress of the battle situation, especially for local warfare developed for the Earth military. Since the mobile suits showed the performance specialized for each environment, the development of mobile suits with higher performance in the battle of outer space was informed to each company by the instruction of the general army.
Prior to this announcement, Zonic, which was located close to the headquarters of the Air Defense Force under the direct control of the general commander, received information on the new mobile suit that the federal forces are said to be deploying in actual combat. With the provisional approval number, he started developing the next main mobile suit. However, the work was delayed because it took time to downsize the portable beam weapon and the on-board generator, and it was forced to focus on the development of the local warfare aircraft to be supplied to the previous Earth front army. It was the junior development maker Zimat that emerged there, and as a result of the conversion design of the company's ground-based local fighter MS-09 Dom for space warfare and the application for approval, the next main aircraft was selected. It was clear that. MS-R09 (later renamed MS-09R) Zonic tried to deal with the aircraft, which was tentatively named Rick Dom, by advancing the development order of MS-11, but at this stage it can operate as 11 type. We reached the conclusion that it was far from the state, and decided to participate in the trial by remodeling the R type that is closest to the required performance to 11 type specifications in a hurry. It was later disclosed that the time until the examination was used to parallel the development of the above-mentioned portable beam weapon.
The aircraft submitted as a competitive aircraft is a major refurbishment of the MS-06R-1A, which had been discontinued as about 80 aircraft. In addition to an 18% increase in the load capacity, weight reduction of the armor material of each part of the aircraft and improvement of impact resistance, the carrying of beam weapons was incorporated. Although the silhouette is larger than before, it looks like a derivative of Zaku, but it is actually based on the R-1A type, so it is almost different from the old F type. It was finished in a content that could be called the new mobile suit of. Especially for the control system, improvement requests from the conventional R-1A zuryō pilot have been incorporated, and it has been changed to a newly redesigned face-to-face boarding type, and the cockpit is free to adjust the position of the console including the seat space. The degree was given. Since the front armor is the same as before, this was revealed for the first time in a post-war document survey.
Unit 1, which was just in time for the prototype, was piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Elliott Rem in a public test conducted at the Granada base, proving the high anti-ship attack capability at maximum battle speed, simulated air battle assuming anti-mobile suit. I showed it. This Unit 1 was loaded with a generator that was mounted on the test bed for MS-11, and it was entrusted with hope for the use of beam weapons, but the output of the portable beam rifle was insufficient, and it was once for R-1A. It has been replaced with the one. However, in the materials disclosed after the war, it was found that it was once again replaced with a modified generator for MS-11, and there was a difference in the front and rear width of the fuselage in the first prototype, and the shape of the skirt was changed (propellant tank). It became clear that the difference was seen in (to increase the capacity of the) because the recorded images captured those states. This also supports the fact that the shape of the leg armor material differs depending on the shooting time. For the trial, in addition to the preceding No. 1 machine, three spare machines with final specifications were manufactured.
In the ability evaluation in the trial, the overwhelming superiority of maneuverability was recognized, but the durability of the 360 mm and 420 mm rocket bazooka, which are standard weapons, was used (especially in this respect, the strength of the 09 type had an advantage). And the production cost will be too high compared to MS-R09 (estimated cost is said to be more than 3 times), so Zonic will position Zimat as the chief munitions manufacturer in the comprehensive evaluation in the selection of the next main aircraft. It was decided to give up, albeit temporarily.
After the MS-06R-2 model number was officially assigned to the four aircraft left in Granada, all but one for research materials were delivered to the Zeon General Army Headquarters, and it is hoped that the equipment will be converted to the R type. It was redeployed under the proper pilot who was doing it. One of the most famous of these was the aircraft of Major Jonathan Leiden (Johnny Leiden), who belongs to the 402nd Mobile Infantry Battalion of the Assault Mobile Army, and the aircraft painted in red and black is a publicity during the war. When touted as a state-of-the-art aircraft in the magazine, military journalists argued that it was a boarding aircraft for the Red Comet. However, it has become clear after the war that Major Leiden's aircraft was actually left unattended by the military because it was mistaken for Char Aznable's aircraft.