Following the One Year War, the name “Newtype Lab,” or NT Lab, evoked a sense of horror. Rather than adhering to the Flanagan Institute’s belief in “the evolution of mankind into the Newtype that it should be,” the NT Labs focused solely on the military applications of Newtype, resulting in the sacrifice of numerous lives for the benefit of Earth supremacists. Moreover, even after the fall of the Titans, their technology continued to be leaked to corporations and terrorists.

Among the many such mobile suit developed by former NT Lab engineers, only recently has the RGM-86RN GM III Euryale, a modified RGM-86R GM III equipped with wired bits, been confirmed.

X　　X　　X

The prototype that became the basis for the GM III Euryale was an experimental suit from the Murasame Labs known as the MRX-002 Newtype-use Prototype Gundam.

Based on the RX-78NT-1 Alex, the MRX-002 was an ambitious post-One Year War concept, featuring an 18-meter class mobile suit equipped with ten wired bits.

However, miniaturizing the psycommu and bits was exceedingly challenging, given the available technology at the time. Subsequently, the Murasame Labs shifted focus to a colossal 40-meter class mobile suit modeled after the MSN-02 (at the time of planning) with the development of the MRX-003 NT-X and the MRX-007 Prototype Psycho Gundam, effectively ending the MRX-002’s lineage.

Time passed, and with the dissolution of the Republic of Zeon, large-scale conflicts in the Earth Sphere diminished, but small-scale regional conflicts and armed clashes continued unabated. The Earth Federation government’s failure to intervene in the conflicts among illegal residents on the surface further fueled these disputes. The privileged classes were content with protecting their exclusive residential district resort areas and unwilling to shoulder additional responsibility.

Low-intensity conflicts saw not only the military but also mega-corporations, crime syndicates, publicly funded mercenaries, and private armies emerging as major players. These conflicts often led to the exposure of previously concealed technologies to the outside world.

The RGM-86RN, which is presumed to have been developed in the U.C.0110s, is the byproduct of such “leaked technology.”An RGM-86R GM III was used for the modified body, but some parts were also repurposed from the RGM-79Q and RGM-87. The backpack and wired bits are almost entirely identical to the design of the MRX-002, though traces of involvement from Axis engineers were found in the psycommu system.

When compared to models such as the ARX-014 Silver Bullet, the Euryale’s wired bits were noticeably less refined. However, as a mature technology, the production costs were lower, and it had the benefit of allowing for individual unit maintenance.

Despite the significant increase in weight due to the installation of the psycommu and wired bits, the mobile suit’s mobility and acceleration remained a concern, although the suit was not primarily designed for close combat. While the arm-mounted wired bits could form beam sabers, they were not intended for self-defense.

It is unclear which manufacturer made the modifications, but the most likely candidates are SNRI (which obtained the RX-78NT-1) and Buffo, a company with close ties to SNRI. Others included individuals linked to New Hong Kong company syndicates seeking to strengthen their confrontational stance against the military secret service, as well as the Public Corporation of Space Transport, which was facing pressure from MHA, and even the Public Corporation for the Investigation and Preservation of Ruins.

Throughout the low-intensity conflicts during the peacetime that befell the Earth Sphere following the Mafty uprising, there were certainly individuals seeking Newtype-use mobile suits for special operations, and they sought “Newtype warriors” that were suitable for their stature, not superweapons like the RX-104FF Penelope.

X　　X　　X

According to reports, the mercenary group GBG was loaned the completed RGM-86RN. The developers did not intend to conduct operational testing themselves but instead attempted to gather combat data as if it were developed illegally by mercenaries. There is a theory that suggests it may have been loaned to multiple mercenary groups outside of GBG, but this has not been confirmed.

Combat results were apparently satisfactory enough for the sponsors, and it’s an undeniable fact that a set of parts designated “Euryale” was sold through black market channels as a modified unit for the RGM-86R, intended for worker/hobbyist use after being decommissioned from the Federation Forces as an outdated model.

Although the exact number of “Euryale” mobile suits is unknown, the mass-production version (sometimes classified as RGM-86RNbis Euyrale Kai) replaced the psycommu with one for use by ordinary people (similar to the RF Kampher, which raises the Swessem acceptance for ordinary people to Newtype levels). Despite the significant reduction in its all-range attack capabilities, it is still deployed as a low-cost mobile suit with bit weapons by the Indore Allied Forces on Side 1 and the Qaidaham Defense Force on Side 2 (it has the same external appearance as the RN type).

The RGM-86RN, much like the Oldsmobile’s 18-meter class mobile suits, was not capable of adequately fighting against the smaller second-stage model mobile suits and fourth-generation heavy mobile suits. It wasn’t necessary in the first place. What was needed was the ability to defeat similar armed forces like the Jegan and GM III.

The combat results of the Euryale led to a reassessment of quasi-psycommu weaponry, which was considered a mature technology. Consequently, SNRI on Side 2 actively pursued the development of wired all-range weaponry. Engineers are now envisioning a small mobile suit equipped with wired bit weaponry and a 6,000kW-class generator. Once completed, we will no longer fear Qaidaham or Macedonia!

(U.C.0146.10.24 Dinah Kim Zangieva)