“There’s no doubt that it was SNRI who first proposed the idea of a small-scale mobile suit. However, it was Anaheim that actually made it practical,” the reasoning behind quoting Romero Malabar’s words.

In U.C. 0102, SNRI pointed out that the increasing size of mobile suits necessitated a complete overhaul of ships and base facilities, thus becoming an obstacle to disarmament. The Federation government, taking this suggestion into account, called for companies to develop smaller mobile suit plans, resulting in the official adoption of RGM-109 “Heavygun.”

The design of integrating a compact, high-output generator into the backpack and incorporating hardpoints throughout the suit was imitated by nearly all small-scale mobile suits, including the Formula Project and Den’an series.

There are various testimonies on how the military side perceived this development, but they can be broadly divided into two categories. One is that the RGM-109 is “merely a miniaturized RGM-89 Jegan.” The miniaturization of a mobile suit should bring about a dramatic innovation in the thrust-to-weight ratio, and Anaheim’s design was seen as stubbornly outdated.

The other is, “We want a small mobile suit that is as easy to handle and maintain as the Jegan.” The Earth Sphere had already transitioned from the era of warfare to an era of regional conflicts (which, in retrospect, seems like an idyllic perception of the times). If the hypothetical enemy were terrorists with outdated mobile suits or mobile workers, then a reliable, proven, smaller Jegan was required.

Compared to the first perspective, which was supported by innovative young pilots, the latter seemed more regressive. Looking back at the subsequent Cosmo Babylonian War and the related independence conflicts among the various colonies, one could conclude that the latter view was mistaken. However, hindsight is always 20/20. In any case, the RGM-109 was nothing more than a “small Jegan.”

The military has always valued conservatism. They desire dependable weapons that are proven to work rather than the unguaranteed performance of dreamy, new armaments. Gallivanting around in the latest cutting-edge machines and boasting about it in bars was the reckless way of life for the “Top Gundams,” but it wasn’t for that reason the military paid the budget. This had been a familiar phrase since the days of the medieval air force. The military is not a stunt team.

From this perspective, the RGM-109, with its versatility inherited from the Jegan D-type, the mobility of the R-type, and the thrust surpassing the J-type, was a successful enough design. Anaheim’s plan to slowly refine the next mass-production model based on this was not at all far-fetched.

Anaheim submitted the Heavygun II plan as a more refined version based on the test data of RGM-109, which the General Staff approved as the RGM-111.

Anaheim’s intentions, however, were thwarted. Whether it was the Ronah family’s conspiracy, the meddling of the Colony Public Corporation, the machinations of the arsenalists, or the loss of the “Laplace’s Box” as the underground claimed, it remained unclear.

Regardless, with the initiation of the ATMS project, orders for the RGM-111 were scrapped. As if turning on a dime, the General Staff began to demand revolutionary performance from the smaller mobile suit.

Half of the RGM-109 team was poached for the “Innovative New Model Development MSA-0120 Project” (which also employed the RGM-111 frame under development), but the remaining team continued the Heavygun II project, albeit on a smaller scale.

If the military’s reckless demand for a 4,000 kW-class small mobile suit could not be met, an improved version of the RGM-109 would be required, and it was determined by then-Vice President Lau and others that only Anaheim could design it. Thus, the RGM-111X Heavygun II was completed. The output increased by about 1% from the original model’s 2,870 kW to 3,070 kW. The armor was upgraded from Gundarium alloy to the next-generation Gundarium alloy-ceramic composite material, achieving both cost reduction and increased strength. However, it was no match for the overwhelming innovation of the F90.

In light of the results of the ATMS project, the RGM-111X was rejected for military adoption, and it was decided that the SNRI F7 (artillery type), F8 (general-purpose type), and F9 (flagship) would be mass-produced. Since it was not officially adopted, some documents refer to it as the RGM-109 Kai or RGM-109 II.

However, things did not go as planned. The F70 Cannon Gundam developed by SNRI was far from a mass-producible mobile suit, and consequently, the military approved the F71 “G-Cannon” plan, a redesign by Anaheim.

What the field demanded was an improved Jegan – a workhorse that could be used just like the machines that had proven themselves on the battlefield in numerous conflicts, inheriting the lineage of countless legendary units such as the RX-78, MSA-099, MSA-003, RGM-87, and boasting a robust movable frame and versatile weaponry.

Once again, let’s refer to the words of Romero Malabar: “Zeon insisted on improving the Zaku because it was a finished weapon. What soldiers need is a reliable mobile infantry. What is our Zaku? It would be the Jegan.”

At this point, the Heavygun II saw new life. The F71 required parts compatibility with the RGM-109 (and even the RGM-89), resulting in a “return to the Jegan.” In the process, the RGM-111X’s development data was integrated into the F71.

On the other hand, the excellent data from the F70 was also incorporated into the RGM-111, and the Heavygun II project was revived as a high-performance new-type of general-purpose mobile suit development plan. Anaheim had but one goal: to topple SNRI’s F8 and maintain its monopoly. Thus, the RGM-111Y deployed to the Luna II Instructor Corps was named “Proto-Hardygun,” and it was expected to outperform the F-series. However, their fate turned out to be somewhat unpredictable.