GN-360 GN Nomad

The GN-360 GN Nomad (aka GN Nomad, Nomad, pronounced "Gun Nomad") is a transformable amphibious mobile suit piloted by Kara Hackett after joining Force Thrudheim.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The GN Nomad takes inspiration from from both Anno Domini and Universal Century designs to create a new machine with emphasis on high mobility combat. While the frame is predominantly derived from Arios Gundam, its wings have been relocated to the backpack, similar to Universal Century transformable mobile suits.

Unlike most other transformable mobile suits, the GN Nomad is designed to be truly all-terrain, able to engage in underwater, ground, air and sky combat without changing equipment. Thanks to a very delicately engineered propulsion system in the Nomad's backpack and GN particle-based propulsion, the suit is capable of using its Valkyrie Mode for both high-speed aerial and aquatic movement, allowing the unit to seamlessly move from one environment to the other without issue.

Many of the Nomad's weapons are inspired from other aquatic mobile suits, such as the RAG-79-G1 Waterproof Gundam, as well as Hackett's previous machines, to produce a combination of weapons to cover every environment. A major issue facing the Nomad was the loss of beam weaponry in underwater combat, to counter this, many of its beam-based ranged weapons normally have a powerful output that can be used to fire a highly concentrated particle beam.

The Nomad's trump card in combat is a deployable backpack unit, the Apollon Rover. Detaching it allows the Nomad to field an autonomous, self-propelled support unit that can provide cover-fire and scout areas ahead. The Rover is powered by a large particle condenser that recharges while connected to the GN Nomad, providing it with a similar level versatility as the suit itself.

Despite the utility provided by the GN Nomad's frame, it is not an easy unit to control at high speed, especially when performing water-to-air or air-to-water manoeuvres. However, thanks to Kara's experience with other transformable machines she has usually been able to flawlessly handle the Nomad without issue. Unlike its predecessor the GN Nomad cannot deploy a GN Beam Shield due to the backpack unit hanging too far forwards over the nose, however, instead the suit's shoulder pieces are modified to emit a GN Field either in front of it or on either side of the shoulder, depending on the suit's mode. The frontal GN Field is instrumental in reducing drag at higher speeds and allows the Nomad to either emerge or dive at high speeds without risking damage.

Armaments

 * 60mm Vulcan Gun
 * Conventional CIWS weapons used to intercept missiles and damage light targets, they are kept on from the Zeta Thunder


 * Apollon Rover Pack
 * A detachable backpack closely modeled after that of the Re-GZ Custom, it carries several weapons that can be either used by the Nomad itself or by the rover when detached. The rover is powered by a large condenser so that it can operate independently for extended periods.


 * 3-Tube GN Missile Launcher
 * Thanks to the GN Particle-based propulsion the missile can be used in any environment without any modifications. Each tube contains several missiles, allowing for multiple salvos.


 * Flechette Launcher
 * A primarily aquatic weapon, though capable of being used in other environments without issue. Each launcher is mounted at the front of the backpack above the beam sabre racks, limiting its use mainly to Valkyrie mode or when the rover is launched.


 * GN Beam Sabre Kai/GN Beam Cannon
 * The top of the backpack holds two separate racks, used to store a large custom GN Beam Sabre on each one. While mounted the beam sabres also double as beam cannons, able fire forwards in Valkyrie Mode or angle downwards to fire over the suit's shoulders,


 * Egner Whip
 * Like the predecessor machine Zeta Thunder, the GN Nomad's knees contain an Egner Whip each, used to ensnare enemy machines and then electrify them. Additionally enemies can be dragged along while in Valkyrie Mode.


 * GN Storm Whip
 * A less conventional close combat weapon, the Storm Whips designed after Gundam Epyon's Heat Rod and stored in containers on each underarm. The whips have improved durability thanks to the GN Drive and an anti-beam coating, and are super-heated when deployed to melt through armour. Each one has a small handle built in that the Nomad can grab for better control.


 * GN Submachine Gun
 * Identical to the weapons used by Arios Gundam, the top of each forearm contains a pair of submachine guns for mid-range fire. Thanks to the mechanism employed by its base machine, Arios Gundam, the arms are facing backwards in Valkyrie Mode, allowing the submachine guns to be used on pursuing targets.

System Features

 * GN Field
 * The GN Nomad's shoulder sections can emit a GN Field for defensive purposes, focusing protection around the sides while active. When the suit is in Valkyrie Mode the GN Field is generated around the nose of the unit instead, protecting the front while in flight. The GN Field is instrumental for high-speed flight in and out of water by reducing drag.


 * Trans-Am System
 * By releasing all of the suit's particles and raising the GN Drive's performance to maximum, the suit's performance is tripled for a short period of time. While active the GN Nomad can outperform most other machines with enhanced speed, defence and firepower, but suffers from a noticeable drop in performance afterwards as the drive recharges the suit's depleted systems.


 * Trans-Am Thunder
 * A specialised sub-system of the Trans-Am, Trans-Am Thunder concentrates the extra GN Particle output into the Nomad's propulsion systems and Valkyrie Mode GN Field, at the cost of leaving weapons and durability unaffected. In order to accommodate the drastically higher particle flow the Nomad's GN Verniers have been specially modified to open out further than normally, allowing for a maximum of five times the normal top speed.
 * At top speed, the impact from the Nomad's GN Field is devastating to most opponents but risks severely damaging the suit itself.