GN-006 Cherudim Gundam

The GN-006 Cherudim Gundam (aka Cherudim Gundam, Cherudim) is the successor to GN-002 Gundam Dynames in season two of Mobile Suit Gundam 00, and piloted by Lockon Stratos. It was later upgraded to the GN-006GNHW/R Cherudim Gundam. The unused parts from Gundam Dynames that were lost, weren't used on this were used on Gundam Stallious.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
As Dynames' successor, Cherudim has enhanced firepower and targeting precision. Cherudim is equipped with a dedicated precision targeting sensor located in its forehead similar to Dynames. In normal situations, it is protected by a crystalline cover.[1] In sniper mode, the crystalline cover is lifted to expose the targeting sensor, and a gun module is lowered within the cockpit for pilot control. The cockpit also contains a docking interface for Lockon's orange Haro for system delegations.

In the 3rd Generation Gundams, the clavicle antennae for controlling GN Particles are typically located on the shoulders, above the chest.[1] However to prevent interfering with the Cherudim's sensors, these antennae are relocated to the back of the head, on the left side.[1] GN Particles can disrupt radar and electromagnetic waves, but when deployed in high concentration around the Gundam, they also have an adverse effect on the suit's ability to carry out precision sniping.[1] Thus, spreading of GN Particles are not conducted during sniping.[1]

The armor pieces on the left and right of the chest protects the intakes, and also serve to block the heat and particles from these intakes from affecting the surrounding of the suit's sensors.[1] The soles of Cherudim's feet are also different from most MS, which are usually designed for walking and other feats.[1] Since Gundams can perform extremely stable flight by manipulating GN Particles, the Cherudim's feet are optimized for stability during sniping instead, with parts on the soles and ankles that can grip the ground for increased stability.[1] While the 3rd Generation Gundams have their GN Drives mounted in the torso, Cherudim's GN Drive is mounted at the back of the waist so that the drive's topological defect is least affected by minute interference of the surroundings.[1] This setup also allows the GN Drive to efficiently charge the GN Shield Bits that covers it.[1] When active in battle, the bits can do emergency quick recharges by being close to the drive itself.[1]

Cherudim's primary armament is its GN Sniper Rifle II stored on the right shoulder. It can switch from being a long range beam rifle to a short-to-medium ranged three-barrel Vulcan Mode.[2] Cherudim also has a pair of GN Beam Pistols II, that are generally used for short range combat, and the block below the barrel is meant strictly for defensive purpose during melee battle such as parrying beam sabers.[3] Cherudim's 9 GN Shield Bits all has a built-in beam gun which can be deployed to help defend Cherudim and fend off enemy opponents. To destroy immediate targets, Cherudim can launch GN Missiles from the GN Missile Pods as countermeasures. In desperate situations, Cherudim can execute Trans-Am to increase its speed, power, and strength for greater combat performance.

Armaments

 * GN Beam Pistol II
 * A pair of GN Beam Pistol II are stored on the Cherudim's back.[3] They have low firepower due to their small size, but are easy to handle and capable of rapid fire.[3] Furthermore, the part below the pistol's barrel has anti-beam coating to block beam saber attacks, and can also parry other solid GN Blades.[3][4][5] When needed, the pistol can flip its barrel up for blocking enemy's attacks. Since the Cherudim is not equipped with blades of any kind, this makes the pistols the suit's primary close range weapon.[3] The idea of a beam pistol that can block beam sabers was first suggested to Ian by the former Lockon during Dynames' testing stages.[6]


 * GN Missile Pod
 * Similar to the Dynames, GN Missile Pods are located in the front skirt of the Cherudim. The four pods will fold outwards to reveal a pair of GN Missiles each, for a total of 8 missiles. The GN missiles tend to be used as immediate countermeasures during battle. The GN missile's entire payload of GN Particles are released once it has penetrated the target's inside, destroying the enemy from inside out.


 * GN Shield Bit
 * A similar weapon to the GN Fangs that was used by the Gundam Thrones.[7] They allow Cherudim to have defensive capability that exceeds that of Dynames' GN Full Shield.[7] Cherudim is equipped with nine GN Shield Bits (2 on the left shoulder as a shield, 1 on each kneecap, and 5 wrapped around the GN Drive on its rear waist). Remotely controlled by Haro, these bits are not only used for defensive purposes, they also have a built-in beam gun each for offensive use.[7] When shielding, these bits can combine together to form shields with different shapes and sizes.[7] When attacking, the bits can individually fire upon a target(s) or form into two cannon-like guns for higher attack power.


 * GN Sniper Rifle II
 * A beam rifle made for long range precision fire, it was developed from Dynames' rifle and its basic performance has increased.[2] In sniper rifle form, the weapon is fully extended. It also possesses a new Vulcan Mode, where the sniper rifle folds in half to become a 3-barrel vulcan for rapid fire.[2] There is also an option in the 3-barrel form in which the center barrel fire standard beam rifle shots capable of neutralizing a single GN-XIII with a single well placed shot. This mode makes it easier to fight at middle and short range.[2] A new crystal sensor is installed on the top of the rifle, which is the same type as one used on 00 Gundam's GN Sword II.[2] When the rifle is not in use, it can be stored on the right shoulder.[4] The capability to be folded also facilitates greater ease of portability.

System Features

 * Bit Control System
 * The GN Shield Bits are remotely controlled through Haro. The bits are capable of manual control, but it's more difficult for the pilot to keep track of targets while piloting.


 * Trans-Am System
 * A system that temporarily triples Cherudim's performance by releasing highly compressed particles.[8] The unit however will have reduced performance in battle after the time limit expires.[8] Starting with this generation of Gundams however, Celestial Being adjusted the system so the performance drop isn't as extreme compared to before.[8]


 * Holoscreen
 * Mounted on the backpack, the Holoscreen is a system that is deployed for shooting in Trans-Am Mode.[1] In this mode, it gathers various data and does high speed calculations before giving feedback to the Meister.[1] Accurate data and high probability predictions allow extremely sharp precision.[1] The gun module for the pilot switches the scope for a different targeting system for firing.

Variants

 * GN-006/SA Cherudim Gundam SAGA
 * GN-006GNHW/R Cherudim Gundam

History
The full history of Cherudim is closely linked with Lockon Stratos (Lyle Dylandy), for more info go to that page on the Gundam Wiki.