FX-550 Skygrasper

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Technology & Combat Characteristics

The Skygrasper was a fighter aircraft originally designed to support the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam. To fulfill this role, it was given the ability to mount the Strike Gundam's Striker Packs so as to deliver them to the mobile suit during combat, and this removes the need for the mobile suit to return to the hangar of its mothership for re-equipping. In addition, the Skygrasper can utilize many of the Packs' weapons and equipment, such as the Aile Striker's thrusters for additional speed and agility, the Sword Striker's anti-ship sword and rocket anchor for close range attacks, and the Launcher Striker's beam cannon for enhanced long-range firepower, allowing it to provide fire support for the Strike Gundam.

On its own, the Skygrasper is armed with a turret-mounted beam cannon, two medium caliber cannons, four machine guns, and can launch anti-ship missiles, bombs, etc from the two weapons bays, making it a very capable air superiority fighter in its own right. In fact, the combination of these weapons and the Skygrasper's maneuverability grant it combat capabilities on par with most mobile suits. Like its predecessor, the F-7D Spearhead, the Skygrasper is capable of VTOL. The Skygrasper was eventually put into mass production by the Earth Alliance to support the Dagger series mobile suits that could utilize Striker Packs. These mass production units are mostly identical to the original two units assigned to support the Strike Gundam, except in their color schemes, where they are painted in gray and yellow instead of the original's brighter colors.

Armaments

• 20mm Machine Gun

The Skygrasper features four 20mm machine guns mounted behind the nose. They typically do not have the power to damage the armor of a mobile suit, but can be used to restrict enemy mobile suit's movements, intercept missiles and the likes.

• Medium Caliber Cannon

One mounted on each wing, their firepower is in between the machine guns and the beam cannon.

• Beam Cannon

The most powerful weapon on the Skygrasper is a beam cannon it carries on its back. The cannon is part of a turret that can swivel to fire in different directions.

• Anti-ship Missile

Stored and launched from the two weapon bays.

System Equipment & Features

• Hardpoints

The Skygrasper is designed with 3 Hardpoints to mount any of the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam's Striker Packs and its armaments. In doing so, it allows the Skygrasper to use these armaments to increase its overall firepower and combat potential, while still fulfilling its role as both a support fighter and a Striker Pack delivery system for the Strike.

• Weapon Bay

Used for storing and launching anti-ship missiles and other projectiles.

History

First Alliance-PLANT War

In C.E. 71, the Earth Alliance successfully created five mobile suits of their own as part of the G Project. One such unit was the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam, which had the ability to mount Striker Packs to adapt to different combat situations. Additionally, the Skygrasper was developed as an atmospheric support fighter for the Strike Gundam and is capable of using the same Striker Packs.

After fleeing the destruction of Heliopolis, the assault ship Archangel was assigned two Skygraspers when it rendezvoused with the 8th Space Fleet.^[1] Following the Archangel's descent to Earth, mobile armor ace Mu La Flaga switched to the Skygrasper Unit 1, as his TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero cannot be operated on Earth. Mu favored mounting the Launcher Striker on his Skygrasper for its superior firepower. Skygrasper Unit 2 was initially piloted by Cagalli Yula Athha, and later by Tolle Koenig.^[2][3] As the Launcher Striker was usually taken by Skygrasper Unit 1 and the Aile Striker by the Strike, Unit 2 was typically equipped with the Sword Striker. Unit 2 was somewhat unlucky; it was shot down or forced into an emergency landing every time it was deployed but once. While Cagalli came out of these crashes unharmed, Tolle was killed when the GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam threw its shield into Unit 2's cockpit.^[4]

The Earth Alliance later put the unit into production, but it is unknown how many were built. However, at least one was owned and operated by professional MS pilot, Kaite Madigan, who used the fighter during the South American War for Independence. The Alliance also developed the FXet-565 Cosmograsper, which was a space-use variant of the Skygrasper.

Second Alliance-PLANT War

During the Second Alliance-PLANT War, the Archangel had at least a single Skygrasper unit, which Neo Roanoke used to defend the ship at the Second Battle of Orb.^[5][6]

Variants

• FXet-565 Cosmograsper

Gallery

Lineart

Equipped with Lightning Striker

Equipped with G-Flight

Mass Production Colors (Side and Rear)

Anime

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED

Being transferred to the Archangel (Flay's Decision, HD Remaster)

Being set-up in hangar (Burning Sandstorm, HD Remaster)

Cockpit (1) (The End of the Sandstorm, HD Remaster)

Cockpit (2) (Fateful Encounter, HD Remaster)

Side View (Fateful Encounter, HD Remaster)

Rear (Fateful Encounter, HD Remaster)

Firing Beam Cannon (Fateful Encounter, HD Remaster)

Launching a missile from weapon bay (Fateful Encounter, HD Remaster)

Front (War for Two, HD Remaster)

Close up of nose unit (The Turning Point, HD Remaster)

Underside (The Turning Point, HD Remaster)

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny

On a Landing Pad (Freedom and Justice, HD Remaster)

Damaged (A Call for Counterattack, HD Remaster)

Illustrations & Artwork

Games

Gunpla

Skygrasper as part of 1/144 EX Model "Gundam SEED Mecha Set 1 (2003): box art

RG 1/144 RG FX-550 Skygrasper (Launcher/Sword Pack; 2012): box art

Skygrasper as part of 1/60 PG "MBF-02+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Rouge + FX-550 Skygrasper" (2005): box art

Action Figures

Skygrasper figure as part of Mobile Suit in Action (MSiA / MIA) "GAT-X105 Aile Strike Gundam" (Asian release; 2004): package front view.

Skygrasper figure as part of MSiA / MIA "Aile Strike Gundam & Skygrasper" deluxe set (North American release; 2004): package front view.

MSiA / MIA "FX-550 Skygrasper (Kaite Madigan Unit)" (Limited edition Dengeki Hobby exclusive; 2004): package front view.

MSiA / MIA "FX-550 Skygrasper (Kaite Madigan Unit)" (Limited edition Dengeki Hobby exclusive; 2004): package rear view.

Notes & Trivia

• Skygrapser's role is analogous to the G-Fighter and FF-X7-Bst Core Booster in Mobile Suit Gundam.
• It is unknown how the Archangel has a Skygrasper for Neo Roanoke to use. It is possible that the unit is actually Archangel's Skygrasper Unit 1, meaning that it was not decommissioned after Mu switched over to Strike Gundam in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
• The Skygrasper is capable of mounting the IWSP Striker in Super Robot Wars J and W.

Appearances

References

Skygrasper File 01 (Gundam Perfect Files, Issue 55, Pg 9)

Skygrasper File 02 (Gundam Perfect Files, Issue 55, Pg 10)

Cosmo Grasper and Skygrasper File 01 (Gundam Perfect Files, Issue 150, Pg 9)

Cosmo Grasper and Skygrasper File 02 (Gundam Perfect Files, Issue 150, Pg 10)

Skygrasper armaments (1) (From 'Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Official File/Mechanics Vol.2' book)

Skygrasper armaments (2) (From 'Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Official File/Mechanics Vol.2' book)

External links