Arm Slave
Encyclopedia
Arm Slaves are fictional mecha
from the light novel
, manga
, and anime
series Full Metal Panic!
. These huge and tall robots are used primarily by military forces in the Full Metal Panic! universe, most especially by MITHRIL and Amalgam.
operating in a semi-master–slave system to coordinate with the pilot (aka master). Developed in the early 1980s under the Reagan Administration, the average Arm Slave (or AS for short) is roughly 8–10 meters tall. This places the craft smaller than most mecha in size. The size of the Arm Slave as shown in the anime is roughly 15–18 meters, conflicting with the figures stated in the novel.
It is one of the sum achievements of many different pieces of Black Technology
. In a way, it can be said that all black technologies were created in this fictional universe to rationalize the existence of these humanoid combat machines.
In the first series, they are manufactured and used by the majority of First World
nations' armed forces revolutionizing the meaning of the term "mechanized infantry
". Nations confirmed as manufacturing Arm Slaves include the United States
, Germany
, USSR
, France
, and Japan
. The most advanced of these units are used by the unknown terrorist
organization, Amalgam, and the elite mercenary
counter terrorist
organization Mithril
, of which the primary characters are members. Sousuke Sagara
, Kurz Weber
, and Melissa Mao
are all Arm Slave pilots.
. Names and general information are well publicized and are a matter of public record. And like combat aircraft, detailed specifications and capabilities are kept classified. The Arm Slave has however captured the popular imagination, and even extremely advanced units such as the XM9 (M9) Gernsback have some civilian recognition through the media.
It is noted that the Arm Slaves of the Eastern Bloc
have been given NATO reporting name
s, very much like the real-life aircraft and missile systems. The names given to the Soviet Arm Slaves, Shamrock, Savage, and Shadow indicate Arms Slaves are designated with the letter "S". This letter is shared with anti-tank
and surface-to-surface missile
s.
Dialog in episode 1 of the anime series indicates that periodicals, such as Jane's Arm Slave Recognition Guide, are published about Arm Slaves that contain detailed information useful even to the specialist pilots. These are considered to be Arm Slave equivalents to magazines such as Combat Aircraft Magazine published by Ian Allan Publishing
and Jane's Fighting Ships
published by Jane's Information Group
.
These publications are purchased regularly by characters such as Shinji Kazama, but the publications, like their real world counterparts are specialized and niche products with limited mass market appeal.
The only trace of the Arm Slave present in the series Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu
is a miniature Arm Slave developed by Sousuke Sagara. Sousuke's Bonta-kun units however have several comedic flaws.
's research in the 1980s into powered exoskeletal
suits to increase the ground soldier's combat capability. Called the XM3, the first powered suit was nothing more than a powered exoskeleton sized around 2 meters tall. This proved to be of low combat effectiveness as it offered little advantage in protection in exchange for its limited mobility. This early prototype was hampered by the lack of a suitable power source that did not burden the unit past its useful load.
The designers took an unorthodox approach in the development process at this point. While technology usually is refined to become smaller and more compact, the successor XM4 project took an opposite direction. By increasing the size of the suit from 2 meters standing to around 8 meters, the designers were able to change the power source from an electrical battery system to internal combustion engine
s. With the advances in material sciences and engineering at the time, the tremendous increase in power-to-weight ratio of diesel engine
s and the artificial muscles constructed from electroactive polymers
(EAPs) (later refined and called Muscle Packages) made the XM4 a viable weapons platform with a sizable payload. By increasing the payload of the powered armor, and expanding the capabilities of the unit by various electronic warfare packages and options the first generation, and inaugural Arm Slave was introduced to the world as the M4.
One of the most notable aspects of the development of the Arm Slave is the curiously short development span. It took only three years from start of the XM3 project to the resulting M4, an unheard of development span in weapons technology when equivalent civilian robotics
was struggling with bipedal motion. The unnatural advance in technology was attributed to extraterrestrial
sources by some publications, and managed to fuel a new generation of conspiracy theorists
. Soon, the explosive evolution of the Arm Slave in the battlefield reduced its prominence to just another high tech weapon system, alongside the cruise missile
and stealth
jet fighters.
The M4 is markedly slower in response time than the average second generation Arm Slave from its dependency on mechanical and hydraulic
propulsion. The Muscle Package did not exist in the current form of modular bundles. This led to an extreme difficulty in maintaining the effectiveness of the polymer
s as they degraded. Combined with simplistic joint
anatomy
, the low-powered primitive EAP "muscles" did not allow for the M4 to exhibit flexible motion or fast response and agility. However, the M4's general utility and ability to cross varying terrain while retaining combat effectiveness gave the United States enough reason to further refine the Arm Slave.
The First Generation Arm Slave is obsolete at the beginning of the story of Full Metal Panic!, and has been completely replaced by the Second Generation Arm Slave.
engines. The new weapons found new use as all-weather, all-terrain ground fighting vehicles. The ability of these machines to cover any terrain at speeds above 100 kilometers per hour, and the flexibility in armament from the manipulator arms cemented the position of these machines as king of ground armored fighting vehicles
. This allowed the USSR to win the war in Afghanistan
(Helmajistan in the anime). Spurred by the victory of the USSR in the Afghan Theater of war, the United States developed and fielded its own advanced Arm Slave, the M6 Bushnell.
The M6 Bushnell and the Rk-92 Savage are the best known examples of the second generation Arm Slave. Joining them is the German "Drache", English "Cyclone", the French "Mistral II", and the Japanese "Model 96". These have been found stationed around the world in numbers equal to tanks.
What separates them from the first generation models is the largely the use of the modern Muscle Package to impart the Arm Slave with both fast response time and precision movement. Advancements in vetronics (vehicle electronics, a ground based equivalent to avionics
) and general engineering are also counted as Second Generation improvements. The M6A1 is notable for being the first Arm Slave to be equipped with an ECS. From shortfalls in generator output, these units are built with binary drive systems combining hydraulic mechanical systems with Muscle Packages. Second Generation units are also notably loud, as their gas turbine generators emit a tremendously loud howl when running.
Powered by a lightweight and high-power palladium reactor
, the M9 Gernsback features pure Muscle Package drive mated to complex joints that far closer mimic the flexibility and mobility of the human body. Although not obvious, the M9 Gernsback uses lessons learned from insect and animal physiology. Its legs are roughly modeled after a grasshopper
and cat joints in construction. These developments allow the M9 to execute its tremendous leaps and absorb the shock of high drops.
The Gernsback's transition to sole Muscle Package propulsion vastly increased the power-to-weight ratio. For comparison, the palladium reactor on an M9 Gernsback is rated at 3,300 hp (2,500 kW) in comparison to the 1,200 hp (890 kW) of the Rk-92 Savage diesel generator. At the same time, an M9 only weighs 70–80% as much as a Rk-92, depending on weapons loadout. With an output more comparable to a jet aircraft, the M9 is capable of punishing maneuvers that can easily injure, disable or kill the pilot. Use of the ECS combined with the very quiet operation of the palladium reactor and the Muscle Package renders the M9 extremely difficult to detect. It is often said that the Arm Slave has reached the man-machine limit, and cannot be improved in mobility. The increased power is instead used to increase the payload capacity of the craft without affecting combat effectiveness.
The increased payload has allowed the installation of an array of electronics including advanced vetronics, fire control systems, damage control, ECS, ECCS, and electronic warfare
modules tied together under advanced artificial intelligence
. This has allowed for the individual Arm Slave to be a powerful command and communications
platform while allowing the pilot to concentrate on combat.
The abilities of the Third Generation Arm Slave are shown in less threatening experiments. For example, two M9s are exhibited practicing the tango under autonomous operation. This experiment requires and shows the flexibility and agility of its complex joint and internal physiology, while highlighting the capabilities of the AI systems controlling the craft in complex interaction and motions. These could never be found in an older Second Generation RK-92 or Bushnell model.
The simplest and most obvious aspect is the Bilateral Angle, or the BMSA. BMSA is the amplification factor of the master movement by the slave trace. With a BMSA of 3, a pilot motion of 30 degrees is amplified to 90 degrees. Lower BMSA values are used in training, and more accomplished pilots make use of higher values. The usual range is between 1.3 (training) to 2.4 (standard) to 3.5 (high).
While the Second Generation Arm Slaves were limited in joint flexibility and overall anatomy, Third Generation units are mechanically capable of motions difficult or impossible for humans. A full master slave system, perfectly tracing the motion of a pilot would be limited to the same capabilities of the pilot. The semi-master–slave operation, controlled by complex software systems commonly called motion managers are capable of translating pilot motion into maneuvers impossible by the human body.
Skilled pilots spend a significant amount of time in optimization and personalization of the these motion patterns. Arm Slave vetronics including the motion managers form a critical component of arm slave performance characteristics. The M9 AI systems are indispensable in controlling the Arm Slave, allowing the pilot to make use of the full capabilities of the craft.
Negative criticism has surfaced on the role of the Arm Slaves throughout the Full Metal Panic! series. For instance, Ender's review states that their mecha roles are confusing that the Arm Slaves are both "08th MS Team soldiers and Dragon Ball Z-type fighters, hurling energy balls at each other and going "Super Saiya-jin." Anime Database rated the Full Metal Panic! series 4 out of 5 because of the Arm Slaves battles since they start out from being good to being very unrealistic. GameSpot Union comments on the relationship between the Arm Slaves and the animation done on Full Metal Panic!, saying both animation and camera views were bad.
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
from the light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Full Metal Panic!
Full Metal Panic!
is an ongoing series of light novels written by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shiki Douji. The series follows Sousuke Sagara, a member of the covert anti-terrorist private military organization known as Mithril, tasked with protecting Kaname Chidori, a spirited Japanese high school girl.Individual...
. These huge and tall robots are used primarily by military forces in the Full Metal Panic! universe, most especially by MITHRIL and Amalgam.
Overview
The term "Arm Slave" is the shortened form of Armored Mobile Master-Slave System. They are largely humanoid powered suitsPowered exoskeleton
A powered exoskeleton, also known as powered armor, or exoframe, is a powered mobile machine consisting primarily of an exoskeleton-like framework worn by a person and a power supply that supplies at least part of the activation-energy for limb movement.Powered exoskeletons are designed to assist...
operating in a semi-master–slave system to coordinate with the pilot (aka master). Developed in the early 1980s under the Reagan Administration, the average Arm Slave (or AS for short) is roughly 8–10 meters tall. This places the craft smaller than most mecha in size. The size of the Arm Slave as shown in the anime is roughly 15–18 meters, conflicting with the figures stated in the novel.
It is one of the sum achievements of many different pieces of Black Technology
Black Technology
Black Technology is a general term used to describe fictional technology in the Japanese light novel, manga and anime series Full Metal Panic!...
. In a way, it can be said that all black technologies were created in this fictional universe to rationalize the existence of these humanoid combat machines.
In the first series, they are manufactured and used by the majority of First World
First World
The concept of the First World first originated during the Cold War, where it was used to describe countries that were aligned with the United States. These countries were democratic and capitalistic. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the term "First World" took on a...
nations' armed forces revolutionizing the meaning of the term "mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
". Nations confirmed as manufacturing Arm Slaves include the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The most advanced of these units are used by the unknown terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
organization, Amalgam, and the elite mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
counter terrorist
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
organization Mithril
Mithril (Full Metal Panic!)
Mithril is a fictional anti-terrorist private military company in the light novel, manga and anime series Full Metal Panic!. Many of the main characters within the series are members of this organization, among them include Sousuke Sagara, Melissa Mao, Kurz Weber and Teletha Tessa...
, of which the primary characters are members. Sousuke Sagara
Sousuke Sagara
is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. He was portrayed by Tomokazu Seki in the original anime and by Chris Patton in the English dub.-Overview:...
, Kurz Weber
Kurz Weber
is a character from the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. He was voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in the original and by Vic Mignogna in the English dub.-Overview:...
, and Melissa Mao
Melissa Mao
is a fictional character from the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic! Her voice was provided by Michiko Neya in the original anime and by Allison Keith in the English dub.- Overview :...
are all Arm Slave pilots.
Within Full Metal Panic!
Arm Slaves occupy a similar cultural position to modern combat jet aircraftJet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
. Names and general information are well publicized and are a matter of public record. And like combat aircraft, detailed specifications and capabilities are kept classified. The Arm Slave has however captured the popular imagination, and even extremely advanced units such as the XM9 (M9) Gernsback have some civilian recognition through the media.
It is noted that the Arm Slaves of the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
have been given NATO reporting name
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
s, very much like the real-life aircraft and missile systems. The names given to the Soviet Arm Slaves, Shamrock, Savage, and Shadow indicate Arms Slaves are designated with the letter "S". This letter is shared with anti-tank
Anti-tank guided missile
An anti-tank missile , anti-tank guided missile , anti-tank guided weapon or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily-armored military vehicles....
and surface-to-surface missile
Surface-to-surface missile
A surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...
s.
Dialog in episode 1 of the anime series indicates that periodicals, such as Jane's Arm Slave Recognition Guide, are published about Arm Slaves that contain detailed information useful even to the specialist pilots. These are considered to be Arm Slave equivalents to magazines such as Combat Aircraft Magazine published by Ian Allan Publishing
Ian Allan Publishing
Ian Allan Publishing is a UK publisher, established in 1942, which specialises in transport magazines and books.In 1942 Ian Allan, then working on enquiries on the Southern Railway, published his first book, "ABC of Southern Locomotives"...
and Jane's Fighting Ships
Jane's Fighting Ships
Jane's Fighting Ships is an annual reference book of information on all the world's warships arranged by nation, including information on ship's names, dimensions, armaments, silhouettes and photographs, etc...
published by Jane's Information Group
Jane's Information Group
Jane's Information Group is a publishing company specializing in transportation and military topics.-History:It was founded by Fred T...
.
These publications are purchased regularly by characters such as Shinji Kazama, but the publications, like their real world counterparts are specialized and niche products with limited mass market appeal.
The only trace of the Arm Slave present in the series Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu
Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu
is a companion series to the anime series Full Metal Panic! by Kyoto Animation, and takes place between the first season and The Second Raid....
is a miniature Arm Slave developed by Sousuke Sagara. Sousuke's Bonta-kun units however have several comedic flaws.
History
The Arm Slave is a development of the Reagan Administration Strategic Defense InitiativeStrategic Defense Initiative
The Strategic Defense Initiative was proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. The initiative focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic...
's research in the 1980s into powered exoskeletal
Exoskeleton
An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton of, for example, a human. In popular usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells". Examples of exoskeleton animals include insects such as grasshoppers...
suits to increase the ground soldier's combat capability. Called the XM3, the first powered suit was nothing more than a powered exoskeleton sized around 2 meters tall. This proved to be of low combat effectiveness as it offered little advantage in protection in exchange for its limited mobility. This early prototype was hampered by the lack of a suitable power source that did not burden the unit past its useful load.
The designers took an unorthodox approach in the development process at this point. While technology usually is refined to become smaller and more compact, the successor XM4 project took an opposite direction. By increasing the size of the suit from 2 meters standing to around 8 meters, the designers were able to change the power source from an electrical battery system to internal combustion engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
s. With the advances in material sciences and engineering at the time, the tremendous increase in power-to-weight ratio of diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s and the artificial muscles constructed from electroactive polymers
Electroactive polymers
Electroactive Polymers, or EAPs, are polymers that exhibit a change in size or shape when stimulated by an electric field. The most common applications of this type of material are in actuators and sensors. A typical characteristic property of an EAP is that they will undergo a large amount of...
(EAPs) (later refined and called Muscle Packages) made the XM4 a viable weapons platform with a sizable payload. By increasing the payload of the powered armor, and expanding the capabilities of the unit by various electronic warfare packages and options the first generation, and inaugural Arm Slave was introduced to the world as the M4.
One of the most notable aspects of the development of the Arm Slave is the curiously short development span. It took only three years from start of the XM3 project to the resulting M4, an unheard of development span in weapons technology when equivalent civilian robotics
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
was struggling with bipedal motion. The unnatural advance in technology was attributed to extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
sources by some publications, and managed to fuel a new generation of conspiracy theorists
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
. Soon, the explosive evolution of the Arm Slave in the battlefield reduced its prominence to just another high tech weapon system, alongside the cruise missile
Cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
and stealth
Stealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
jet fighters.
First Generation
The M4 was the first-ever military Arm Slave. With the technology still in its infancy at the time, the M4 only found limited use in ambushes or urban combat. Military doctrine regarding Arm Slaves at this time was still immature, and more focus was placed on testing the limits of the newfound technology.The M4 is markedly slower in response time than the average second generation Arm Slave from its dependency on mechanical and hydraulic
Hydraulics
Hydraulics is a topic in applied science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control,...
propulsion. The Muscle Package did not exist in the current form of modular bundles. This led to an extreme difficulty in maintaining the effectiveness of the polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
s as they degraded. Combined with simplistic joint
Joint
A joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. They are constructed to allow movement and provide mechanical support, and are classified structurally and functionally.-Classification:...
anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
, the low-powered primitive EAP "muscles" did not allow for the M4 to exhibit flexible motion or fast response and agility. However, the M4's general utility and ability to cross varying terrain while retaining combat effectiveness gave the United States enough reason to further refine the Arm Slave.
The First Generation Arm Slave is obsolete at the beginning of the story of Full Metal Panic!, and has been completely replaced by the Second Generation Arm Slave.
Second Generation
The USSR had joined the United States in using the newfound technology. It is assumed that the USSR was also the first ones to field the Arm Slaves later classified as Second Generation. One of the earliest units of this type is the Rk-89 "Shamrock" and later, the Rk-91 and Rk-92 "Savage". These machines stand at roughly 10 meters tall, and were initially powered by diesel piston engines, later upgraded to high-efficiency gas turbineGas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
engines. The new weapons found new use as all-weather, all-terrain ground fighting vehicles. The ability of these machines to cover any terrain at speeds above 100 kilometers per hour, and the flexibility in armament from the manipulator arms cemented the position of these machines as king of ground armored fighting vehicles
Armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked....
. This allowed the USSR to win the war in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
(Helmajistan in the anime). Spurred by the victory of the USSR in the Afghan Theater of war, the United States developed and fielded its own advanced Arm Slave, the M6 Bushnell.
What separates them from the first generation models is the largely the use of the modern Muscle Package to impart the Arm Slave with both fast response time and precision movement. Advancements in vetronics (vehicle electronics, a ground based equivalent to avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
) and general engineering are also counted as Second Generation improvements. The M6A1 is notable for being the first Arm Slave to be equipped with an ECS. From shortfalls in generator output, these units are built with binary drive systems combining hydraulic mechanical systems with Muscle Packages. Second Generation units are also notably loud, as their gas turbine generators emit a tremendously loud howl when running.
Third Generation
The Third Generation Arm Slave is exemplified in the M9 Gernsback, the first of its kind. It was thought that MITHRIL was the only organization operating Third Generation Arm Slaves in combat by its Response Teams. The same M9 Gernsback is officially undergoing OPEVAL (operational evaluation) by the United States under the prototype designation of XM9. The Zy-98 "Shadow" is the USSR equivalent and is in limited production. The Plan1056 Codarl and ARX-7 Arbalest, both utilizing the Lambda Driver, are Third Generation Arm Slaves fielded by Amalgam and Mithril, respectively. Additionally, the Codarl frame is based on the Zy-98, while the Arbalest is based on the M9. Later in the events of the episode "Get Together and Make My Day", another type of Arm Slave called the Eligor appears, based on the design of Codarl, and which is even more powerful than Codarl and M9. It is unknown if the type is still classified as a Third Generation Arm Slave, however.Powered by a lightweight and high-power palladium reactor
Cold fusion
Cold fusion, also called low-energy nuclear reaction , refers to the hypothesis that nuclear fusion might explain the results of a group of experiments conducted at ordinary temperatures . Both the experimental results and the hypothesis are disputed...
, the M9 Gernsback features pure Muscle Package drive mated to complex joints that far closer mimic the flexibility and mobility of the human body. Although not obvious, the M9 Gernsback uses lessons learned from insect and animal physiology. Its legs are roughly modeled after a grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
and cat joints in construction. These developments allow the M9 to execute its tremendous leaps and absorb the shock of high drops.
The Gernsback's transition to sole Muscle Package propulsion vastly increased the power-to-weight ratio. For comparison, the palladium reactor on an M9 Gernsback is rated at 3,300 hp (2,500 kW) in comparison to the 1,200 hp (890 kW) of the Rk-92 Savage diesel generator. At the same time, an M9 only weighs 70–80% as much as a Rk-92, depending on weapons loadout. With an output more comparable to a jet aircraft, the M9 is capable of punishing maneuvers that can easily injure, disable or kill the pilot. Use of the ECS combined with the very quiet operation of the palladium reactor and the Muscle Package renders the M9 extremely difficult to detect. It is often said that the Arm Slave has reached the man-machine limit, and cannot be improved in mobility. The increased power is instead used to increase the payload capacity of the craft without affecting combat effectiveness.
The increased payload has allowed the installation of an array of electronics including advanced vetronics, fire control systems, damage control, ECS, ECCS, and electronic warfare
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
modules tied together under advanced artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
. This has allowed for the individual Arm Slave to be a powerful command and communications
Command and Control (military)
Command and control, or C2, in a military organization can be defined as the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commanding officer over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission...
platform while allowing the pilot to concentrate on combat.
The abilities of the Third Generation Arm Slave are shown in less threatening experiments. For example, two M9s are exhibited practicing the tango under autonomous operation. This experiment requires and shows the flexibility and agility of its complex joint and internal physiology, while highlighting the capabilities of the AI systems controlling the craft in complex interaction and motions. These could never be found in an older Second Generation RK-92 or Bushnell model.
Arm Slave operation
An Arm Slave is operated in a semi-master–slave system. This is an operating method which has the slave arm (machine motion) trace the movements of the master arm (pilot motion). This makes an Arm Slave a form of powered suit, instead of a robot which is piloted. The Arm Slave is not a complete master-slave piloting arrangements, as full motion tracing is impractical within the limited space of the cockpit. This limitation is solved by the Arm Slave amplifying the motion of the pilot. The "semi" designation of the piloting system refers to this machine-assisted motion management.The simplest and most obvious aspect is the Bilateral Angle, or the BMSA. BMSA is the amplification factor of the master movement by the slave trace. With a BMSA of 3, a pilot motion of 30 degrees is amplified to 90 degrees. Lower BMSA values are used in training, and more accomplished pilots make use of higher values. The usual range is between 1.3 (training) to 2.4 (standard) to 3.5 (high).
While the Second Generation Arm Slaves were limited in joint flexibility and overall anatomy, Third Generation units are mechanically capable of motions difficult or impossible for humans. A full master slave system, perfectly tracing the motion of a pilot would be limited to the same capabilities of the pilot. The semi-master–slave operation, controlled by complex software systems commonly called motion managers are capable of translating pilot motion into maneuvers impossible by the human body.
Skilled pilots spend a significant amount of time in optimization and personalization of the these motion patterns. Arm Slave vetronics including the motion managers form a critical component of arm slave performance characteristics. The M9 AI systems are indispensable in controlling the Arm Slave, allowing the pilot to make use of the full capabilities of the craft.
Countries
| United Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| Type | Notes |
| Cyclone | Made using the combined know-how of all the country's airplane manufacturing companies, resulting in a light machine with exceptional mobility. |
| Italy | |
| Type | Notes |
| Tornado | |
| France | |
| Type | Notes |
| C3-5 Mistral II | The only known Arm Slave in the series to not have a pure humanoid shape, the Mistral has two arms extending from the front of its body. It is mostly seen in the Second Raid episode "Ending Day by Day" in the Balic military's service. Most of their weapons and equipment have been supplied by Amalgam via French arms manufacturers such as GIAT when they engaged in a civil war against guerrillas and were known to be involved in an attempt to perform ethnic cleansing on Balic's refugee populations. |
| Germany | |
| Type | Notes |
| Drache | Made using technology and know-how from the nation's tank manufacturers, it boasts exceptional armor strength. |
| Japan | |
| Type | Notes |
| Type 96 | Models include T96 models modified for one or two pilots. The Type 96 is a design modified from base M6 design, similar to the relationship between the F-2 Mitsubishi F-2 The Mitsubishi F-2 is a multirole fighter manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, with a 60/40 split in manufacturing between Japan and the USA. Production started in 1996 and the first aircraft entered service in 2000. The first 76... and F-16 F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since... . |
| United States | |
| Type | Notes |
| M4 | |
| M6, M6A1, M6A2 Bushnell | The main Arm Slave of the US Army and the US Marine Corps. The USMC M6A2 uses a large reactive armor shield as optional equipment. |
| M6A3 Dark Bushnell | Enhanced model for special operations Special forces Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform... , similar to the relationship between the MH-60 and UH-60. |
| XM9 | U.S. Army United States Army The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services... OPEVAL unit. A provisional order for 26 units has been tabled. |
| USSR | |
| Type | Notes |
| Rk-89 "Shamrock" | First saw action in Afghanistan, almost totally phased out of the Soviet Army Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to... . |
| "Savage" Rk-91 / Rk-92 |
Front line Soviet Army unit; a common Arm Slave in the hands of terrorist organizations. One of the titular second generation Arm Slaves created by the Soviet Union in 1992 after the Gulf War, the Savage is a mass produced unit used by the Eastern bloc Eastern bloc The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact... . It has also been exported to other communist nations, including North Korea and North China. The Rk-92 is an upgrade of the Rk-91 with a gas turbine engine. Amalgam fields upgraded versions called the Rk-96M in later novels. |
| Zy-98 "Shadow" | First deployed by Amalgam, the Shadow is the USSR's third-generation Arm Slave, presumably undergoing OPEVAL with the Soviet Army. It is comparable to the M9 in terms of capability such as having ECS equipment. Sousuke Sagara's close friend, Zaied, uses a red and black colored Shadow during the Wind Blows at Home episode arc. Amalgam deploys several Shadows during the events of the Second Raid episodes The Dungeon and The Dragon and Daylight. In the light novel "Always Stand By Me," Kurz Weber uses a special sniper version. |
Organizations
| Amalgam | |
|---|---|
| Type | Notes |
| Plan1055 Belial | Leonard Testarossa's Arm Slave, which appears in the novel Continuing on My Own as one of the world's first 4th-generation Arm Slaves. Testarossa uses it to destroy the Arbalest. Although it has no weapons aside from 40mm cannons, in the novel "Always Stand By Me," it is equipped with the "Isaiahan Bone Bow," an advanced railgun that counters the effects of the Laevatein's "Fairy's Feather" anti-Lambda Driver system. |
| Plan1056 Codarl | Mithril codename "Venom", the first Lambda Driver-equipped Arm Slave in Amalgam's arsenal. The Codarl series is based on the frame of the USSR's Zy-98 Shadow. Gauron pilots one such Codarl during the Khanka hostage crisis in the Full Metal Panic! series episodes Whispered, Still Alive, Boy Meets Girl, and the three-part episode Wind Blows at Home. |
| Plan1058 Codarl(i) | Mithril codename "Venom", ostensibly a refinement of the Codarl, but an entirely new Arm Slave. Gauron pilots a red-colored version during the events of the Full Metal Panic! episodes Venom's Fire, Field of Giants, and Into the Blue. |
| Plan1059 Codarl(m) | A mass-produced version of the Codarl which makes an appearance in Hong Kong during the final few episodes of the Second Raid. |
| Plan1051 Behemoth | The largest Arm Slave in the Full Metal Panic! universe. Although it dwarfs other Arm Slaves, the mech is equipped with a Lambda Driver to help support its huge bulk. The A-21 terrorist group uses one Behemoth during its rampage in Tokyo in the first season episodes Behemoth Awakening and One Night Stand. Amalgam later deploys several Behemoths for the Mérida Island assault in the novel Continuing on My Own. |
| Plan1065 Eligor | Similar to the Venom, but more bulkier on the upper half and with a different heat-sink Heat sink A heat sink is a term for a component or assembly that transfers heat generated within a solid material to a fluid medium, such as air or a liquid. Examples of heat sinks are the heat exchangers used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems and the radiator in a car... system. The Eligor's Lambda Driver exhibits more power than those from Codarls. |
| Plan1211 Alastor | At around two meters, the Alastor is the smallest existing Arm Slave in the Full Metal Panic! universe and is also AI-controlled. Two Alastors serve as Leonard Testarossa's personal bodyguards. |
| Mithril | |
| Type | Notes |
| ARX-6 Halberd | Failed Lambda Driver Arm Slave prototype. |
| ARX-7 Arbalest | Mithril's sole Lambda Driver–equipped Arm Slave, piloted only by Sousuke Sagara. The AS would be Sousuke's main steed starting from the Khanka operation in the first animated series until it is destroyed by the Belial in the novel Continuing on My Own. |
| ARX-8 Laevatein | First appearing in the novel Come Make My Day, the Laevatein is a new high-performance Arm Slave containing the Arbalest's salvaged Lambda Driver and AI system codenamed AL. The AI joined forces with Sarah Miller, the Whispered girl that Sousuke, Kurz and Mao rescued in the first episode of the animated series, to design the Laevatein and tailor it for Sousuke. While it has no ECS system unlike the Arbalest and Gernsback, the Laevatein is equipped with the "Fairy's Feather," a device that cancels all Lambda Drivers-even its own-when activated. It's weapons include a set of grenades, anti-tank daggers, a new Demolition Gun, and the Boxer II shotgun. It also has two manipulators hidden its chest to assist in carrying two assault rifles and is designed to take advantage of the new XL-3 flightpack. |
| M9D Falke | An M9 variant intended to carry a Lambda Driver; plans for this were shelved and the two produced units were used as testbeds for the Arbalest. One of them would become Mithril Mediterranean Sea Fleet officer Belfangan Closeau's personal AS. |
| M9E Gernsback | The world's first third-generation Arm Slave, the Gernsback is Mithril's standard line AS, believed to be ten years ahead of American AS. |
Reception
THEM Anime Reviews has noted that the Arm Slaves, like most real life vehicles, are done meticulously that fans of mecha series would "online catalogues for tech books and sketches." Bureau 42 says that the "mecha[Arm Slave] action in the show is very well done. While I can’t compare the action with other more grounded mecha shows like Patlabor, the combat is very well done and easy to follow, and visually interesting." Triforce commented that Arm Slave battles in the Full Metal Panic! series would be able to keep viewer's attention to the show. Anime Chaos praises the 2D and 3D CG done on the 1st Full Metal Panic! season, with emphasis on the use of CG for the Arm Slaves.Negative criticism has surfaced on the role of the Arm Slaves throughout the Full Metal Panic! series. For instance, Ender's review states that their mecha roles are confusing that the Arm Slaves are both "08th MS Team soldiers and Dragon Ball Z-type fighters, hurling energy balls at each other and going "Super Saiya-jin." Anime Database rated the Full Metal Panic! series 4 out of 5 because of the Arm Slaves battles since they start out from being good to being very unrealistic. GameSpot Union comments on the relationship between the Arm Slaves and the animation done on Full Metal Panic!, saying both animation and camera views were bad.