Shagohod



The Shagohod is a hybrid screw propelled vehicle designed to serve as a Ballistic Missile Launching Platform. Unlike true Metal Gears such as Metal Gear REX, the Shagohod has no legs; while it can "walk" in a limited fashion on the tips of the runners carrying the two augers, it mainly drives with them flat. The complete Shagohod vehicle is articulated, consisting of a front module with engine, drive systems, driver's cab and most of the armament, and a rear module, which forms the bulk of the vehicle and carries the ballistic missile and rocket engines. The rear module is an air cushion vehicle towed by the front section. The rear module can be disconnected from the front module if needed, as seen in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

Mechanical Information
The forward module contains the driver's cab, main propulsion systems, and most of the Shagohod's weapons. It is a completely autonomous vehicle that can function without the rear module attached, though in this configuration the rocket boosters are lost and the module has no nuclear launch capacity. The main means of propulsion is a pair of augers fixed to runners mounted on hydraulic-actuated arms; at high speeds these are locked in line with the rear and used to pull the Shagohod along, while for low-speed or awkward movements, the arms are brought down diagonally and used to drag the rear section; it is presumably the latter movement mode that gives the Shagohod its name, though the vehicle crawls rather than walking.

The rear module carries the missile launch tube on its right upper surface, with a large fire control radar on the left and the rocket booster units mounted on the sides; the rear sloped surface consists mostly of a large grille, probably the air inlet for the engines and air cushion. Presumably, much of the internal space is taken up by fuel for the boosters and whatever systems are used to produce the air cushion the rear body runs on; it is unknown if it provides any additional support to the front module in terms of fuel or power generation. However, the augers are notably more susceptable to damage when the front module is disconnected from the rear, being immobilised rather than slowed, suggesting the rear module is indeed linked to the forward module's drive systems. The rear module does not appear autonomous; it lacks any visible control station or method of steering.

The Shagohod is armed with two 12.7 mm DShKM heavy machine guns (300 rounds) and one additional turret mount for anti-aircraft work with 360 rounds. In addition, it mounts six 9K112 Kobra surface-to-air guided missiles, a 100 barrel volley gun, and a single SS-20 "Sabre" IRBM (Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile).

Though the Shagohod may appear to be a precursor to the Metal Gear line, the development of Shagohod is in fact distinctly separate from the development of the initial Metal Gear design - both were developed independently of one another at approximately the same time, with the simpler Shagohod design reaching fruition before the more complex and technologically advanced Metal Gear.

Complete, the Shagohod weighs 152.5 tons, is 75 feet (22.8 metres) long by 27 feet (8.2 metres) high by 21 feet (6.4 metres) wide, has a maximum road speed (without the rocket engines being activated) of 50 miles per hour (80 kilometres per hour) and a range of 400 miles (650 kilometres). A crew complement of 2 is usual, though one can drive it.

History
Sokolov refers to the Shagohod as "The Treading Behemoth," though a more accurate translation of the name is "step walker" or "great step."

Though originally meant to be a theatre- to intermediate-range nuclear weapons platform operable from any type of terrain, the final "Phase 2" design of the Shagohod uses rocket boosters to propel the behemoth to a speed of over 300 miles per hour (480 kilometres per hour) before firing off its nuclear missile, essentially acting as an additional stage, increasing the range to ICBM levels. The tradeoff from the original design is that Shagohod requires 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) of flat, even land, such as a long road or runway, to get up to speed and decelerate safely.

The perceived advantage of Shagohod over traditional silos is its mobility and thus relative stealth. As a mobile weapon, it is also suited to more aggressive posturing, leading to the threat of a nuclear first strike with the new system. In reality, nuclear submarines carrying ballistic missiles represent almost the same capability; the reason the Shagohod is such a threat in MGS3's time is that it represents an ability the US doesn't have.

According to Sokolov the Shagohod cannot be detected by spy planes or satellites; this presumably is in comparsion to large ICBM silo complexes, as the Shagohod could potentially be housed in any suitable hangar any time it is not engaged in launch activities.

The Shagohod, if it is to act as a mobile center for another target, is presumably moved to another location via five Hind-A gunship/transport helicopters, as shown when Volgin was moving the Shagohod from the Virgin Cliffs back to Groznyj Grad.

The Shagohod does have weaknesses; its augers are susceptible to damage by explosives which slow down the assembled vehicle or immobilise the disconnected front module, and the rear armour of the front module is left damaged enough by the forceful disconnection of the rear to be vulnerable to RPG fire. The volley gun, directly before and after firing (before it closes), also provides a "hole" in the Shagohod's armour.

The only fully functional Shagohod ever constructed was destroyed by Naked Snake during Operation Snake Eater. Volgin had apparently been planning to mass-produce the vehicle for export to states belligerant to the US, but the production line was destroyed with C3 before a second vehicle could even be begun. As Battle data for the Shagohod was given by EVA/Tatyana to her employers at the People's Republic of China, there's a chance that they may have developed their own Shagohod.

Other Appearances
An unlockable Shagohod trophy exists in Super Smash Bros. Brawl with the following description:

"A massive, nuclear-capable tank developed by the Soviet weapons specialist Nikolai Sokolov. In parallel development with the Metal Gear, the Shagohod is selected for military deployment over its rival. The body is made up of two front and two rear sections. The front uses a pair of drills on hydraulic legs to pull the bulky rear section which houses its ballistic missile."

Trivia

 * Despite being mentioned by Colonel Volgin, the Shagohod does not have any treads, but in fact uses augers (or screws) for motion.



Behind the Scenes

 * Example of a real life vehicle using screws for motion.
 * In the TGS09 trailer of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker a tank that looks like a painted-black heavily-modified version of the Shagohod is clearly shown. A recent newsflash has revealed that this weapon is actually an AI weapon.

Gallery
Shagohod