Metal Gear G (Gustav)

Metal Gear G, code-named Gustav, was a small-scaled, mass produced, walking tank, designed to assist infantry in local combat areas, which would normally be inaccessible to conventional tanks.

Based on the design of Metal Gear D, Gustav was to undergo development within Zanzibar Land. The nuclear launch module was removed from the design to reduce its overall weight and increase its mobility. Whereas Metal Gear D was heavily armed, Gustav would function more as a "mobile control tower", processing all the battlefield data it received, then transmitting the analysed information in real-time to all soldiers in the troop. It would also enable all soldiers to focus on a single target using its advanced sensors. One was to be available for each infantry troop, each being piloted by either a communications officer, a data processing specialist or a commander. While its main purpose was to assist infantry, it was also equipped with weapons that rival the power of most MBT armored vehicles. Other weapons could also be mounted, depending on the situation. Had it been successfully deployed, it could have been a more economic alternative to conventional war machines.

Due to the events of Operation Intrude F014, the country of Zanzibar Land collapsed before the production of Metal Gear Gustav could even begin.

Behind the Scenes

 * Metal Gear G was nick-named OSTRICH during development, due to its profile.
 * There is no relation between the similary named Metal Gear Gustav and Gustava Heffner, the latter only receiving her name in the the Subsistence remake of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.
 * Metal Gear G was originally going to appear within the tank hangar of the Zanzibar Building, in Metal Gear 2, but was cut due to time constraints. However, Dr. Madnar tells Solid Snake about Gustav, mentioning that Zanzibar Land is working on a light version of Metal Gear D for mass production.
 * Gustav may have been an influence on the design for Gekko in Guns of the Patriots, having a similar role in infantry support, although they are unmanned and do not coordinate troops using battlefield data analysis (that role being much expanded in the form of SOP).