Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin

"Sokolov! It's him you're looking for isn't it? Because of him I have been stripped of my authority!"

- Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin

Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin was the director of the OKB-812 Granin Design Bureau, or the Graniny Gorki Research and Design Lab during the events of Operation Snake Eater in 1964.

Early Life
Before 1964, he was twice awarded the Order of Lenin and the Stalin Medal, which he wore proudly on his suit jacket. An engineering genius, Granin created the basic design for the mobile ballistic missile system SS-1C (NATO reporting name: "Scud-B"). Granin was Metal Gear's original designer, although Volgin and the GRU decided that Sokolov's idea of the rocket-equipped Shagohod tank was a more worthwhile project, a decision that left Granin greatly embittered. He planned to send all of his research and designs for Metal Gear to a collegue in America. His collegue had also been a supporter of the bipedal walking tank weapon in America, though he was widely criticized for the idea.

Granin was confronted as he was "drowning his sorrows" by Naked Snake and decided to help him with his mission to rescue Sokolov and get him back to the United States, thereby eliminating his research rival, and hopefully having the Shagohod destroyed in the process. He explained the Metal Gear concept to Snake. He also told Snake about the Philosophers' Legacy and how Volgin's father had acquired it. In gratitude for complimenting him for his shoes, for his listening to him about the Metal Gear concept, wanting Snake to succeed in his mission, and partially because he was drunk at the time, he gave Snake a key to the underground tunnel to Groznyj Grad. Granin would not live to see if his plan would come to fruition, as Volgin suspected Granin of being the spy aiding Snake. Volgin "interrogated" him by putting him inside a large steel barrel and pounding away at it with his electrically-charged attacks, eventually killing Granin. However, Volgin was able to find a transmitter in his boot, confirming that there was a spy amongst his ranks. It should be noted that the transmitter came from Tatyana, as he mentioned earlier that his shoes were a gift from her.

It was implied by Ocelot's statements to the DCI at the end of the mission that Granin died before he could send all of the documents to America, as Ocelot himself seemed to have stolen some of the designs to present them as a possible future weapon to his bosses back in America.

Known Equipment Developed

 * SS-1C (Scud-B) missiles.
 * The original blueprints for Metal Gear TX-55 and Metal Gear REX.

Trivia

 * On Granin's wall was a picture of Granin with his "friend in America". The resemblance strongly suggested the image to be that of Hal Emmerich's grandfather or father. A radio conversation with Sigint following Granin's meeting supported this. The Metal Gear Solid 4 Database stated that the man in question was Mr. Emmerich (Hal's grandfather). However, briefing tapes in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker retonned the man in question being Huey (Hal's father).

Behind the Scenes

 * If the player fires their weapon outside the room they first meet Granin in, he will shout complaints that they are "ruining his drinking".
 * When the player first sees Granin, a variation of the Metal Gear theme tune can be heard in the background.
 * When Granin first shows Naked Snake his designs for "Metal Gear", the designs are those of Metal Gear REX and one similar in appearance to Metal Gear TX-55. In addition, there are models of both REX and RAY on the shelf behind Granin, visible in an R1 scene.
 * A figure of a mech from Zone of the Enders (another Konami game) called Jehuty is visible on Granin's desk.