Shagohod

The Shagohod (Шагоход) is a hybrid screw propelled vehicle designed by Dr. Nikolai Stepanovich Sokolov to serve as a mobile nuclear ballistic missile system.

Unlike Metal Gear, the Shagohod is not a bipedal tank; 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 prototype is articulated, consisting of a front module with engine, drive systems, driver's cab as well as most of the armament, and a rear module, which forms the bulk of the vehicle, carrying not only the ballistic missile but also the rocket engines. The rear module is an air cushion vehicle towed by the front section, and can be jettisoned from the front module if required.

Technical data
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. In speculation, 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, however, it is unknown if it provides any additional support to the front module in terms of fuel or power generation. Despite this, the augers are notably more susceptible to damage when the front module is jettisoned from the rear than in any other situation; 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 vehicle weaponry includes 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.

When complete, the Shagohod weighs 152.5 tons, is 75 feet (22.8 meters) long by 27 feet (8.2 meters) high by 21 feet (6.4 meters) wide, has a maximum road speed (without the rocket engines being activated) of 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour) and a range of 400 miles (650 kilometers). The rocket fuel used was highly volatile unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH). A crew complement of two is usual, though one can drive it if necessary.

Background
Though the Shagohod has similar capabilities to the Metal Gear series of mecha, it is not a precursor but a parallel development; it is developed by Sokolov at a secret base in Tselinoyarsk. His peer and self-proclaimed rival Director Granin conceives the Metal Gear concept at approximately the same time, but Colonel Volgin favors Sokolov's design over Granin's, and funds the production of a prototype. This is possibly due to the fact that, though a walker like Metal Gear would ultimately prove to be a far more versatile system, the Shagohod was only an unusual combination of technologies that already existed at the time (tanks, ground effect craft, IRBMs, and booster rockets), as opposed to an unrealized idea requiring years or even decades of research (as well as large amounts of money) to produce.

Dr. Sokolov referred to the Shagohod as the "Treading Behemoth," though a more accurate translation of the name is "step walker" or "great step." It was originally built as a nuclear-equipped tank that could launch nuclear missiles from any type of terrain. However, a major problem developed when it became apparent that the Soviet Union's ICBMs during the 1960s were too big for the Shagohod to carry. The Soviet military didn't wish to hear of it, as they wanted a weapon that could launch an ICBM directly into the American homeland. Sokolov was the one who came up with the idea for it to utilize his Vostov cluster rocket design to accelerate the Shagohod enough to launch an IRBM to lauch at the same speed as a ICBM, dubbed "phase 2."

Though it was originally intended 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 kilometers per hour) before launching its nuclear missile, essentially acting as an additional stage, increasing the range to ICBM levels. Upon launching a nuclear missile, it will then release three parachutes as a means of braking the Shagohod. The main disadvantage is that the 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. Nuclear submarines carrying ballistic missiles represent almost the same capability; the reason the Shagohod was considered such a threat was that it represented an ability that the U.S. did not have.

According to Sokolov the Shagohod cannot be detected by spy planes or satellites; this presumably is in comparison 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. It can be transported over long distances via helicopter.

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 damaged due to the forceful disconnection of the rear module to the point that it is vulnerable to RPG fire. The volley gun, directly before and after firing (before it closes), also provides a "hole" in the Shagohod's armor.

By the time of the Virtuous Mission, Colonel Volgin of GRU used the Philosophers' Legacy to help complete the Shagohod prototype that he had stolen from the Sokolov Design Bureau. He planned to mass-produce the Shogohod and deploy them all over the Soviet Union and throughout all the countries of the Eastern Bloc. He also intended to use the Shagohod as bait to foment armed uprisings against dictators, ethnic insurgents, and revolutionary groups throughout the Third World.

A week later during Operation Snake Eater, the Shagohod was almost destroyed in Groznyj Grad by FOX operative Naked Snake, using C3, before the weapon's mass-production could begin. However, the prototype survived the explosion due to the base's EOD personnel having removed the fuel from the tanks. Volgin personally piloted the Shagohod, using the rocket tank to pursue Snake and EVA on their motorcycle, laying waste to his very own fortress in the process; he managed to destroy two aircrafts (a WiG and a Hind), killed several of his own soldiers, almost injuring Ocelot in the backwash from the Shagohod's rocket boosters, as the chase proceeded onto Groznyj Grad's runway.

Managing to stay ahead of the pursuing Shagohod, Snake and EVA lured Volgin onto a C3-laden bridge, which was detonated as the tank attempted to cross. However, the Shagohod narrowly avoided destruction, though its main rear module was lost in the explosion. Exploiting the weakened armor, the tank was severely damaged by Snake's RPG-6, which was used to great effect thanks to EVA's motorcycle skills. Volgin then utilized his own powers of electricity to power up the damaged Shagohod and proceeded to chase EVA on her bike, while Snake opened fire on him from the ground while he was distracted. After Volgin was defeated, he attempted to again use his powers, only to be struck by a bolt of lightning during a sudden thunderstorm, destroying the Shagohod and killing Volgin.

Following the Shagohod's destruction, EVA gave the weapons's missile launch data to her true employers of the People's Liberation Army, so that the Chinese government would have the chance to develop its own nuclear weapons technology later that year.

Trivia

 * Sokolov's Shagohod was chosen for development because Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin's Metal Gear concept was considered (at the time) to be impractical.
 * According to Major Zero, the Shagohod would have been used solely as a deterrent by the Soviet Union, had its data been delivered to Nikita Khrushchev.
 * Despite being referenced by Colonel Volgin, the Shagohod did not possess treads, but in fact used augers (or screws) for motion.
 * During the Peace Walker Incident, the Pupa AI weapon of the Peace Walker Project bore heavy similarities to the Shagohod. During one of the briefing files, Huey said that he based Pupa on Russian designs specs (i.e. the Shagohod).

Behind the scenes

 * In a limited edition bundle for the first Japanese release of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, a 1/144 scale painted model of the Shagohod was included.
 * Example of a real life vehicle using screws for motion.
 * In the Secret Theatre film DieHard, the Shagohod chase was re-enacted, although this time it was exaggeratedly weaker than in the actual plot, as it ended up flipping over when attempting to run into the WIG.

Director's Commentary
During the development of Metal Gear Solid 3, the Shagohod's second phase had various ideas going about, one idea being that it was to have a transformer-type combination with a WIG where it will then launch the nuke. The idea of it accelerating its speed with rocket boosters and hovercraft technology was decided mid-production. Also, the Shagohod's cockpit was originally supposed to fall from the smoke of the destroyed bridge and reveal that it survived. Scenes of it going back up the bridge's remains were added in later. The Shagohod also was originally supposed to transform further by having the cockpit and a small portion of its "legs" eject as an escape vehicle that was fast and light in movement. However, it was cut from the final version, and replaced with Volgin connecting himself with its wiring to revive the 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."