Metal Gear D

Metal Gear D was a nuclear-armed bipedal tank, redesigned from the original TX-55 Metal Gear prototype, featuring a more streamlined design and improved weaponry.

Information
Metal Gear D's standard arsenal was comprised of a 60mm Vulcan gun, a 5.56mm machinegun and a six-missile pod that could be armed with several different types of warhead. While its main purpose was to serve as a mobile launch platform for short-to-medium range nuclear warheads, it could also function as a weapon of conventional warfare.

Because of its immense size, a new helicopter, the Gigant, was developed to transport Metal Gear D. D would be airlifted to an area 25-30 kilometers from its target destination and then proceed on its own at a maximum speed of 45km/h.

Origins
Metal Gear D was developed by Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar for Zanzibar Land in 1998, much like the prototype TX-55 was for Outer Heaven, four years prior. However, unlike its predecessor, Madnar designed D of his own free will.



Metal Gear D was piloted by Gray Fox during Zanzibar Land's raid of nuclear disposal sites. Fox later used D's missiles to destroy Zanzibarland's Bridge of Sorrow, preventing his former comrade, Solid Snake, from rescuing kidnapped biologist, Kio Marv.

After Snake reached Zanzibarland's detention camp via an alternative route, Fox piloted Metal Gear D in battle with him, in an underground complex beneath the facility. Snake exploited the Metal Gear's weakpoint, attacking its legs with fragmentation grenades, and was ultimately successful in destroying it. Fox survived the ensuing explosion, though Snake lost all his equipment in the fire.

Trivia

 * Zanzibar Land originally intended to develop a small-scaled, mass-produced version of Metal Gear D, known as Metal Gear G (codenamed "Gustav").
 * Zanzibar Land also intended to mass-produce Metal Gear D itself, with a total of 21 units serving within the country's Tactical Army, divided among 3 Special Task Forces.

Behind the scenes
The mecha design of Metal Gear D was chosen through an internal contest between Konami's artists, with the primary criteria being realism. The final design is credited to Tomohiro Nishio. The BGM track "Mechanic" is used as the battle theme for both Metal Gear D and the Hind D.

Metal Gear D made cameo appearances in both Metal Gear Solid 3 and Metal Gear Solid 4, as an obscure blueprint among Dr. Granin's Metal Gear designs, and as a still image during Big Mama's reminiscence, respectively. The former has caused some fans to speculate that Granin may have designed Metal Gear D, though there is no official confirmation that this cameo appearance was anything but an in-game easter egg (unlike Metal Gear REX, whose likeness later appears in succeeding prequel games). It should be noted, however, that the Director's Commentary indicated that the "D" like blueprint was actually intended to be one of RAY.

Appearances

 * Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
 * Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (cameo)
 * Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (cameo)