Metal Gear RAXA

Metal Gear RAXA (pronounced rah-sha) was a prototype of the ICBMG intended for performance evaluation. This model of Metal Gear was developed by Sokolov based on Granin's designs. Although, RAXA was only built to make test performance succeed. the ICBMG was the real model set to fire a nuclear missile.

Chronologically, this was the first Metal Gear prototype ever built, having been developed by the U.S. government in 1970. First seen during the San Hieronymo Incident, its design, completed by Sokolov, is based on the original blueprints created by Granin. The head itself has a strong resemblance with the one from Metal Gear REX, a later Metal Gear model from the Shadow Moses Incident. Metal Gear RAXA has four legs, which was merely a step towards bipedalism. Its nuclear function is to act as a mobile launching device for MIRVs. While therefore capable of making nuclear strikes against several targets at once, its range is limited, and unlike the Shagohod, is unable to compensate for it with speed. Thus, Metal Gear must be physically transported to a point within range of the target(s) first. This is accomplished by having the Metal Gear unit itself attached to the top of a rocket, launching it, detach the unit at 3000 ft above the intended landing point, and having it parachute back down to the ground, launching its nuclear payload afterwards. An experimental prototype model, code-named RAXA (outwardly identical to the final unit), was produced beforehand, intended for performance evaluation.

Gene had anticipated that Snake and his group would have found out about the Inter-Continental Ballistic Metal Gear and try to destroy it before it's launch, so he secretly relocated the ICBMG before Snake and his group stormed the production plant that it was believed to be located at and replaced it with Metal Gear RAXA. He also planned to have Ursula command it and utilize it beyond it's normal capabilities to buy enough time for the ICBMG to be relocated.

Having been misled to believe it to be the complete (and only) model at the time, Naked Snake intended to sabotage it before it could be activated and used to deploy nuclear strikes. Once he arrived however, it instantly became active, being piloted by Colonel Skowronski, who had snuck himself in with the intention of using it against Gene. Very soon after its activation, its incompleteness became quite apparent, and it suddenly shut itself down while firing its machine gun.

At Gene's command, Ursula awakened and commandeered RAXA herself, using her psychic powers not only to compensate for the malfunctions, but to enhance its performance beyond its normal standards, causing it to move unlike a machine at all. Colonel Skowronski was thrown off of the cockpit and fell to his death. Snake was then forced to fight Metal Gear along with his comrades. After disabling its four legs, Snake and his comrades had to deal with a sophisticated hovering system, but still managed to destroy it by attacking its missile tubes when they opened up.

Afterwards, Ghost, revealing himself to be Sokolov, revealed that the Metal Gear that Snake destroyed was actually the prototype, and Gene explains that Ursula and RAXA bought enough time for the ICBMG to be relocated.