Soviet engineers working on the Shagohod in Groznyj Grad.
Soviet engineers, also known as Soviet maintenance crews, were responsible for constructing and maintaining various technologies for the Soviet Union.
History[]
Shortly after the Cuban Missile Crisis, several engineers were sent to the San Hieronymo Peninsula, Colombia, to help maintain a secret Soviet missile base.
Operation Snake Eater[]
- See also: Virtuous Mission and Operation Snake Eater
In August 1964, various engineers in Groznyj Grad were forced to work on the Shagohod without rest until it was completed. Colonel Volgin also considered killing the engineers afterwards in order to keep them silent. In addition, a small number of engineers were present in the Shagohod's hangar when Naked Snake infiltrated it to rig the fuel tanks with C3 timed explosives, attempting to make sure the Shagohod was in prime condition for testing.[1]
Post-Snake Eater[]
| Warning: The following information is from outside Hideo Kojima's core "Metal Gear Saga." Its canonicity within the continuity is disputed, therefore reader discretion is advised.[?] |
During détente, the engineers on the San Hieronymo Peninsula became stranded after the Soviet government cancelled development of the missile base, abandoning all personnel. However, they still continued to maintain the base for the remaining forces on the peninsula.
San Hieronymo Incident[]
- Main article: San Hieronymo Incident
During the San Hieronymo Incident in 1970, the various engineers were employed by Gene and the FOX Unit to complete the stolen ICBMG and Metal Gear RAXA at an assembly plant. However, at least one engineer revolted against FOX and was subsequently imprisoned in the warhead storage facility, where he was later recruited by Big Boss's resistance group. Shortly after the ICBMG's completion and delivery to the missile silo, several engineers committed suicide after despairing of their crimes, presumably due to Gene's influence.
| Non-"Metal Gear Saga" information ends here. |
Uniforms[]
The Soviet engineers wore blue and white jumpsuits, with zippers and the Cyrillic letters мч on the back, which translated to "MCH."
Behind the scenes[]
If the player disguises himself as an engineer in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the engineers will see through his disguise and will very quickly sound an alert if they are not knocked out by handkerchief or by the cigarette narcosis gun. If the maintenance crew in the hangar was either killed or knocked unconscious by the player before setting the fourth C3 bomb, the Shagohod will be reduced in HP during the battle. Because of their late encounter in the game, the engineers are also the only personnel to not be fooled by the Major Raikov disguise, as well as the only disguise that is exclusive to the eyepatch model of Naked Snake.
In Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, the player can recruit various engineers. They mostly carry rations and medical kits. There are three character models. In addition, due to the recruitment procedure of Portable Ops, they will not grow suspicious of the player if they are playing as another engineer, unless the player does suspicious things. Similar to Metal Gear Solid 3, if they do detect an intruder, they will react by flinching erratically, making distressed sentences (e.g., "Somebody!", "Help me!", "Help!", "I'm outta here!"), scream, and/or run away in a panic. They are also the only personnel of Soviet origin to not have a female counterpart in any of their appearances (the Soviet soldiers, while they didn't have any female counterparts in Portable Ops, did gain female counterparts in Portable Ops Plus). Similar to the Soviet Scientists, the Soviet Engineers also have the Cyrillic words мч (meaning "martyr") written on their uniforms, this time, on the back of the uniforms.
Engineer A
- "A maintenance crew member sent to San Hieronymo along with the Soviet troops. Was responsible for repairing weapons and equipment even after the peninsula was cut off, but with FOX in charge, he now services the stolen secret weapon. A train otaku."
- ―Maintenance crew member A description in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus
Engineer B
- "A maintenance crew member sent to San Hieronymo alongside the Soviet troops. Was responsible for repairing weapons and equipment even after the peninsula was cut off, but with FOX in charge, he now services their stolen secret weapon. An avid bug collector."
- ―Maintenance crew member B description in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus
Engineer C
- "A maintenance crew member sent to San Hieronymo to support the Soviet troops. Was tasked with repairing weapons and equipment even after the peninsula was cut off, but with FOX in charge, he now maintains the secret weapon they stole. A first-rate dancer."
- ―Maintenance crew member C description in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus
In Portable Ops Plus, they can also be recruited via passcodes, which vary depending on whether the game was the Japanese or American version. The passwords for getting them are as follows:
| Character | Japanese | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance Crew Member A | ZCCCNOYORS | T8EBSRK6F38 |
| Maintenance Crew Member B | JPARNYXGBWO | YHQU74J6LLQ |
| Maintenance Crew Member C | VYPDKMREL | MFAJMUXZHHKJ |
Notes and references[]
- ^ Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan (2004).
The reason for their presence was implied by EVA, and confirmed by neutralizing the maintenance crews, where their incapacitation will result in the Shagohod's HP bar will be significantly decreased during the later fight with the Shagohod.