Episode 13: The Forgotten
Bonus Material: XM1981 Goon

NERV Department of Security Intelligence
Internal Database: Military Arms and Equipment
Classified Level YESOD

PROFILE: XM1981 GOON

Name: XM1981 "GOON" INFANTRY SUPPORT EXOSKELETON
Type: Armored combat exoskeleton
In Service: 2009-present
Height: 2.8 m (9.1 ft)
Width: 2.16 m (7.1 ft)
Weight: 3724 kg (8210 lbs)
Installed power: 1 400 kW alkaline fuel cell
Propulsion: 12 enhanced hydrogen peroxide rocket thrusters
Crew: 1

Developed in 2007 by a multinational team of corporations and military suppliers, the XM1981 Goon represents another in a long string of attempts to bring Evangelion technology to the conventional battlefield. Initially designated the XMS-08 Alice, the unit was renamed when the US Army provisionally accepted the design in 2009, initially ordering thirty-seven exoskeletons (expanded to fifty-two in 2010.) The Goon was quickly deployed into various conflicts and peacekeeping actions throughout the world.

Marketed as an armored infantry support unit, the Goon was primarily used in urban combat scenarios. Featuring two arm-mounted Ares Industries Shrike AAR/C light machine guns, it proved adept at providing both sustained and suppressive fire on the squad level. For situations requiring a more brute force approach, the unit could be deployed with up to twelve FGM-201 Hades anti-tank missiles or CBU-148/D Inferno anti-personnel cluster bombs contained within two pods on its back. Its MRLD thruster system allowed the exoskeleton to easily traverse buildings, minefields, and other obstructions. The Goon also supported a modified Fulton surface-to-air recovery system (STARS), or "skyhook," for quick retrieval.

While feedback on the ground was generally positive, the US Department of Defense nonetheless concluded that long-term maintenance on the XM1981 was financially unfeasible. Critics also cited the vulnerability of the exoskeleton's back-mounted external fuel tank to small arms fire and improvised explosive devices (IEDs.) Despite armor improvements, the Army began phasing the Goon out of combat operations in mid-2012, with the last units decommissioned in 2013. A small number of XM1981s remain active among a number of militaries and private forces worldwide, most notably the Japanese Strategic Self-Defense Forces (JSSDF) and the United Nations Emergency Mission in the International Territories.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Re: drgeo - the 'XM' designation is intended to reflect that, despite seeing combat, the unit was never "officially" accepted for mass production by the Army. Even its deployments were still considered part of the test phase, probably because there were concerns about maintenance from the very start. I believe that something like this occurred in at least one case I came across, though I can't recall the details off the top of my head. Regarding the 2S5 Giatsint-S - that's a new one on me. I had no idea the US Army had 'M' names for Soviet equipment. Welp. Obviously, in the Eva timeline, it was designated something else, and US Army model numbers just happen to work in a completely different way that allows for four digits. Multiverse theory. Wooooo. (finger wiggle)