Technology & Combat Characteristics
The MS-06FZ Zaku II FZ was one of the second-phase production MS developed under the United Maintenance Plan, and the final production model of the Principality of Zeon's Zaku II series in the One Year War. The performance of the Zaku II has begun to deteriorate due to the appearance of Federation MS and the deployment of new MS by Zeon, so it has been tuned up by feeding back data from new models. In addition, based on the results from the MS-06F-2 Zaku II F2 Type, the shape and materials of the armor and the balance of the machine were more thoroughly reviewed, resulting in the Zaku II FZ's appearance being quite different from previous Zaku II F-Type models.
The most significant modification was to the cockpit, which is said to have been so good that even new recruits with insufficient training could handle it. Furthermore, the apogee motors in various parts of the body and the thrusters in the backpack were increased and made larger, with the total thrust increased by 70 percent compared to previous F-Type models. On the other hand, the total amount of propellant had not changed, and the time limit at maximum combat thrust has dropped by half. The armor has also been considerably strengthened and the armament has been redesigned, so it does not lag behind the Federation's RGM-79 GM and has achieved considerable high performance.
The Zaku II FZ also had two different "helmet" designs. The more common "A-Type" helmet design was similar to the typical helmet of the Zaku II series, while the "B-Type" helmet, also known as "Fritz Helm", was modeled after the Stahlhelm helmet used by the German army in World War II. The Fritz Helm was designed so that pilots of downed machines could remove the helmet dome and make repairs on their own. Unfortunately, the Zaku II Kai was produced only in very small numbers as the war ended one month after it was rolled out. It was only used by some units operating in space, especially those made up of new recruits.
History
Due to its late introduction in the One Year War, there are few battle records of this machine. Several Zaku II FZs were known to attack the Ribo Colony in Side 6 at the end of the war, where they engaged the Federation Forces' RGM-79GS GM Command Space Types. One of these Zaku II FZs was piloted by Corporal Bernard Wiseman, who was forced to abandoned his machine after it was hit by a bomb and crash-landed in the colony. Later, Bernard was assigned to the Cyclops Team and after the failure of Operation Rubicon, returned to the Ribo Colony, where he repaired the abandoned Zaku II FZ, and fought the Federation Forces' RX-78NT-1 Gundam NT-1 in an attempt to save the colony from a nuclear assault. At the end of this battle, Bernard's Zaku II FZ destroyed the head of the Gundam NT-1, but Bernard himself was killed when the enemy's beam saber pierced the Zaku II FZ's cockpit at the same time.
In U.C. 0096, a Zaku II FZ was among the mobile suits deployed by Zeon Remnants in the attack on the Torrington Base.