Technology & Combat Characteristics
Although the MSM-03 Gogg was one of the first true amphibious mobile suits, it was handicapped by several problems including being under-powered, limited armament, and poor performance on land. To address these shortcomings, the MSM-03C Hygogg was developed. Introduced at the end of the One Year War, this machine was designed from scratch and retained only its predecessor's basic concepts. The result was a smaller, lighter, compact, and more powerful machine equipped with an improved generator and better weaponry. Its agility and mobility in water and on land were also enhanced. Additionally, production costs were reduced due to the implementation of standardized parts, including the cockpit, derived from the United Maintenance Plan, which greatly enhanced repairs and servicing.
The Hygogg's shoulder armor can flip down and its arms can be retracted to assume a streamlined form for improved underwater cruising, while an optional jet pack can be mounted on the back for short aerial mobility. Weapon wise, a pair of 120mm machine cannons are mounted in the waist, four torpedo launchers in the head, vice claws in the forearm, and its primary weapon is a pair of hand-mounted beam cannons similar to the Z'Gok series, allowing for better ranged attack. In U.C. 0096, Hygoggs used by a pirate faction had the beam cannons replaced with a pair of Gatling guns.
History
Only limited numbers of the Hygogg were built towards the end of the One Year War. In December U.C. 0079, Zeon's Cyclops Team special forces used three Hygogg among other mobile suits to attack an Earth Federation Forces military base in the North Pole in an attempt to destroy a prototype mobile suit. The mission failed as the prototype was launched into space before any of the Zeon mobile suits could destroy it. Some Hygogg units would survive the One Year War, and find their way into the hands of various factions in U.C. 0096. They would modify the Hygoggs with different weaponry.