In the anime series Gundam Seed Destiny, ZAFT creates a new series of advanced mobile suits to succeed their previous generation of Gundams, which were all lost in the previous war. Since the Treaty of Junius bans the military use of the Neutron Jammer Canceller, these new Gundams use conventional battery power instead. However, technological improvements over the last two years mean that battery efficiency is improved, and Phase Shift armor is less power intensive than it had once been. To further improve endurance, ZAFT also introduces the new Deuterion Beam Energy Transfer System, which allows a properly equipped battleship to remotely recharge a mobile suit's battery.

One of these new suits is the ZGMF-X88S Gaia Gundam, a transformable unit specializing in ground combat. In mobile suit mode, the Gaia Gundam is armed with a large beam rifle, a pair of beam sabers, and head-mounted CIWS. For ground combat, it can also transform into a quadrupedal mobile armor mode similar to the TMF/A-802 BuCUE. In this mode, the beam rifle is mounted on right side and is still useable, and is supplemented by a pair of shoulder-mounted beam assault cannons. In addition, for close range combat in mobile armor mode, the Gaia Gundam has two back-mounted wings, which each mount a beam blade for slicing through enemy mobile suits.

The Gaia Gundam is initially test piloted at Armory One by Riika Sheder, a defective Coordinator who could only see with artificial assistance. However, before ZAFT can bring it into active service, Stellar Loussier of the Earth Alliance's 81st Independent Mobile Battalion steals the mobile suit and escapes with it to the battleship Girty Lue. The Gaia Gundam is later transferred to Earth and operates from the carrier John Paul Jones.

Later on, the Gaia Gundam is finally recaptured by ZAFT and remains onboard the Minerva.

In addition, the Earth Alliance used data from the Gaia Gundam to create the GAT-X399/Q Wild Dagger, a prototype using components of the GAT-02L2 Dagger L that is intended to test the viability of the design for mass production. Like the Gaia Gundam, the Wild Dagger can transform into a quadrupedal mobile armor mode for high-speed hit-and-run attacks. In this mode, it is armed with a forward-firing Gatling gun and a rear-firing cannon, and the waist-mounted beam sabers pivot outward to function similarly to the Gaia Gundam's wing blades. The rear-firing cannon is used to finish the job if its Gatling gun and beam sabers prove inadequate in a hit-and-run attack.

Specifications

ZGMF-X88S Gaia Gundam

Manufacturer: Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty
User: Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty, Earth Alliance
Unit type: prototype transformable attack use mobile suit
Head height: 85643.80 m
Weight: Max gross 69.85 t
Special equipment: Phase Shift armor, Deuterion Beam Energy Transfer System
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery
Armament: MMI-GAU25A 20mm multi-barrel CIWS x2, MA-81R beam assault cannon x2, MMI-GAU1717 12.5mm multi-barrel CIWS x1, MR-Q17X "Griffon" beam blade x2, MA-M941 "Vajra" beam saber x2, MA-BAR71XE high-energy beam rifle x1, MMI-RS1 mobile shield x1
Pilot: Riika Sheder, Stellar Loussier

GAT-X399/Q Wild Dagger

Manufacturer: Earth Alliance
User: Earth Alliance
Unit type: prototype transformable attack use mobile suit
Head height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery
Armament: M2M5 "Todesschrecken" 12.5mm automatic CIWS x2, ES04B beam saber x2, Gatling gun x1, cannon x1
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