Japan seriously considers building real-life Gundam mechas for Defense

Japanese political party may build giant anime robots

Yes, you read that right: some folks in the Japanese government have expressed interest in building an actual Gundam-like mechs to be used for combat purposes. Seriously!

The first thought I had when seeing this article was "it's going to flop even before it gets any funding or support". It's too big of a target, would require an impressive engine to keep running, can easily be disabled simply by attacking the legs, and would likely be a bitch to maintain in the field. Yet... they must be aware of that too, right? So why would they want to even go through with such a costly idea?

I'm thinking that they're trying to use the whole "HEY GUYS WERE GONNA START BUILDING FREAKING GUNDAMS!!!!1111" simply as a means of generating interest into their plans. Once they do have an audience, they'll tone down the scope of it into something more reasonable: say something along the lines of the Gekko mechs from Metal Gear Solid 4: small, nimble and fast mechs capable of taking on light armor and infantry while being expendable.

So, what do you guys think?

I think it's brilliant! The oppertunities of new technology and what other real life problems they can work out with it are so worth it! For example, figuring out the best technology to work out the joints and movements to be safe and strong could also help advancements in human prosthetics.

Besides, why not make one? The first generations of this probably won't be very battle worthy, but you have to start somewhere.

...

Japan despite all the horrible shit you do that makes me question why I love you you manage to do things like this.

Does this sound stupid? Yes. Quite. It's awesome though and as Gab there said it could provide us with uses and technological advances in the civilian level.

@OP: You mean, Japan finally admitted to it?

From a Civilization mod:

"Military traditionalists have repeatedly pointed out that the Assault Mechs are very poorly designed weapons - farcically bad, some have even said. They're extremely tall and are almost impossible to camouflage, making them easy targets. Their two-legged gait is more complicated, more expensive, more vulnerable and less efficient than are treaded wheels. And if one of the blasted things fall over, it can't get up again without the assistance of massive cranes or helicopters. Yank off the legs and mount the chassis on treads, the experts say, and you'll get a better weapon at lower cost.

All this is true. However, the units have one thing going for them that more than compensates for all of their weaknesses: they're massively, enormously cool. Military planners have long noted that national governments often confuse coolness with effectiveness and are willing to pay a lot more for flashy armaments than they are for effective but dull systems. In other words, a military with Mech Assault units has an easier time getting its bloated budget approved than does one without them. As long as this continues, the Mech's future is assured."

Maybe this is their reasoning? At least them falling into the same trap?

Maybe they are just exagerating.

Wouldn't surprise me if the final product is only about a foot tall.

A small infiltration style robot would have more utility than something the size of a building.

Easier to make, less costly to mass produce given Japan's hirtory with Robot Products like the Aimo and similar knock offs.

I think I'll just get this out of the way.

"OMFG ROFL LMAO LOL HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."

On an incidental note, this is the first time I've actually used internet acronyms.

Seriously though, this sounds cool but it'll never happen.

edited 27th Jun '12 8:52:13 AM by Ekuran

It might have some psychological advantages to have an iron giant staring down your enemies. But I guess if anything's going to come out of this, it'll be heavily modified to work more effectively. Like treaded wheels under their legs or so. And smaller, definitely. Their actual size is physically downright impossible. It'd be hard enough to stop it from collapsing into itself, let alone getting it to move, let alone by moving its legs.

They specifically said "Gundam", meaning, all those weaknesses listed does not exist.

Now the problem for Japan is to finding the real-world Minovsky reactors, Gundamium, GN Drive, etc.

edited 27th Jun '12 9:04:51 AM by entropy13

Japan needs to make a real God Gundam to represent its country and military might now.

I demand it.

They will burning finger sword people into oblivion.

Eh I don't know. It's been shown that mechs are not as efficient as conventional wheeled/tracked vehicles.

They aren't nearly as cool as the karate wielding doom bot that can ride a horse mecha(piloted by a horse in spandex) though.

Poland already has one.

Maybe it will just be Power Armor first?

Military Giant Robots seem a bit ambitious. (perhaps for remote deep sea opeartion?)

...I am now picturing Jesus using the Erupting Burning Finger and all other moves available to the God Gundam and its weaker Shining Gundam form.

...this is okay. GO JESUS GO!!!

I think people are missing the real point behind building Gundam mechs.

While it would probably be a mediocre or outright bad idea for national defense, it would give them an edge in space. The Mark 1 could enter and exit Earth's atmosphere with relative ease, after all...

I say to this, "meh".

....if only because I'd want them to build Metal Gear Rex first.

Last I heard the party that announced this is the official crazy party. Either way, humanoid robotic combat vehicles would be worse than useless and power armor is a pipe dream for the foreseeable future, so this is basically tantamount to saying "we want to make a large pile of money and then set it on fire!"

They probably would be better off just buying tanks with the R&D money and forgetting this silliness. Well, actually, they'd be better off using this money for something productive, like infrastructure or healthcare, since Japan isn't going to need ground vehicles in the near future.

Plus, even if they ever have a problem that would warrant the construction of Humongous Mecha, they can deal with it just as fine sticking to mundane solutions, like summoning Godzilla.

Ooooh. Mechs. Like a Figure 11 for tanks.

Eh, real-life mechs would just entail real-life Shadowswords to kill them with.

edited 27th Jun '12 1:04:39 PM by pagad

@ Derelict:

Funny you should say that: Type 10.

Anyhow, would a Macross-type Mecha be more practical?

Don't Macross mecha transform? That's even worse, because now you have conservation of mass issues.

Literally any "mecha" is utterly worthless for warfare. Industrial applications? Maybe. But mecha on a battlefield are a moving "kick me" sign and you'd be better off and more tactically, strategically, and scientifically sound with tanks as it is.

Hey, all they need are fusion engines, myomer actuators, endosteel internals, ferro-fibrous armor, lasers, autocannons, and missile racks and they'll be good to go.

And combining mecha. They are the home of Sentai after all.