YMS-07A Prototype Gouf

The Principality of Zeon was seemingly unstoppable in its invasion of the Earth. In the early days of the Earth invasion, the MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type ruled the battlefield, crushing any armored vehicles sent its way by the Earth Federation Forces. Over time, however, the J-type's limits became clear. Zeonic Company saw its chance to begin research into a replacement for the aging unit, and so they started the MS-07 development project.

The first machine produced by this project was the YMS-07A Prototype Gouf (pronounced "Goof"). Its design, while based on the MS-06 chassis, was completely different in terms of performance. Engineers focused on minimizing dead weight and unused space, and the result was a significantly lighter and more maneuverable mobile suit.
While the design plans called for the unit to mount two new, fixed weapons (the extending, electrified whip known as the "Heat Rod" and the five-barreled "Machinegun Hand"), these weapons were still in development by the time the YMS-07A was built, and were not incorporated into the design until much later. The YMS-07A did, however, make use of a removable, arm-mounted shield, which was an improvement over the fixed-position shield that the MS-06J Zaku wore on its right shoulder.

During the initial test stage, two YMS-07s were built. The first was the YMS-07A, seen here. The second was the YMS-07B, which mounted new jet thrusters in the legs that allowed it to make jet-assisted jumps through the air.