Preparations for Battle

Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, Armor Testing Grounds.

Because the original weapons testing range of the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau's affiliated armaments factory could no longer meet the testing needs of domestically produced armor systems, a large specialized testing ground had recently been constructed.

This armor testing ground covered five times the area of the weapons testing range and provided testing environments with a variety of terrains. Its simulated urban area in particular had become the best venue for evaluating the overall performance of domestic armor.

Beneath a gloomy, overcast sky, a mobile suit painted silver-gray darted rapidly through a forest of steel and concrete. It nimbly evaded simulated attacks from different directions and struck back with its onboard weapons in precise retaliation.

The constantly updating data on the LED screen beside the testing ground showed that, in just five minutes, the armor had successfully destroyed thirty-seven "enemy" targets while sustaining less than ten percent damage itself.

That was an exceptionally impressive result. Even the First Armor Brigade's most elite soldiers would find it difficult to achieve.

But something even more astonishing came next. After all exposed targets had been destroyed, the armor hid behind a patch of ruins. The color of its outer plating rapidly shifted until it blended perfectly into its surroundings.

Like a chameleon, it was impossible to detect without careful observation from close range.

Nor was that all. Once the armor entered its concealed state, detection equipment scattered throughout the testing ground, including infrared, electromagnetic, and other devices, could not locate it at all!

"Impressive..."

Qin Wuyang, seated in the observation area, could not help asking, "Chief Zuo, is there really no way to mass-produce this kind of armor?"

Zuo Yi, sitting beside him, smiled. "There isn't."

The armor currently undergoing testing was designated the Phantom Type I. It