RPI-11 Glasgow

Influenced by the success of the YF6-X7K/E Ganymede prototype, the Holy Britannia Empire began researching the use of Knightmare Frames as combat weapons. The fruit of their labor was the RPI-11 Glasgow, the first combat-capable Knightmare. Building upon the foundation laid out by the Ganymede, the Glasgow relied upon its small, light frame and landspinners for high-speed combat, allowing it to outflank ground forces such as tanks and APCs. The Glasgow also introduced the slash harken, a wired projectile weapon that could double as a grappling hook, or be used to help the Knightmare descend from aerial transports safely, and became standard equipment in all Knightmares thereafter. The effectiveness of the Glasgow was proven when it was deployed during Britannia’s invasion of Japan. The Glasgow’s participation made the brief war a complete route, allowing Britannia to easily take over the island nation, which was then renamed Area 11. Seven years after the invasion, the Glasgow was still seen as venerable, but outdated, and was slowly phased out of production in favor of the newer RPI-13 Sutherland. Many units were refitted into the police-use LE-E106 Knightpolice, while the proliferation of Glasgows meant that they often ended up in the hands of anti-Britannian rebels, such as the Order of the Black Knights and the Japanese Liberation Front. Further, the reliable Knightmare was used as the basis for several “new” designs, including the Type-10R Burai and Type-1R Burai Kai.