Arasaka Type-90 Shugo

The **Arasaka Type-90 UFV** (荒坂90式無人戦闘車両), also known simply as the ***Shugo*** (守護, lit. guardian), is an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous combat operations that was developed and manufactured by Arasaka Corporation.

With an abundant arsenal of offensive and defensive measures at its disposal, the *Shugo* was considered to be one of Arasaka's most feared and sought after products in the years leading up to and during the Fourth Corporate War.

## Design details

The WP-90 Shugo is a bipedal, military-grade combat robot of an imposing stature, standing over nine feet in height, measuring nearly 6.5 feet wide, and weighing almost three tons.

As such a large target, a great deal of resources were invested in ensuring the Shugo's defenses were effective at diffusing attacks. It's steel frame—reinforced with titanium—was protected at its most vulnerable points with advanced KATO composite armor developed in-house at Arasaka, while the rest of the body was plated with various reactive armors for protection against both small arms and explosive ordnance. Additionally, the Shugo is equipped with a suite of various electronic countermeasures intended to hinder any cyberattacks.

As far as its armament goes, the standard arsenal for the Type-90 is the J41 autocannon and a five-barrel MPM-5 missile launcher, making the Shugo effective at eliminating infantry, lightly armored vehicles, and aircraft all at once. While these weapons systems are highly versatile, there are times when a more specialized loadout is required: for that reason, the Type-90—a fully modular weapons platform—can have its arsenal easily modified for specific mission requirements. Not only can its two primary weapons be swapped, but there are additional hardpoints for various offensive and defensive systems located on the Shugo's dorsal plating.

The Shugo is equipped with a Class-4 artificial intelligence, which is housed within its heavily-armored and insulated core. It is capable of carrying out an array of simple commands, such as patrolling specified routes or defending high-valued locations or personnel. It can also be controlled remotely via either a control console or neural up-link.

## History

Arasaka first introduced the concept of the WP-90 at its annual Arasaka Showcase convention in 2016, and moved to the production phase in 2020 only four years later. The megacorporation would fulfill a E$ 70 billion contract with the Pakistan Armed Forces that year, manufacturing and selling a large quantity for the nation in the midst of growing tensions with neighboring India. The Shugo was also sold to several private military and national military groups on the African continent, being employed in four conflicts across three nations between 2020 and 2021.

The WP-90 Shugo became popular among megacorporations looking to defend important facilities across the globe. SovOil purchased 80 units in 2021 to defend its many refineries and factories across the Neo-Soviet Union and abroad, and at least a few saw major action during the Moldovan Civil War. The Shugo was committed heavily to fronts in the Fourth Corporate War as well, initially serving as defensive units for CINO facilities before later being used to engage Militech's own armored units. The WP-90 continued production well into 2035 before officially ending service.

Years later, as late as at least 2070, some later-model Shugos can still be found being used by a handful smaller corporations and groups. Even some criminal syndicates, like the Yakuza and Triads, have managed to get their hands on a few surplus units.