The ASH is ZAFT's newest underwater/amphibious combat mobile suit, and unlike the earlier UMF-4A GOOhN and UMF-5 ZnO, which are not that effective outside of water, the ASH is nearly as effective on land as it is at sea due to its more humanoid design. Like its predecessors, the ASH can transform from mobile suit mode (MS mode) into a mobile armor mode (MA mode) for high-speed underwater movements. It is initially used for covert operations by ZAFT's special ops teams, hence the SSO in its model code, which stands for Support/Special Operations, but it is later put into production for use by normal forces. The ASH is heavily armed with missile launchers, beam cannons, phonon maser cannons, machine guns and beam claws. Due to its design and weaponry, it is equally adept at long and close-range combat.
ASH
（UMF/SSO-3）The ASH is ZAFT's newest underwater/amphibious combat mobile suit, and unlike the earlier UMF-4A GOOhN and UMF-5 ZnO, which are not that effective outside of water, the ASH is nearly as effective on land as it is at sea due to its more humanoid design. Like its predecessors, the ASH can transform from mobile suit mode (MS mode) into a mobile armor mode (MA mode) for high-speed underwater movements. It is initially used for covert operations by ZAFT's special ops teams, hence the SSO in its model code, which stands for Support/Special Operations, but it is later put into production for use by normal forces. The ASH is heavily armed with missile launchers, beam cannons, phonon maser cannons, machine guns and beam claws. Due to its design and weaponry, it is equally adept at long and close-range combat.