Gundam Galaxy Mobile Suit Basics Of all the sci-fi gadgets of the Gundam world, the coolest and flashiest are the humanoid fighting vehicles known as mobile suits. Originally developed by the Duchy of Zeon and introduced into battle in the first days of the One Year War, the mobile suit provides the upstart Zeons with a key advantage to offset the numerical superiority of the Earth Federation. In the decades following the war, the mobile suit becomes an indispensable part of the military arsenal, and wars large and small are fought and won by armies of these fantastical giant robots. Roots of the Mobile Suit In the year UC 0070, Zeon military researchers successfully experiment with the Minovsky effect, confirming that they can nullify radar and radio communications by scattering massive quantities of Minovsky particles. Realizing that the Minovsky effect will change the face of warfare, and anticipating an eventual confrontation with the Earth Federation, Zeon's researchers begin development of new, highly mobile combat spacecraft tailor-made for the Minovsky era. At first, Zeon's developers set out to create a conventional space fighter. Their starting point is the civilian space pod, a simple spacecraft equipped with hand-like manipulators for construction work. However, after extensive research, the researchers determine that a fully humanoid form offers greater flexibility and manueverability. Rather than being dead weight, the vehicle's limbs can be used for manuevering in accordance with the principles of action and reaction, conserving scarce propellant supplies. These movements are coordinated by an Active Mass Balance AutoControl (AMBAC) system, which handles all manuevering and balancing automatically. By UC 0073, Zeon's researchers have settled on a humanoid design they call the "mobile suit," likening it to a scaled-up space suit. Development is entrusted to the Zeonic Company, which constructs a series of prototypes. Though the first few designs are woefully underpowered, Zeonic resolves the problem by installing the recently-completed Minovsky fusion reactor in its fourth iteration. The MS-04 is swiftly remodeled into the combat-worthy MS-05, the prototype of which is completed in February, UC 0074. Thus is the mobile suit brought into the world. Mobile Weapon Classifications While mobile suits make up the backbone of the Gundam world's warring fleets, they aren't the only such high-tech fighting machines in the military arsenal. Collectively, weapons that use mobile suit technology, be they humanoid or no, are referred to as mobile weapons. Towards the end of the One Year War, Zeon's researchers take the first step beyond the orthodoxy of the humanoid mobile suit. Resurrecting an alternate design concept from the early days of mobile suit development, they create the fearsome mobile armor, a non-humanoid fighting machine with greater speed and firepower than the typical mobile suit. Liberated from the size and shape restrictions of the mobile suit, Zeon's mobile armors can accommodate bulky devices like psycommu systems, I-field barriers, and Minovsky craft systems.After the One Year War, mobile suit designers set out to create vehicles that can switch between mobile suit and mobile armor forms; in the former mode, they are versatile and manueverable, while the latter mode provides power and speed. Depending on its size and power, a transforming design of this type is described as either a variable mobile suit or a variable mobile armor. However, these designs are seldom very cost-effective. First introduced around UC 0085, they are all but extinct within five years. The development of military mobile suit technology also yields benefits in the civilian sector. No sooner is the One Year War over than a host of scaled-down civilian mobile suits appear on the market, variously classified as petit mobile suits, middle mobile suits, junior mobile suits and mobile workers. These miniature mobile suits are used for tasks like construction, maintenance and salvage, just like the space pods that inspired the military mobile suit. Mobile Suit Construction The core of the mobile suit is a powerful yet compact fusion reactor, typically located in its torso. In addition to providing energy for propulsion and beam weapons, the reactor generates electricity and powers the array of actuators and joints that allows the mobile suit to move its limbs. The first Zeon mobile suits use a cable-transmitted fluid pulse system to relay motive power from the reactor to the joints, while the Earth Federation equips its mobile suits with I-field-based field motors, to no particular advantage. Towards the end of the One Year War, the Federation also develops a magnet coating process which improves the mobile suit's response time by reducing friction at its joints; this process is applied to Amuro Ray's RX-78-2 Gundam, and is later used to speed the transformation of variable mobile suits. The first mobile suits are constructed along fairly conventional lines. Zeon's mobile suits use a monocoque construction, in which a rigid outer shell is packed with actuators, power systems, avionics, propellant tanks, and other vital systems. The Earth Federation opts for a semi-monocoque construction based on an internal framework, to which individual armor plates are attached. But in the last months of the One Year War, the introduction of mobile suits equipped with beam weapons renders these distinctions moot. Even the most heavily armored mobile suit is helpless against the devastating power of a beam rifle - the only defense is not to get hit, making agility and manueverability the top priority for post-war mobile suit designers. With this in mind, the engineers of the Earth Federation's elite Titans force decide to base their mobile suits on the movable frame, a fully-articulated skeleton with armor attached only to the most vital areas. In UC 0087, the Titans complete the RX-178 Gundam Mark II, which serves as a testbed for the concept; within a couple of years, the movable frame has become a standard element of mobile suit design. Another new feature of post-war mobile suits is the binder, a movable attachment that can contain thrusters, maneuvering verniers, propellant, weapons and armor. Under the control of the mobile suit's AMBAC system, these binders can be used like an extra set of limbs to adjust the mobile suit's position. The first mobile suits to sport binders are produced as part of the Gundam Development Project in UC 0083. Armor Materials Of course, the combat-worthy mobile suit must be outfitted with armor, however feeble it may be against beam weapons. During the One Year War, super high tensile steel and titanium are the typical armor materials, with stronger titanium composites introduced in the following years. The Earth Federation at first plans to armor its mobile suits with a vastly stronger allow called Luna Titanium, developed at its Luna Two base; originally developed for use in reactor cores, this super-alloy is resilient enough to deflect a 120mm shell from a Zaku machine gun. However, the cost and effort of producing this material make it impractical for mass-produced mobile suits. After the end of the war, the quest for the ultimate armor continues. Both Federation researchers and their former Zeon adversaries develop new versions of the Luna Titanium alloy, now known as Gundarium after the mobile suit which first demonstrated its miraculous durability. In September, UC 0083, renegade Zeons holed up in the asteroid Axis produce a lighter, stronger form called Gundarium Gamma. The details of Gundarium Gamma's composition are relayed to the rebellious AEUG, which uses the material in its own mobile suits, and in the following years new forms of Gundarium become increasingly popular as mobile suit armor materials. Sensor Systems A mobile suit is controlled by a human pilot, assisted by powerful computers that automate most of the details of the mobile suit's movement. Though the mobile suit's cockpit is usually located in its chest, the cockpit display is set up to present the point of view of the mobile suit's head. Thanks to the widespread use of Minovsky particles, radar is virtually useless in combat, and infra-red sensors are sufficient only to indicate the whereabouts of large heat sources, forcing the pilot is forced to rely on visual sensors. The images shown on the cockpit displays are extensively enhanced by the mobile suit's computer, and when a mobile suit or other vessel can be positivly identified, crisp computer graphics are substituted for low-quality visuals. Since mobile suits are reliant on visual sensors, it's possible to fool them with simple decoys. An inflatable dummy balloon will often suffice to distract or confuse an enemy pilot, and even dummy ships are sometimes used to intimidate a distant fleet. After all, if the mobile suit's computer thinks it's identified an enemy unit, it'll substitute a computer graphic and the pilot will be none the wiser! While mobile suits are studded with backup cameras and sub-sensors, the main camera is usually located in the head. Zeon's first mobile suits use a distinctive track-mounted movable camera called a mono-eye for this purpose. Earth Federation mobile suits typically use either a single large mono sensor, or a dual sensor that resembles a pair of human eyes. The latter option is also favored by the mobile suit designers of the Crossbone Vanguard and the Zanscare Empire. In the Cockpit At first, mobile suits aren't equipped with any sort of ejection mechanism, leading to heavy pilot casualties. The Federation's first prototype mobile suits are equipped with a Core Block System, which allows the cockpit to eject and function as a small aerospace fighter called a Core Fighter. In addition to saving the pilot, this system also preserves the mobile suit's combat computer and its accumulated test data. However, the system is deemed to expensive for mass production and omitted from the Federation's subsequent designs. In the years following the One Year War, some key advances are made in the area of mobile suit cockpit design. The first of these is the introduction of the panoramic display, a 360-degree spherical monitor that surrounds the pilot and affords him an unobstructed field of view. This all-encompassing image is generated by combining data from all the mobile suit's cameras and sensors, with extensive computer enhancement. The panoramic display is usually combined with a linear seat, a pilot seat mounted on a shock-absorbing swivel arm. In addition to cushioning the pilot against sudden impact and acceleration, the linear seat can automatically turn to keep the pilot facing in the appropriate direction, regardless of the mobile suit's body movements. The linear seat and its enclosing panoramic display also serve as an ejection pod. These devices are introduced on an experimental basis in the RX-78NT1 Alex, reappear in the RX-78GP03S Dendrobium Stamen, and have become standard features by UC 0087. Later mobile suits introduce only modest refinements. In UC 0093, we see linear seats equipped with spherical control grips called arm rakers rather than joysticks and levers, while shock balloons built into the pilot's control panel inflate to cushion the pilot against sudden impacts. In UC 0153, the fad is for oversized control cylinders that serve as both joysticks and throttle controls, while inflatable air belts secure the pilot in the seat. Propulsion Systems The earliest mobile suits are propelled by chemical rocket engines much like those used in modern rockets. During the One Year War, designers realize that they can use the heat generated by the mobile suit's fusion reactor for propulsion purposes; propellant is circulated through the reactor, becomes super-heated, and is then be released to generate thrust. This system offers several times the fuel efficiency of a chemical rocket. When a conventional liquid propellant like water, hydrogen or helium is used, such a mechanism is referred to as a thermonuclear rocket engine. Mobile suits specially designed for aerial or aquatic travel can instead use thermonuclear jet engines or thermonuclear hydrojet engines, which obtain their propellant from the surrounding air and water, respectively. A more exotic form of propulsion, used for moving large objects like asteroids and the vessels of the Jupiter Energy Fleet, is the thermonuclear pulse engine. This device ignites fuel pellets of helium-3 and deuterium, creating a continuing series of tiny thermonuclear explosions that slowly but surely push the vessel onward; the explosive force is directed by a powerful magnetic field. While this system is fabulously fuel-efficient, its low acceleration makes it useful only for long journeys within the solar system. For manuevering, turning, and minor course adjustments, mobile suits are studded with small thrusters known as attitude control verniers or apogee motors. The AMBAC system works in concert with these manuevering thrusters, using the mobile suit's body movements to conserve their limited fuel supply. Support Mecha Though they're quite mobile in space, mobile suits don't fare so well on the ground, where they're largely limited to walking and running movement. Frustrated by the speed and range limitations exposed during the Earth invasion, Zeon's designers first set out to give their mobile suits the power of flight, but were able to accomplish only jet-assisted jumping and hovering. As a workaround, they adapted the Dodai bomber to serve as a flying platform for their terrestrial mobile suits. This was the first in a long line of "support mecha," supplementary devices and vehicles that provide a mobile suit with increased mobility and firepower. For the first few decades after the One Year War, support mecha like the Dodai Kai and Gator provide the only means for mobile suits to fly in Earth's atmosphere. Similar devices, such as the Shackles and Base Jabber, are used to extend mobile suits' crusing range in space. More ambitious variants incorporate powerful weapons systems too large for a mobile suit to carry unaided, like the mega bazooka launcher and the FXA-08R Mega Rider, or dock with a mobile suit to give it extra armor and armament, like the FXA-05D G-Defensor or the Back Weapon System used by the RGZ-91 Re-GZ. Meanwhile, a less elaborate device is used to enable mobile suits to survive the intense heat and shock of atmospheric re-entry - anstrap-on contraption called a ballute, which includes an inflatable heat shield and a set of parachute packs and braking thrusters to soften the landing. As an alternative to the ballute, in UC 0087 Anaheim Electronics constructs a crude support mecha known as the flying armor, a streamlined sled-like device that allows the mobile suit to ride the re-entry shockwaves and glide down to Earth's surface. After testing the flying armor during the AEUG's assault on Jaburo, Anaheim incorporates this system into the MSZ-006 Z Gundam, which can transform into a re-entry-ready Wave Rider mode. Conventional Weapons In addition to the arsenal of beam weapons available to mobile suits, there are a number of more conventional armament options. We'll discuss these here, for lack of a better occasion. One faithful standard is the machine gun, a scaled-up version of the human-sized firearm whose caliber typically ranges from 90 to 120 millimeters. Smaller machine guns are used for close-range combat, antipersonnel fire, and general annoyance - they're seldom adequate to inflict genuine damage on enemy mobile suits, though you can always hope for a lucky hit on a main camera. In approximate order of power, these are referred to as vulcan guns, machine cannons or mega machine cannons. Another popular weapon is the bazooka. The term is a slight misnomer, as these weapons are actually rocket launchers with a capacity of several rounds. Often, a single shot from a bazooka will suffice to cripple or destroy a mobile suit. Some early mobile suits, like the Federation's RX-75 Guntank and RX-77 Guncannon, are equipped with shell-firing cannons, though due to their massive recoil these weapons are soon dropped in favor of recoilless rocket launchers and beam cannons. Mobile suits can also carry all kinds of rockets and missiles, including self-propelled grenade launchers and submarine-launched SUBROC misiles. A variation on this theme is the hand-carried rocket launcher, a scaled-up version of the disposable anti-tank weapons used during World War II; these go by the nicknames sturm faust or panzer faust. Mobile suits can also toss grenades, including a multi-warhead type known as a cracker. In the days before the advent of the beam saber, Zeon mobile suits are equipped with a variety of bladed weapons, whose cutting edges can be heated using energy from the mobile suit's reactor. Examples of this include the Zaku's hatchet-style heat hawk and the heat saber used by the MS-07B Gouf and MS-09 Dom. Though it sounds similar, the Gouf's heat serpent is really an entirely different sort of weapon. This metallic whip can deliver a powerful electric shock, paralyzing an mobile suit. A similar principle is used by the RX-139 Hambrabi's sea serpent and the misleadingly-named beam strings installed in many Zanscare Empire mobile suits, which deliver a jolt of juice via a wire grappling cable. And of course, no mobile suit weapons catalog would be complete without a nod to the Crossbone Vanguard's wacky shot lancer. This hydraulic spear serves as an alternative to the beam saber, which has an unfortunate tendency to trigger reactor explosions in skewered mobile suits. In contrast, the shot lancer is completely safe for melee combat; for good measure, most models of shot lancer include a brace of built-in machine guns, making it the all-purpose close-quarters weapon. This site is © copyrighted to Gundam Galaxy (saberflare)! You may not take content from this site without permission. To obtain permission, contact me!