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Entertainment Bible 1
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The Entertainment Bible series was a line of pocket reference books published by Bandai and devoted to various animation and live-action works. More than a dozen volumes were devoted to the Gundam series, the majority of them written and edited by members of the same Shindosha studio that participated in the production of the Z Gundam and Gundam ZZ television series. When Bandai abandoned the publishing business in 1993, Media Works briefly continued the line in the form of the Dengeki Entertainment Bible series, and then launched a new Data Collection series modeled on this template. The original Gundam volumes were reissued as a limited edition box set in 2005.

Entertainment Bible 1: MS Encyclopedia Part 1, One Year War Edition was published in February 1989. This volume covers the original Mobile Suit Gundam, spinoffs such as the Mobile Suit Variation and MS-X series, and the first episodes of the Gundam 0080 video series, drawing heavily on earlier works such as Gundam Century and the Mobile Suit Variation books. I've excerpted most of its contents here with the exception of the timeline (now obsolete), the MS Pilot Manual (maybe later), and the MS Design Collection (which is largely replicated in the Mobile Suit Gundam MS Encyclopedia).

The following text is copyright © 1989 Bandai.

Credits

Printing:	Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd.
Editing & Composition:	Shindosha
Cooperation:	Sunrise

GUNDAM WAR HISTORY CHAPTER 1: ONE YEAR WAR

Translator's Note: This historical section is modeled on that of Gundam Century, with illustrated two-page spreads accompanied by text essays and captions.

1. Outbreak of War: The One Week Battle

On January 3 of U.C.0079 the space colonies of Side 3, the furthest from the Earth, launched a war of independence against the Earth Federation government under the name of the Principality of Zeon. (The declaration of independence was in U.C.0069.)

Simultaneously with this unilateral declaration of war, the Principality of Zeon forces performed surprise attacks on Sides 1, 2, and 4. 3 billion people were slaughtered with nuclear and BC weapons.

In parallel with these colony attacks, they also carried out "Operation British," using nuclear rockets to move a Side 2 colony out of its Lagrange point and send it falling towards Jaburo, the Federation Forces supreme headquarters located in South America. However, the colony's orbit changed as it entered the atmosphere, and it broke up into fragments as it fell. Most of it fell on Sydney, devastating a third of the Australian continent, and its fragments destroyed a quarter of the North American continent. The initial damage left 320 million people dead or missing, and secondary damage such as climate changes eventually resulted in 2 billion terrestrial casualties.

During this One Week Battle, which lasted from January 3 to January 10, the Principality forces deployed their mobile suits for the first time. Their high working capabilities were used to pump gas into colonies and attach nuclear rockets. The fighting capabilities of the mobile suit would be demonstrated in the following Battle of Loum.

2. History's Greatest Space Fleet Battle: The Battle of Loum

On January 15, a fleet battle began in Side 5 (Loum) airspace. The difference in fighting strength was dramatic, as the Federation Forces had 12 Magellan-class battleships, 61 Salamis-class cruisers, and 201 supply ships and other medium and small vessels, while the Principality forces had 3 Gwazine-class battleships, 12 Chivvay-class heavy cruisers, 39 Musai-class light cruisers, 1 Dolos-class carrier, and 87 medium and small vessels. However, the Principality forces also had a mobile suit corps made up of the MS-05 Zaku I and MS-06 Zaku II.

The mobile suit, which was developed for visual-range combat under Minovsky particle interference, had more than enough maneuverability to evade the barrages of Federation Forces ships. And when its bazooka was equipped with nuclear warheads, a mobile suit was capable of sinking a Magellan-class battleship with a single shot. (The mobile suit, however, was often consumed in the explosion before it had time to get away.)

Thanks to the achievements of these mobile suits, the Federation fleet was annihilated, and its commander General Revil was captured. But the victorious Principality forces also lost many ships and mobile suits, forcing them to abandon their plans for a followup attack on Luna II, the Federation Forces' last remaining space base.

Thanks to their victory in the Battle of Loum, the Principality forces had gained control of space. The undamaged Side 6, having lost confidence in the Federation government, declared its neutrality on January 17.

3. Earth Invasion

On February 7, just one week after the signing of the Antarctic Treaty, the Principality forces began an Earth invasion operation. Musai-class light cruisers launched HRSL landing capsules, which descended onto major cities and Federation Forces bases throughout North America, Europe, Africa, and East Asia. From these capsules emerged the mobile suits which had appeared in the Battle of Loum. Although the treaty had made it impossible to use nuclear weapons, the Federation Forces were unable to fight back because their radar systems and communications were disrupted by the mass dispersal of Minovsky particles.

While the movement capabilities of these mobile suits were limited, their offensive and defensive capabilities surpassed those of the Federation Forces' conventional weapons. Thanks to the efforts of the first landing force and its mobile suits, a second landing force which comprised the main body of the Earth Attack Force was able to reach the ground with little difficulty.

Air forces which used Gaw attack carriers, sea forces which used U-Con class submarines, and ground forces which used Dobday land ships and Magella Attack tanks all landed on Earth as part of this second landing force.

From February to March, the Principality forces gained control of two thirds of Earth's continents. They were greatly exhausted by this rapid invasion operation, however, and barely able to maintain their overstretched supply lines. Thus the war situation reached a stalemate.

4. Federation Forces Counterattack: Operation Odessa

On November 7, eight months after the war situation became a stalemate, the Federation Forces launched "Operation Odessa." Its objective was to wipe out the Principality bases on the Black Sea coast of the Eurasian continent, preventing them from launching mineral resources from Earth into space. The Federation Forces deployed roughly a third of their ground forces in this operation.

This great counteroffensive was made possible by the death of Garma Zabi, commander of the Earth Attack Force. Garma, the youngest son of the Zabi family that ruled the Principality of Zeon, had been killed along with his Gaw attack carrier during a battle with the Federation Forces' White Base corps which took place in New York in September of that year. As a result, the command structure of Zeon's Earth Attack Force had been thrown into chaos, and was unable to react to the movements of the Federation Forces.

Three days of fierce fighting ended in a Federation Forces victory. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Federation Forces took the offensive on every front, and the military balance at once shifted in their favor. On November 30, the Principality forces launched an attack on the Federation Forces' supreme headquarters at Jaburo, which cost them the majority of the fighting strength of their California Base stronghold in North America. The Principality forces went on to lose this major base in December. The Principality's African forces kept fighting until the very end, but with the unconditional surrender of the Principality forces on January 1 of the following year, they halted their resistance and disarmed.

5. Defeat of the Principality of Zeon: Operation Star One

On December 4, countless spaceships launched from the Jaburo base that had repulsed the attacks of the Principality forces. This was the beginning of the great space counteroffensive "Operation Star One." The Revil and Tianem fleets launched from Earth joined forces with the Luna II fleet and set a course for the Principality space fortress Solomon. These ships were fully loaded with the Federation Forces' RGM-79 GM mobile suits.

On December 27, the Federation Forces began an attack on Solomon. Using their new "Solar System" weapon, they burnt a third of the fortress with focused sunlight. After nine hours, the battle ended with the fall of Solomon and the destruction of the Space Strike Fleet led by Vice Admiral Dozle Zabi. The Federation Forces had lost 20% of their space fighting strength, and the Principality forces had lost 35% of theirs.

On December 30 the Revil fleet, on its way to a peace negotiation, was annihilated by the Principality's new "Solar Ray" weapon. Both General Revil and Degwin Zabi, sovereign of the Principality of Zeon, were killed in this attack. The Federation fleet, meanwhile, was reduced to 40% of the fighting strength it had possessed at the start of the operation.

On December 31, the Federation fleet launched an attack on the space fortress A Baoa Qu, part of the Principality of Zeon's final defensive line. With the loss of the Revil fleet, their numerical inferiority was unavoidable, and they were barely able to get a small number of mobile suit corps inside the fortress.

However, an incident took place which disrupted the command structure of the Principality forces. Gihren Zabi, who had been commanding A Baoa Qu, was killed, and command was immediately transferred to Armored Assault Force commander Kycilia Zabi. Seizing this opportunity, Federation Forces ships and mobile suits began breaking through the defensive lines and attacking the fortress directly. Kycilia attempted to divide up her forces and escape, but her ship was destroyed just after it took off.

With the fall of the Zabi family, Prime Minister Darcia of the Principality of Zeon was able to convince the assembly to adopt a republican system. On January 1 of U.C.0080, a ceasefire agreement was reached with the Federation government at the lunar city of Granada.

MS DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

Translator's Note: This section is modeled on the similar features in Gundam Century and the Mobile Suit Variation books. Keywords are shown in bold text, as in the original, and I've also added a few translator's notes to address technical issues.

1. Birth of the Mobile Suit

The reason why the Principality of Zeon was able to fight the Federation Forces on roughly equal terms during the One Year War, despite the difference in national power, was the existence of the mobile suit itself. In particular, their mobile suit task forces brought the Zeon forces unilateral victory in the early stages of the war.

The mobile SUIT (Space Utility Instruments Tactical) is a weapon designed to carry out a variety of tactical objectives in space. Of course, this weapon is inseparable from the Minovsky particle.

The Minovsky particle is an elementary particle whose existence was confirmed in U.C.0070. Within a field where these particles are dispersed, the transmission of electromagnetic waves is greatly obstructed, reducing the accuracy of radar and making long-distance wireless communication impossible. At high densities, Minovsky particles even disrupt the functioning of large-scale integrated circuits. Naturally, protective systems were developed, but their high cost and weight meant that they couldn't be installed in missile-class guided weapons. This particle instantly rendered conventional weapons obsolete.

The Principality of Zeon's defense ministry began the development of the mobile suit in cooperation with the Anaheim Electronics company based at the lunar city of Amman (1). Officially, of course, it was a non-combat space worker machine.

There were various technical difficulties on the way to the MS-05 Zaku I, the first mass production machine in mobile suit history. It proved particularly difficult to miniaturize the nuclear fusion reactor that was to serve as its main engine, and disposing of the heat produced during its operation remained a problem. But with the installation of a new type of ultracompact nuclear fusion reactor which had just been developed using Minovsky physics, it was barely able to meet the performance requirements of the defense ministry, and in July of U.C.0075 it was approved for mass production.

In November of that year, an experimental mobile suit corps called the Mobile Training Battalion was organized under the command of Captain Kycilia Zabi. In addition to training pilots, this battalion established the basics of mobile suit operation and tactics.

2. Principality Forces Land Warfare Mobile Suits

In parallel with the functional testing of the MS-05 and the training of pilots, the Principality forces hurried to develop new and improved machines. The basic design of the mobile suit had been more or less established, but if they were to introduce it into combat, it would require further performance improvements in areas such as the output of its main engine and its fluid pulse motor actuators, and the precision of the mono-eye that was indispensable for visual-range combat.

In August of U.C.0077, the prototype MS-06A Zaku II rolled out. This A type resembled the F type that would be produced in great numbers during the war, but it had rounded, spikeless armor on both shoulders and was not equipped with a shield. Its armament consisted of a 240mm bazooka and a 120mm machine gun with greater firepower than the 105mm model used by the MS-05. Its basic performance was far higher than that of the MS-05 and it was immediately approved for mass production, but Captain Kycilia Zabi, anticipating that the Federation Forces might develop their own mobile suits as a countermeasure, ordered that its equipment be reconsidered. Mass production was quickly suspended and a redesign began. The result was the C type, the main mobile suit as of the outbreak of war, which was equipped with a shield, spike armor, and heat hawk.

Mass production of the C type began in January of U.C.0078. From this point on, the Principality forces effectively shifted to a wartime footing.

In December of U.C.0076, the defense ministry had ordered Anaheim Electronics to develop local warfare mobile suits for use in an Earth invasion operation. Mobile suits were originally designed to be capable of land warfare under Earth gravity, and they demonstrated adequate performance in mock battles inside colonies and on the lunar surface. However, from a production standpoint, their space equipment became expensive dead weight on the ground, and so new machines were required for local warfare. Amphibious models were also requested for operation in the oceans that accounted for 70% of Earth's surface.

Thus a variety of local warfare machines were developed in parallel, using the C type as a base.

First, a J type was created by removing all space combat equipment and installing an air cooling system that required no coolant. The MS-07 Gouf was a newly designed machine made for land warfare. And a series of variations such as a K type equipped with an anti-air gun, a D type for desert warfare, and an underwater M type were completed. Meanwhile, research also continued into space combat machines, producing many variations such as a high mobility R type and an E type for reconnaissance. In fact, all the mobile suits developed until the middle of the war were machines of the Zaku series.

The first machine to depart from this design was the MS-09 Dom. This groundbreaking mobile suit was equipped with nuclear thermal jet thrusters, and its hovering capabilities addressed the ground movement problems of the J type and the MS-07.

3. Principality Forces Amphibious Mobile Suits

The underwater combat MS-06M, one of the variants of the Zaku series, gave birth to another series of machines separate from the MS-09 Dom. These were the amphibious mobile suits known as the M series.

The MS-06M was simply a conversion of the C type, with its space combat equipment removed and equipped with hydrojet engines in its backpack. One advantage of underwater mobile suits was that, since they could use the water outside the machine as coolant, the cooling systems that took up a large volume of the machine could be simplified. Ballast tanks were installed in this space instead to control the machine's buoyancy and attitude. The problem was the waterproofing process. Although its exterior was streamlined and shielding was applied to its joints, the construction of the MS-06 itself lacked pressure resistance, and flooding was seen at depths of 100 meters or so. As a result, usage of the M type was limited to rivers and shallow coastal waters, and it never entered mass production.

However, with the realization that water cooling systems made it possible to install large high-output nuclear fusion reactors, the development of new M series mobile suits (amphibious mobile suits) began. The MS-06M was given the model number MSM-01, and during the Earth invasion operation it was sent to Earth's California Base along with the third landing force as a test machine.

The California Base was originally a Federation Forces base, but it had been captured almost intact by the second landing force, and became the largest base of the Earth Attack Force. This was the largest military installation in North America, made up of naval ports, air bases, shuttle launching grounds, production factories, and various weapons research, development, and testing facilities. It became a development and production base for the mobile suits used on Earth.

The first mass production machine of the M series was the MSM-03 Gogg. Thanks to the installation of a high-output nuclear fusion reactor, it became the first mobile suit of the Principality forces equipped with mega particle cannons. Its weakness was that its operating time on land was quite short, due to the limitations of its cooling system, but it produced impressive results in landing operations.

The MSM-04 Acguy and MSM-07 Z'Gok were deployed in combat at roughly the same time as the MSM-03. The MSM-04 could be considered a simplified mass production model, and it borrowed many parts from the MS-06. It emphasized stealth capabilities, and radio and infra-red absorbing materials were used in its external paint, reducing the machine's heat emissions. Due to its simple shape, it was impossible to tell it apart from a whale using sonar.

The MSM-07 placed an emphasis on land warfare capabilities, and used both water-cooled and air-cooled radiators. It was also equipped with both nuclear thermal hydrojets and chemical rockets for jumping.

The final machine of the M series was the MSM-10 Zock. Equipped with a total of nine mega particle cannons, and using nuclear thermal hover engines for land movement, it was a hybrid between a mobile suit and a mobile armor.

4. Principality Forces Space Combat Mobile Suits

While the development of land warfare and amphibious mobile suits was under way on Earth, research into machines with greater performance than the MS-06C Zaku II also continued in space. First, in place of the C type Zaku II that had been the main machine at the outbreak of the war, mass production of an improved F type began. The F type was produced from the middle stages to the last stages of the war, and its production numbers were the largest of all. Although the space combat R type had proven to be highly maneuverable, it was very hard to operate, and few were produced. However, the concept of installing powerful thrusters in the legs would have a great influence on later general-purpose mobile suits.

The development of a general-purpose main mobile suit to replace the Zaku II went slowly. The F type had a high degree of completeness, and the engineers could not tear their thoughts away from it. Exasperated by this slow progress, the defense ministry gave orders to modify the MS-09 Dom, which had been developed for land warfare, for use in space combat. The engineers assigned to the task literally went without food and sleep as they devoted themselves to this mobile suit, and they completed the MS-R09 Rick Dom in only two months. The nuclear thermal jet engines in the legs and waist skirt were replaced by rockets, and cooling systems and other space equipment were added. Although its exterior was unchanged from the land warfare type, its propellant capacity was reduced and its base weight increased in proportion to the added equipment, thus lowering its maneuverability (2). However, its performance was still higher than that of the MS-06F.

Although the MS-R09 was provisionally put into mass production, the development of new models still continued. The subsequently created machines included the MS-10 Pezn Dowadge, MS-11 Act Zaku, MS-14 Gelgoog, MS-15 Gyan, and MS-17 Galbaldy Alpha. Each of these mobile suits had its merits, but it was the MS-14, which incorporated the energy CAP technology developed after the Federation Forces and carried beam weapons as standard equipment, that was chosen as the next-generation general-purpose main machine.

However, the rapid introduction of new machines created considerable confusion on the battlefield. The majority of their parts were nonstandard, and many mobile suits were abandoned on the front lines because they were unable to operate due to maintenance problems. It was also quite difficult for pilots to switch to the latest machines because the control systems differed from one machine to the next. As a result, in the final stage of the war the MS-06F, MS-R09, and MS-14 were redeveloped into comprehensively improved machines. (The MS-06F was converted from existing machines.) These were known as second stage production types. Even on Earth, the amphibious mobile suits MSM-03 and MSM-07 were likewise improved.

While the Federation Forces also developed mobile suits in the later stages of the war, their performance was inferior to that of the Principality forces' mobile suits. However, the Federation Forces mobile suits were equipped with advanced computers that compensated for the inexperience of their pilots. The Principality forces, on the other hand, had lost many skilled pilots in the Battle of Loum, and had few people with the ability to operate their new machines.

5. Appearance of the Mobile Armor

With its high versatility, the mobile suit demonstrated its superiority during the war. But as the war situation progressed and local warfare became more diverse, situations arose to which this general-purpose weapon could not adapt. Aside from the adaptation of general-purpose machines for local warfare (so-called MSV), the development of new support weapons was also proposed as a solution.

At this point, the mobile armor plan considered before the outbreak of war resurfaced. The mobile armor is a large mobile weapon that is not limited to humanoid form, and the first prototype machine was a high-speed space boat equipped with a manipulators and a powered-down mega particle cannon. At the time, due to a strong desire for versatility and working capabilities, the mobile armor plan was defeated by the mobile suit plan. But as the war situation changed, it was reconsidered once more.

Another factor in the birth of the mobile armor was the existence of the psycommu system. This system was a man-machine interface developed by the Newtype research institute known as the Flanagan Agency. Simply explained, it allows machines to read human thoughts and transmit them to other terminal machines. Direct control via brainwaves made for extremely high transmission speeds, but because the system itself was very large, it could not be installed in a mobile suit.

After the completion of the space combat mobile armor known as the MA-05 Bygro, the psycommu-equipped MAN-03 Braw-Bro was developed. While it remained in the category of a test machine, it was equipped with four wired mega particle cannons, and although it normally required a crew of three people all its cannons could be operated by a single Newtype pilot using a psycommu system.

Further psycommu research produced an unexpected byproduct in the form of reactive waves (psycho-waves) that were entirely unaffected by Minovsky particles. These could be detected in people with high Newtype abilities, and a new mobile armor was developed in order to apply their power to wireless weapons. This was the MAN-08 Elmeth, a Newtype machine equipped with unmanned combat pods known as bits. Ultracompact nuclear fusion reactors were installed in these bits, enabling them to fly at high speeds and attack with mega particle cannons.

The MSN-02 Zeong was developed in order to equip a mobile suit with this psycommu system. Naturally its body was enlarged, but its offensive capabilities were tremendous.

Other machines also appeared, such as the underwater MAM-07 Grublo and the MA-08 Byg-Zam that was equipped with anti-beam deflection field generators for fortress defense. But in the final stage of the war, the Principality forces no longer retained their mass production capabilities, and they also lacked the pilots necessary for Newtype machines. A handful of prototype machines entered combat one after another without adequate training flights, only to be shot down by the Federation Forces' RX-78 Gundam.

6. Operation V Begins! (Development of the RX Series)

In March of U.C.0079, the Federation Forces launched Operation V, whose objective was the development of mobile suits and the construction of new space warships to support them. The plan was to develop prototype machines at Side 7, at the greatest distance from Side 3, and build mass production machines at Luna II and Jaburo.

At first the Federation Forces intended to develop and mass produce three types of mobile suit: a mobile infantry type for melee combat, a mobile artillery type for medium range support, and a mobile tank type for long range support. The parts for each type were made as compatible as possible, and they also used a common control system. The core block was a completely standard unit across the three types, and in this revolutionary system the block containing the cockpit and control computer had escape mechanisms and could transform into a general-purpose light fighter known as the Core Fighter. Unfortunately, a single unit cost almost three times as much as an MS-06 Zaku II, so it was not adopted in the mass production versions.

The RX-78 Gundam and RX-77 Guncannon had the objective of carrying beam weapons as standard equipment, and thanks to energy CAP technology they were equipped with a compact handheld mega particle cannon known as a beam rifle. The RX-78 was also equipped with beam sabers for use in melee combat. Of course, this was possible because they were equipped with nuclear fusion reactors superior to those of the Principality forces.

These three types of prototype machine used a triple-layered honeycomb armor (hybrid armor) made from Gundarium alloy. This was highly bulletproof and could withstand a direct hit from the 120mm shells of the MS-06, but the Luna Titanium that was its main ingredient was rare and difficult to process, and so this was not adopted in mass production machines either.

Another advantage of these prototype machines was the installation of a high-performance learning computer. This was conceived of as a means to get around the difficulty of training pilots. The computer could apply various programs for walking, fighting, and working to the case at hand, independently reaching decisions and making improvements. Once adequate data had been accumulated, the programs could be transplanted, allowing even a machine operated by a novice to perform like a veteran pilot.

In the RX-75 Guntank, the most rapidly developed of these machines, a gas turbine engine and fuel cells were adopted for the power system in case the installation of a nuclear fusion reactor proved unsuccessful. The RX-77 and RX-78 were successively completed, and three units of each prototype were made. However, due to an assault on Side 7 by the Principality forces, the RX-78-1 (Prototype Gundam) was heavily damaged and the RX-78-3 (G-3) was lightly damaged, and only one unit of each of the other types escaped destruction.

The remaining three machines of the RX series fended off enemy pursuit, their data reached a Federation Forces base on Earth, and in December of that year they participated in Operation Star One. Along the way, the lightly damaged RX-78-3 was left at the Luna Two base, and became a magnet coating testbed.

7. Federation Forces Mass Production Type Mobile Suits

In November of U.C.0079, three machines of the RX series arrived at the Jaburo base in South America. However, since their combat data and mechanical data had already been delivered two months earlier by the supply corps, a mass production plan had already been implemented at this point.

Deviating greatly from the original plan, the Federation Forces' mass production type mobile suits used the RGM-79 GM, a mobile infantry type for melee combat, as their main force. This was due to the remarkable combat results of the RX-78. The combat pod RB-79 Ball was adopted as a support weapon for space combat. Meanwhile, mass production of the RX-77-3 Guncannon Heavy Weapons Type and the RMV-1 Guntank II for land warfare had already begun.

The RGM-79 gave birth to local warfare versions comparable to the MS-06 series of the Principality forces. The majority of these were deployed at the very end of the war and produced no major combat results, but as U.C.0080 began, they proved useful in dealing with remnant forces on Earth and in space following the unconditional surrender of the Principality forces. Examples of these machines include the D type for cold climates, the G type (GM Command) for colony warfare, and the GS type with a different backpack for use in space combat. Other minor versions included the GM Sniper Custom (SC type) developed for sniping missions, the lightweight GM Light Armor (LA type) for hit and run combat, and the TGM-79 GM Trainer. The RGC-80 GM Cannon was also developed as a mass production version of the RX-77 series.

With the fall of the space fortresses Solomon and A Baoa Qu, the Federation Forces' victory in space was assured. Both forces had employed solar weapons as so-called ultimate weapons, but the deciding factor was definitely the mobile suit. The Principality forces had superior mobile suit performance and resources, while the Federation Forces had an advantage in pilot quality (or, one could say, in control systems), and victory was achieved only by a narrow margin. Since the mobile armors that represented the essence of Principality technology were few in number, they were not a factor in determining the outcome.

After the war, the Federation Forces appropriated the Principality forces' mobile suit technology and developed new machines, producing many successors to former Principality mobile suits such as the MS-06 and MS-09. This was partly because they had absorbed many of the Principality forces' engineers, but it could also be seen as a tacit admission of the superior performance of these machines.

Finally, let us consider the Federation Forces prototype mobile suits that never participated in battle. There were two types of Full Armor plan for the RX-78-2. These were the FA-78-1 and the FA-78-2, both of which ended as purely theoretical plans. However, the RX-78-4 that was being developed in parallel on Earth was upgraded at North America's Augusta base into the Newtype machine RX-78NT1 (Alex), in which this Full Armor plan was implemented. Its delayed development meant that it was not ready in time for the Battle of A Baoa Qu, but it was notable for adopting a prototype linear seat.

Translator's Notes

(1) The claim that Anaheim Electronics was involved in the development of the Zaku appears only in this book, and has never been mentioned again.

(2) This description is consistent with the one in Gundam Century, but appears to contradict the specs published in the book itself.

MS PERFORMANCE COMPARISON

Translator's Note: The specifications in this section were created specifically for the Entertainment Bible series, drawing on earlier publications and old Sunrise information. The specs for the Zaku II, Gouf, Dom, Rick Dom, Gelgoog, Gundam, Guncannon, and GM are based on those in Mobile Suit Z Gundam Part 3, which was published by Kindai Eiga-sha in 1986. Other specs, particularly those of the Ball and various mobile armors, are derived from Gundam Century. Although the editors' efforts to reconcile all these sources yielded somewhat mixed results, these numbers have now become the official standard.

1. General Purpose (Space Combat) Mobile Suits

Name	Model Number	Overall Height	Head Height	Base Weight	Full Weight	Generator Output	Thruster Output	Sensor Radius	Armament
Zaku I	MS-05	17.5m	17.5m	50.3t	65.0t	899kW	40,700kg	2,900m	105mm machine gun, etc
Zaku II	MS-06F	18.0m	17.5m	58.1t	73.3t	951kW	43,000kg	3,200m	120mm machine gun, 240mm bazooka, heat hawk, etc
Zaku Kai	MS-06FZ	18.0m	17.5m	56.2t	74.5t	976kW	79,500kg	3,200m	120mm machine gun (with grenade launcher), hand grenade x 3, etc
Zaku High Mobility Type	MS-06R-1A	18.0m	17.5m	61.8t	76.8t	1,012kW	49,800kg	3,200m	120mm machine gun, 240mm bazooka, heat hawk, etc
Rick Dom	MS-R09	18.6m	18.6m	43.8t	78.6t	1,199kW	53,000kg	5,400m	360mm bazooka, heat saber, etc
Rick Dom II	MS-09RII	18.6m	18.6m	45.6t	79.9t	1,219kW	110,000kg	5,400m	360mm bazooka, diffuse beam gun, sturm faust, etc
Gelgoog	MS-14A	19.6m	19.2m	42.1t	73.3t	1,440kW	61,500kg	6,300m	beam rifle, beam sword, etc
Gelgoog High Mobility Type	MS-14B	19.6m	19.2m	53.5t	76.8t	1,440kW	79,900kg	6,300m	beam rifle, beam sword, etc
Gelgoog Jaeger	MS-14JG	19.2m	19.2m	40.5t	80.3t	1,490kW	178,500kg	6,300m	beam machine gun, etc
Gyan	MS-15	19.9m	19.9m	52.7t	68.6t	1,360kW	56,200kg	4,400m	beam saber, shield (missile x 56, hide bomb x 12)
Gundam	RX-78-2	18.0m	18.0m	43.4t	60.0t	1,380kW	55,500kg	5,700m	beam rifle, beam saber, 270mm bazooka, 60mm vulcan gun x 2, etc
GM	RGM-79	18.0m	18.0m	41.2t	58.8t	1,250kW	55,500kg	6,000m	beam spray gun, beam saber, 60mm vulcan gun x 2, etc
GM Command Space Type	RGM-79GS	18.0m	18.0m	44.6t	76.5t	1,390kW	74,000kg	6,000m	beam gun, beam saber, 60mm vulcan gun x 2, etc

2. Land Warfare Mobile Suits

Name	Model Number	Overall Height	Head Height	Base Weight	Full Weight	Generator Output	Thruster Output	Maximum Land Speed	Armament
Land Warfare Zaku	MS-06J	18.0m	17.5m	49.9t	70.3t	976kW	45,400kg	85km/h	120mm machine gun, 240mm bazooka, triple rocket pod, etc
Zaku Desert Type	MS-06D	18.2m	17.5m	61.3t	79.4t	976kW	42,900kg	80km/h	105mm machine gun, triple rocket pod, cracker pod, etc
Zaku Cannon	MS-06K	18.4m	17.7m	59.1t	83.2t	976kW	41,000kg	73km/h	180mm cannon, twin smoke discharger, twin rocket launcher x 2
Gouf	MS-07B	18.7m	18.2m	58.5t	75.4t	1,034kW	40,700kg	99km/h	75mm five-barreled machine gun, heat rod, heat saber, etc
Dom	MS-09	18.6m	18.6m	62.6t	81.8t	1,269kW	58,200kg	90km/h (240km/h)	360mm bazooka, diffuse beam gun, etc
Gigan	MS-12	16.2m	13.9m	71.1t	101.3t	736kW	48,000kg	90km/h	180mm recoilless cannon, 120mm quadruple machine gun
Gassha	MS-13	17.5m	15.1m	89.7t	116.5t	1,076kW	42,900kg	55km/h	quadruple 180mm missile launcher, special hammer gun, etc
Guncannon	RX-77-2	18.1m	17.5m	51.0t	70.0t	1,380kW	51,800kg	78km/h	240mm cannon x 2, beam rifle, 60mm vulcan gun x 2, etc
Guncannon Heavy Weapons Type	RX-77-3	18.1m	17.5m	58.6t	79.1t	1,380kW	62,200kg	69km/h	240mm cannon x 2, beam rifle, 60mm vulcan gun x 2, etc
Guntank	RX-75	15.6m	15.0m	56.0t	80.0t	878kW	88,000kg	70km/h	120mm low-recoil cannon x 2, 40mm quadruple gun launcher x 2
Guntank II	RMV-1	16.9m	15.2m	98.4t	123.7t	211kW	—	75km/h	120mm rifle x 2, 180mm quadruple rocket pod, triple missile launcher
GM Cannon	RGC-80	18.4m	17.8m	49.9t	65.3t	976kW	63,500kg	83km/h	240mm cannon, beam rifle, 60mm vulcan gun x 2, etc

3. Amphibious Mobile Suits

Name	Model Number	Overall Height	Head Height	Base Weight	Full Weight	Generator Output	Thruster Output	Maximum Water Speed	Armament
Zaku Marine Type	MS-06M (MSM-01)	18.2m	17.5m	43.3t	60.8t	951kW	66,000kg	45knots	240mm quadruple rocket pod, SUBROC gun
Gogg	MSM-03	18.3m	18.3m	82.4t	159.4t	1,740kW	121,000kg	75knots	mega particle cannon x 2, torpedo launcher x 2
Hy-Gogg	MSM-03C	15.4m	15.4m	54.5t	79.2t	2,735kW	86,000kg	89knots	beam cannon x 2, torpedo launcher x 4, hand missile unit
Acguy	MSM-04	19.2m	19.2m	91.6t	129.0t	1,870kW	109,600kg	53knots	105m vulcan x 4, rocket launcher
Juacg	MSM-04G	17.4m	17.4m	137.3t	198.7t	2,660kW	97,900kg	55knots	320mm triple rocket launcher
Agguy	MSM-04N	19.0m	19.0m	113.7t	171.6t	2,010kW	109,000kg	50knots	heat rod x 4
Z'Gok	MSM-07	18.4m	18.4m	65.1t	96.4t	2,480kW	83,000kg	103knots	240mm rocket x 6, mega particle cannon x 2
Z'Gok E	MSM-07E	18.4m	18.4m	69.5t	88.9t	2,570kW	112,000kg	118knots	beam cannon x 2, torpedo launcher x 6
Zogog	MSM-08	18.8m	18.2m	77.4t	107.3t	1,688kW	97,400kg	47knots	wide cutter x 10
Zock	MSM-10	23.9m	23.9m	167.6t	229.0t	3,849kW	253,000kg	63knots	phonon maser cannon, mega particle cannon x 8

4. Mobile Armors

Name	Model Number	Overall Height	Head Height (1)	Base Weight	Full Weight	Generator Output	Thruster Output	Sensor Radius	Armament
Grublo	MAM-07	26.1m	40.2m	324.1t	793.7t	11,000kW	—	—	six-barreled underwater missile launcher x 2, anti-air and anti-ship missile launcher x 2
Bygro	MA-05	23.6m	45.5m	125.5t	229.8t	17,800kW	136,100kg	111,000m	large mega particle cannon, quadruple missile launcher x 2
Byg-Zam	MA-08	59.6m	—	1,021.2t	1,936.0t	140,000kW	580,000kg	134,000m	large mega particle cannon, anti-air mega particle cannon x 28, 105mm vulcan x 2
Braw-Bro	MAN-03	62.4m	60.2m	1,735.3t	2,602.6t	74,000kW	1,760,000kg	156,000m	wired mega particle cannon x 4
Elmeth	MAN-08	47.7m	85.4m	163.7t	291.8t	14,200kW	645,200kg	245,000m	mega particle cannon x 2, bits
Zeong	MSN-02	17.3m	—	151.2t	231.9t	9,400kW	187,000kg	81,000m	wired mega particle cannon x 2, mega particle cannon x 3

Specs List Explanation

1. Model Number: For the Principality forces, MS is an abbreviation for mobile suit, and MA is an abbreviation for mobile armor. A Y at the beginning indicates an experimental machine, an M at the end indicates it's amphibious, and an N at the end indicates it's for use by Newtypes. As for the Federation Forces, R indicates a mobile suit made by the Federation Forces. For a prototype this is followed by an X, and for a mass production type it is followed by an abbreviation of its name (for example, GM Cannon = GC).

2. Overall height: Height including antennas or head decorations.

3. Head height: Height of the machine itself, excluding antennas and other attachments.

4. Base weight: Weight excluding weapons, propellant, lubricant, and other additional items.

5. Full weight: Weight including all the additional items above. Machines with a low base weight and a high full weight usually have high performance.

6. Generator output: Maximum electrical output of the nuclear fusion reactor.

7. Thruster output: Maximum thrust level. However, a large figure doesn't necessarily mean a superior machine. Second-stage mass production type mobile suits (the improved models of the Zaku II, Rick Dom, and Gelgoog) have maximum levels almost twice those of older types, but their CMP (Combat Maximum Power) time is halved.

8. Effective sensor radius: Indicates the enemy search range of the main camera. This is dramatically reduced in atmosphere.

9. Maximum land (water) speed: Requires no particular explanation. The Gogg's speed of 75 knots equals 138.9 kilometers per hour.

Armament: Weapons with which the machine can be equipped. This includes many exclusive weapons.

Translator's Notes

(1) Although this column is labeled as "Head Height" in the original text, it more likely represents overall length here.

GUNDAM OFFICIAL REPORT

Translator's Note: This section consists of several features on the history and technology of the Universal Century world. It also includes a timeline, which I've omitted because its contents are superseded by later publications.

GUNDAM OFFICIAL REPORT 1: HISTORY U.C.0001~0080

The Universal Century

As space colonization began, humanity switched to the Universal Century calendar.

Earth's total population already exceeded 9 billion people, and it was predicted that within fifty years it would reach 11 billion. Moreover, due to air pollution and the desertification caused by years of fossil fuel consumption, it appeared that Earth's ecosystem would die in the near future. The only remaining means of preventing this was for at least nine-tenths of humanity to move into space.

The construction of the space colonies began in the second half of the 21st century of the A.D. calendar. By U.C.0050, roughly 200 cylindrical artificial satellites had been constructed, and the emigration of 9 billion people was completed. Many permanent cities were also built on the lunar surface, and now had roughly a billion residents.

However, when the project had reached its original target numbers, the flow of emigrants from Earth rapidly decreased and the construction of new colonies was suspended. The people who remained on Earth were now an elite class, and from the perspective of the space colonists (spacenoids) their behavior was nothing less than a betrayal.

It was at this point that the ideology of Contolism was born. This was a combination of Ere-ism, the idea that Earth was holy ground, and nationalism among the Sides (colony administrative units, each made up of 35 to 40 colonies and numbered in order of their construction), and it spread rapidly among the spacenoids.

Independence Movements

Zeon Zum Deikun, an advocate of Contolism, came to Side 3 in U.C.0052 and began putting his theories into practice. In U.C.0062, Side 3 declared its independence, and the Republic of Zeon was established. Meanwhile, movements calling for secession from the Earth Federation government intensified in the other Sides as well.

The Federation government immediately applied economic pressure against Side 3, and also began to apply military pressure by building up the Federation Space Force and converting Luna II into a military base. Side 3, meanwhile, promoted the national guard established at the time of the declaration of independence to the status of a national military, and quietly took the political and economic offensive by securing the cooperation of the lunar industries. Zeon Deikun, its first prime minister, wished to avoid adopting a hard-line policy. To the very last he pursued negotiations in an attempt to win recognition for the republic, voting rights in the Federation assembly, and ultimately autonomy for all spacenoids.

In U.C.0068, Zeon Deikun suddenly died of natural causes, and Degwin Sodo Zabi took office as the new prime minister. This dramatic regime change was rumored to be an assassination, but the truth has never been determined. Degwin Zabi exiled the politicians of the Zeon faction and introduced a system of dictatorship by the Zabi family, and the following year the republic became a principality. Seeking independence through armed force, a 180 degree reversal of the previous policy, he began building a military nation.

Taking advantage of the confusion surrounding Zeon Deikun's death, the Federation attempted to politically disrupt and isolate Side 3. Relations between the two nations rapidly deteriorated, and military conflict now seemed unavoidable. But the Federation believed that the Principality of Zeon, which was inferior in national power, would never dare start a war. Under the pretext of colony security, it stationed garrison fleets in each of the other Sides to prevent them from collaborating.

The Principality of Zeon, however, was devoting all its energy to the development of secret weapons in the form of the Minovsky particle and the mobile suit.

Outbreak of the War

Gihren Zabi, the eldest son of the Zabi family, seized power from his aged father and achieved the position of supreme commander. Perverting the Contolism of Zeon Deikun, he proclaimed the legitimacy of placing Earth under spacenoid control, and planted the seeds of elitism among his people. According to him, the other Sides that supported the Federation were enemies as well.

On January 3 of U.C.0079, the Principality of Zeon declared war against the Federation government, and simultaneously ordered its waiting space fleets to attack Sides 1, 2, and 4. During this One Week Battle, the Principality forces deployed their mobile suits and massacred the inhabitants of the colonies using thermonuclear and BC weapons. They also cut off the electricity supply to Earth by destroying solar power satellites, and used nuclear thermal rockets to push a Side 2 colony out of its original orbit and send it falling to Earth. 5.5 billion people, half of the total population, were killed in this one week of fighting. All humanity now saw just how fragile the basis of the Earth Sphere's housing system really was.

On January 15 of that year, the Principality forces annihilated the Federation space fleet in the Battle of Loum. The residents of Side 5, which had become a battleground, were massacred.

The remaining Side 6 declared its neutrality on January 17, and escaped any damage. (It is said to have reached a secret agreement with the Principality government before the war.) The lunar cities had also favored the Principality of Zeon from the beginning, and although they did not directly participate in the war, they provided it with material support.

On January 31 of that year, at a Federation base in Antarctica, the Principality of Zeon sat down at the table with the Federation as an equal for the very first time. Although nominally a peace conference, it was effectively a call to surrender from the Principality of Zeon. At this conference Supreme Commander Gihren Zabi threatened the officials of the Federation government, saying that "If necessary, we can drop any number of colonies." But the conference ended in failure, and the Principality forces began an Earth invasion operation on February 7.

GUNDAM OFFICIAL REPORT 2: WEAPONS U.C.0079~0080

Federation Forces Space Power

In U.C.0059, the Earth Federation Forces established a space force to maintain order in the Earth Sphere, which had expanded with the construction of the colonies.

The early military vessels constructed in the 0060s used a combined propulsion system in which plasma propulsion was used for cruising, and chemical rockets were used for combat maneuvering. Their armament focused on missiles, and they were also equipped with machine guns for anti-air use. They were constructed in space, in so-called floating docks, and had no atmospheric entry or escape capabilities. Their carrier-based craft were limited to small launches, and they carried no fighters.

As the 0070s began, military space vessels were comprehensively revised and incorporated new technologies, namely nuclear thermal rocket propulsion and the mega particle cannon. Both of these were applications of Minovsky physics. Nuclear thermal rocket propulsion provided higher thrust than plasma propulsion, and its propellant consumption was lower than that of chemical rockets. The mega particle cannon, meanwhile, had a smaller energy loss and less waste heat than a traditional laser cannon, and was well suited for use in space where cooling efficiency was poor. Because the phalanx system (which used computer control to intercept missiles with machine guns) had been introduced, it was decided to adopt mega particle cannons as main guns.

The Salamis-class cruiser and Magellan-class battleship were constructed in this fashion. Both ships possessed enough cruising capability to make a circuit of all the Sides without resupplying.

However, when the One Year War began, the Federation space fleet and its newly constructed Salamis and Magellan warships suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Principality forces during the Battle of Loum, which was said to be the greatest fleet battle in history. In terms of the number of vessels, the Federation fleet had more than twice the fighting strength of the Principality forces, but it was unable to adapt its tactics to Minovsky particle dispersal and was defeated by the mobile suit-based maneuver warfare of the Principality forces.

The space power of the Federation Forces was dramatically decreased by this Battle of Loum, leaving them with only the fleet that guarded the Federation Forces base at Luna II.

In April of U.C.0079 the Federation Forces launched the Vinson Plan, whose goal was to rebuild the space fleet they had lost in the Battle of Loum, and Operation V. Both projects were meant to counter the mobile suit-based maneuver warfare of the Principality forces. In particular, the Pegasus class developed as part of Operation V incorporated new design ideas entirely different from those of previous vessels.

As part of the Vinson Plan, meanwhile, the Federation Forces reconsidered their "big ships, big guns" ideology and developed various types of carrier-based craft. Among them was the RB-79 Ball, which became a support machine for the RGM-79 GM. This machine was developed as a combat pod based on the space worker pod SP-W03, and was equipped with a chemical rocket propulsion system and a 180mm low-recoil cannon.

Both projects were launched simultaneously at the Luna II and Jaburo bases, and by December of U.C.0079 the Revil fleet, Tianem fleet, and Luna II fleet had all been rebuilt. Of course, they were all fully loaded with the Federation Forces' RGM-79 mobile suits and RB-79 support weapons. Two other weapons had been prepared for the capture of the Principality forces' greatest space fortresses, Solomon and A Baoa Qu. One was the Public assault boat, which carried four special missiles that formed a beam-disrupting screen. The other was the Solar System, which focused the sun's light using four million mirrors equipped with apogee motors. This crude solar weapon was destroyed by the satellite missiles of the Principality forces at Solomon, and could not be deployed in the Battle of A Baoa Qu.

White Base: The first Pegasus-class assault landing ship constructed as part of Operation V. Due to its shape, the Principality forces gave it the codename "Trojan Horse." Its hull was based on the design concept of replacing its armament and propulsion systems according to strategic and tactical needs, and could separate into parts. In addition to mobile suit decks and launch catapults, its front legs were equipped with maintenance beds. Its hind legs housed nuclear thermal rocket-type main propulsion units which, together with its Minovsky craft system, gave it atmospheric escape and entry capabilities. Its main body contained a centrifugal gravity block, a deck for carrier-based craft, and a maintenance facility, and was equipped with two mega particle cannons and a large gunpowder-based twin cannon which served as its main gun. The wings were solar panels, and its head contained the bridge. It carried one Gunperry mobile suit transport plane for use in the atmosphere, two launches for passenger transport, and six Core Fighter general-purpose fighters. With a maximum capacity of three teams of mobile suits (three units of each type, for a total of nine machines), the overall fighting strength of the ship and its carrier-based craft rivaled that of a mobile battalion.

Federation Forces Air Power

The heart of the Federation Forces' air power was the Core Fighter. The history of this fighter started in the 0050s, as military expansion into space began, and the air force organization came to encompass outer space as well. As a result it became necessary to develop space fighters and high altitude fighters, and ultimately a series of general-purpose fighters that included all of these were developed.

TIN Cod: A high altitude fighter developed for air defense. The prototype rolled out in U.C.0062. Its armament included four 25mm machine guns and two air-to-air missiles.

Saberfish: A general-purpose fighter completed in U.C.0071. It used chemical rockets in space and jet engines in atmosphere, and could also use rocket boosters for high altitude combat. Its armament included four 25mm machine guns and four internal triple missile launchers. It was originally developed as a carrier-based fighter for Magellan-class battleships, but due to opposition from the space force, it was used as a high altitude fighter instead.

Toriares: A small general-purpose fighter jointly developed by the air and space forces. In space, it was deployed at Luna II and with the Side garrison forces. Its armament consisted only of two 25mm machine guns.

Core Fighter: A high-performance general-purpose fighter developed during the One Year War. Originally an escape capsule included in the mobile suits developed under Operation V in order to protect the pilot, it was upgraded so that it could function as a fighter. This machine was developed by a specially organized staff that transcended the barriers between military branches. At first the RGM-79 was also intended to use the core block system, and it was to function as a support fighter. But this idea was rejected due to production problems and, since the factories were devoted to mobile suit production, few units were produced. It was equipped with four 25mm machine guns and two internal missile launchers, heavy armament for a small craft. It was also adapted for use under Minovsky particle interference, and employed optical circuitry for its computer and all other electronic systems.

G-Fighter: A general-purpose fighter developed as a support system for the RX-78. This was the first fighter to carry a nuclear fusion reactor and use nuclear thermal rocket propulsion. It separated into two blocks, forming a transport system that enclosed the RX-78, and by applying the block mechanism of the RX-78 it could divide into two types of weapon known as the G-Sky heavy fighter and the G-Bull mobile tank. Because it carried beam weapons, its fighting strength was high, but this system was wasteful in many respects and never entered mass production.

Core Booster: A booster for the Core Fighter, developed using functional and design data from the G-Fighter. It used nuclear thermal rockets and was equipped with two mega particle cannons. The completion of this machine marked the birth of a weapon which could truly be called a general-purpose fighter.

Federation Forces Land and Sea Power

The Federation Forces' land power was unable to resist the mobile suits of the Principality forces, and relied on air support. Its effectiveness was limited by the effects of Minovsky particle dispersal, which prevented the use of any guided weapons other than close-range wire-guided types.

Big Tray: A land warfare craft developed during the One Year War. Also known as a land warship, it could travel on the water using its nuclear thermal hover system. The long range of its gunpowder-based cannons prevented mobile suits from approaching, and its bridge was equipped with an operations command center.

Type 61 Tank: The main battle tank of the Federation Forces, equipped with 150mm twin guns. Its firepower was inadequate against mobile suits, and in Operation Odessa its survival rate was less than 20 percent.

60mm Vulcan Armored Car: Although this vehicle was developed for anti-air use, it was deployed for base defense because it had the power to destroy the armor of an MS-06 Zaku II. However, it was ineffective against the heavy armor of the Principality forces' amphibious mobile suits.

Missile Car: There were two types for land and colony use. The former was a larger type with longer range. The type used in colonies was a battery driven electric car, so as not to pollute the atmosphere with exhaust gases, and so both the vehicle itself and its armament were smaller. In either case, these had little offensive power against the high mobility of a mobile suit.

Fanfan: A hover helicopter developed to defend the Jaburo base, which was constructed in underground caves beneath South America's Amazon river. It was used to attack enemies that infiltrated the base. Its movement capabilities were better than those of tanks and other fighting vehicles, and it was armed with two quadruple missile launchers. Because Minovsky particles were not dispersed inside Jaburo, it could use guided weapons.

At the beginning of the war, the Federation Forces had an advantage in sea power. Since the colonies had no seas, it was difficult to develop effective weapons there. But after the Principality forces captured the California Base intact, seizing the Federation Forces' next-generation Jukon-class and Mad Angler-class submarines and then starting the development of amphibious mobile suits, they became evenly matched.

The main power of the Federation Forces was the combat aircraft carrier loaded with Don Escargot anti-submarine patrol plane. The MSM-03 Gogg made an ideal target for these anti-submarine aircraft. Thus the Principality forces equipped the MSM-07 Z'Gok with long-range mega particle cannons, and the MAM-07 Grublo with anti-air missiles.

Principality Forces Space Power

The Principality forces were superior in terms of space vessels. When the Republic of Zeon was established, a national guard was organized, and the Chivvay-class (or Tivvay-class) heavy cruiser and the Papua-class supply ship were constructed. The concept of maneuver warfare based on mobile suits did not exist at this point, however. They also used an old-style propulsion system that combined plasma propulsion and chemical rockets, and were armed with gunpowder-based cannons.

As the 0070s began, the Principality of Zeon made rapid progress in Minovsky physics and its technological applications, and this was incorporated in the development of mobile suits and space warships. With the successful development of the MS-05 Zaku I in U.C.0074, the concept of maneuver warfare was born, and space vessels were designed specifically to carry mobile suits.

The Musai-class light cruiser, which could carry five mobile suits, was the first space vessel created with this concept in mind. It used nuclear thermal rockets for its propulsion system, and three twin mega particle cannons as its main guns. It was also equipped with radar-nullifying Minovsky particle generators. An atmospheric entry capsule developed for use in Earth invasion operations could be carried between its propulsion modules, and a small Komusai reentry capsule capable of carrying mobile suits was installed in its bow. This Musai class served as the main warship during the Battle of Loum, along with the Chivvay class, whose guns and propulsion system had been modernized.

These Musai-class and Chivvay-class cruisers were redesigned to create new models in the final stage of the war. These first of these Musai-class light cruisers was the Siegfried, and the first of these Tivvay-class heavy cruisers was the Graf Zeppelin. Both were larger and could carry more mobile suits, but since this was the final stage of the war, few entered battle.

The Principality forces were divided into an Armored Assault Force commanded by Rear Admiral Kycilia Zabi, and a Space Strike Fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Dozle Zabi. Together with the Royal Guard controlled directly by Sovereign Degwin Zabi, there were a total of three forces, and a large battleship was constructed to serve as the flagship of each. This was the Gwazine-class battleship, which rivaled the Magellan class of the Federation Forces. As well as high firepower, in a worst-case scenario it had enough cruising capability to make it to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The first of these three ships, the Great Degwin which carried Sovereign Degwin, was mistakenly sunk by its own side's Solar Ray. Rear Admiral Kycilia's third ship was destroyed at A Baoa Qu, and the second ship went missing. (It is believed to have fled to the asteroid base Axis.)

With the success of the Earth invasion operation, the Principality of Zeon was forced to maintain long supply lines between Side 3 and Earth. This created a need for a mobile warship with atmospheric entry capabilities, and the Zanzibar class was constructed. This ship adopted a lifting body design which also increased its atmospheric cruising performance, and used a single-stage chemical rocket booster to escape the atmosphere.

The Principality forces also constructed the Dolos-class carrier as the final stage of the mobile suit maneuver warfare concept. It had an overall length of 492 meters and could carry 182 mobile suits, and its armament of six twin mega particle cannons meant its fighting strength was not to be underestimated. Machines could be launched simultaneously from seven catapults.

The Gattle space fighter and Jicco assault boat were also developed as small craft. These were not carrier-based craft, but were used to defend A Baoa Qu, Solomon, and Granada, the strongholds of the Principality's final defense line. The Jicco carried three special beam-disrupting bombs like those of the Federation Forces' Public.

Another more unusual machine was the Skiure, a floating gun platform for use by mobile suits. It was equipped with the mega particle cannon of the MA-05 Bygro, and could be used on the lunar surface thanks to its thruster nozzles. It was developed for the defense of Granada but was ultimately never used.

Two new weapons were developed in place of the nuclear weapons whose use had been prohibited by the Antarctic Treaty.

The first was the satellite missile. This was a rock roughly 30 meters in diameter, equipped with thrusters. Although it was crude, it was impossible to intercept, and a direct hit could sink even a Magellan-class battleship.

The other was the Solar Ray, which was called the ultimate weapon. This was a closed-type colony which had been turned into a laser cannon. In only three seconds of operation, its 6.5 kilometer-wide laser beam annihilated the Federation Forces' Revil fleet. However, its energy consumption was enormous, requiring a few hours' worth of Side 3's entire electrical power supply. It also required at least one week for cooling after use, and it was ultimately used only once.

Principality Forces Air Power

All the aircraft used by the Principality forces on Earth were designed via computer simulations, based on data from existing machines. This was due to the special circumstances of Side 3, which could not perform adequate flight tests inside its colonies, and as a result many of these machines had unique shapes unlike those of traditional aircraft. Because they were based only on theory, various problems arose during actual flight, but the Principality forces dealt with them by applying space technologies.

Gaw: An attack carrier used to transport mobile suits, whose ground movement capabilities were poor. It could carry three mobile suits and eight Dopps, and was armed with three twin mega particle cannons. It was also equipped with nuclear thermal jet engines, but due to its considerable weight, it relied on downward jets for 30 percent of its lift.

Dopp: An atmospheric fighter plane. It used apogee motors like those of a mobile suit to increase its maneuverability. Its small size, with an overall length of 9.2 meters and an overall width of 12.1 meters, was also a result of this emphasis on maneuverability.

Luggun: A reconnaissance plane equipped with two circular radar devices. However, it relied on visual observation by its crew.

Dodai YS: Although it was developed as a bomber, it could fly while carrying a mobile suit due to the considerable surplus thrust of its nuclear thermal jets. It was armed with eight air-to-ground missile launchers.

Principality Forces Land and Sea Power

The land power of the Principality forces consisted of few machine types, since they relied on mobile suits. They likewise depended on the Gaw for most of their mobile suit transportation, with land warfare craft and trailers handling the rest.

Dobday: A land warfare craft. Although its ground speed was slow, it was equipped with two large twin guns. Like the Federation Forces' Big Tray, it could be used as a mobile headquarters.

Gallop: A small land warfare craft that emphasized movement speed and mobile suit transportation over firepower. It floated with a nuclear thermal hover system and propelled itself with jet engines, and carried three mobile suits.

Magella Attack: The main battle tank of the Principality forces, which was used to provide rear support to mobile suits. Its upper section had the ability to fly separately, but since this greatly reduced the accuracy of its 175mm recoilless cannon, it rated poorly in postwar evaluations. Its flight time was also limited to about five minutes.

Kyui: A troop transport tank. It was created to transport infantry soldiers equipped with personal jets, but was clearly pointless.

When it came to sea power, they likewise relied mainly on mobile suits. The Mad Angler class and Jukon class were both remodeled Federation Forces submarines. This remodeling involved turning the intercontinental missile space into a hangar for amphibious mobile suits, allowing the Jukon class to carry three MSM-03 Gogg units and one MSM-07 Z'Gok.

GUNDAM OFFICIAL REPORT 3: MOBILE WEAPONS U.C.0079~0080

General Purpose Mobile Suits

Mobile suits are driven by a fluid pulse system, in which a pulse converter turns the energy produced by the nuclear fusion reactor into pulses of pressure, which are then transmitted to all the actuators via fluid tubes. In the MS-06, the power pipes which contain thousands of these fluid tubes are partially exposed.

The cooling system uses helium as coolant, and this is expelled when the thrusters are in use. Because the land warfare J type combines this with an air-cooled radiator, it requires a smaller amount of coolant.

Starting with the MS-09, nuclear thermal jets or nuclear thermal rockets were employed as a propulsion system instead of chemical rockets. The performance of the rocket motors was improved in later models, increasing the maximum thrust and CMP (Combat Maximum Power) duration (1).

The apogee motors used for attitude control differ according to the model, but six to twelve of these are usually installed. One might expect that mobile suits would be capable of little complex movement, but since their joints have a high degree of freedom they can perform attitude control by moving their limbs and shifting their mass, and thus do not need many apogee motors.

The Principality forces use a multi-layered spaced armor made from super-hard titanium alloys. In the early MS-06C type, the spaces in this armor were filled with radiation-blocking fluid. This was an anti-radiation countermeasure adopted due to the use of bazookas with nuclear warheads, but after the conclusion of the Antarctic Treaty, more durable and lightweight armor became desirable.

The sensor system includes laser and infra-red sensors as part of the mono-eye, making accurate firing possible despite Minovsky particle interference. Although radar equipment was also installed, it was used only to check Minovsky particle density (as mobile suits were at a disadvantage in areas where the density was low). Including the rotation of the neck, the main camera could scan 260 degrees to the left and right, and some models also had upward and downward swiveling functions. Since the mono-eye by itself had many blind spots, more than ten sub cameras were installed throughout the body.

The description above reflects the construction concepts of the Principality forces' general-purpose mobile suits. The mobile suits of the Federation Forces had no major structural differences.

Amphibious Mobile Suits

Unlike land warfare mobile suits, the structure of amphibious mobile suits differs greatly from that of general-purpose machines. Their shapes have few protrusions and are comprehensively streamlined in order to minimize water resistance. The MSM-03 Gogg even retracts its arms and legs during underwater cruising, further reducing this resistance. Its manipulators are retractable flexible arms that use a multi-jointed construction.

The nuclear fusion reactor is larger and has higher output than that of a general-purpose machine. This is due to the adoption of water-cooled radiators which draw in water from outside the machine for use as coolant. During ground combat, the machine uses the water stored in its internal ballast tanks, and thus can operate only for one or two hours. On the other hand, the high output of the nuclear fusion reactor enables it to drive a mega particle cannon. Two mega particle cannons are installed in the abdomen of the MSM-03, making it the first mobile suit to carry beam weapons without the use of energy CAP technology.

Nuclear thermal hydrojets are used for the propulsion system, providing an extremely long cruising range. Even if they could operate underwater, no land warfare machines could match this vast operating radius. Although the machine is equipped with chemical rockets for jumping during ground combat, its maneuverability on land is inferior to that of a land warfare machine. Many Federation Forces soldiers, however, were unnerved by the bestial movements of its flexible arms.

The structural materials are thick and strong for the sake of pressure resistance. The armor is also far heavier than that of other models, and is unaffected by 60mm machine guns. The MSM-03 has a depth limit of about 200 meters, which is more than sufficient for an amphibious mobile suit.

As previously mentioned, mega particle cannons serve as the main armament, but their performance varies depending on the machine. Although a high output is required to drive the deflection type mega particle cannons of the MSM-03, their destructive power is no higher than that of a mobile suit bazooka shell. The mega particle cannons installed in the arms of the MSM-07 have a higher output, and since their beams are also tightly focused, there are many examples of it shooting down low-flying aircraft from the water. The most unique machine, however, is the MSM-10 Zock. This superheavy mobile suit, designed for bombardment, is equipped with a large phonon maser cannon on the top of its head and eight deflection type mega particle cannons on the front and back sides of its shoulders. (The MSM-04 Acguy is also an amphibious mobile suit, but because it uses the low-output nuclear fusion reactor of the MS-06 Zaku II, it lacks the output to drive a mega particle cannon and uses a rocket launcher as its main weapon (2).)

The standard armament of the amphibious mobile suit also includes the melee combat claws known as iron nails. With the high power of their actuators, these claws made from super-hard alloy can easily tear through the heavy armor of an aircraft carrier's hull. Traditional torpedoes and other weapons are also installed.

Naturally, the mono-eye is used as a sensor system, but in many models the head rotation mechanism is omitted or has a limited turning radius. Thus most of these machines are designed so that the camera has a wide range of movement.

Mobile Armors

Because there is no standard type of mobile armor, it is difficult to identify the common features of this weapon. Their performance is also hard to compare because the size and functional environment varies widely depending on the model. They do not necessarily have manipulators or walking systems, and these are completely omitted in models that do not require them. This is because these weapons are designed to suit their respective purposes, discarding the kind of versatility possessed by a mobile suit. As described in the MS Development History, mobile armors are descended from space combat boats, and unlike mobile suits they are wholly unconcerned with the humanoid form. The unique shapes of Newtype machines such as the MAN-03 Braw-Bro and the MAN-08 Elmeth are actually those of space boats.

If one had to propose common features, they might include a large nuclear fusion reactor far surpassing that of a mobile suit, high-output mega particle cannons (except for the underwater MAM-07), and, in their respective functional environments, mobility surpassing that of mobile suits and other existing weapons (3). Of course, new technological knowhow derived from mobile suits was incorporated in their development, and in a sense they could be called a development or enlargement of the mobile suit.

We will examine their construction via one model of mobile armor, the MA-08 Byg-Zam developed for fortress defense. This machine has a disc-shaped torso with two walking units attached. These legs are part of an attitude control system based on mass movement, but they can also be detached in emergency escape situations.

Its main gun is the large deflection type mega particle cannon that protrudes from the front of the torso, which is powerful enough to sink a Magellan-class battleship with one shot. Deflection type mega particle cannons for anti-air use are also arrayed around the torso to prevent mobile suits from engaging it in close combat. Particularly noteworthy is the installation of a defensive barrier that deflects enemy beams using a powerful magnetic field (I-field). Four large nuclear fusion reactors, with an output of 35,000 kilowatts apiece, are installed to drive these weapons. However, operating all these high-output mega particle cannons requires the charging of a mega condenser based on Minovsky physics, and due to cooling problems full-scale combat can only be sustained for less than twenty minutes.

A cockpit block is located on top of the torso. Although it requires a crew of three people, including a pilot, a gunner, and an enemy search operator, it can fight with just one operator thanks to computer support.

The psycommu system, and its accessories such as wired mega particle cannons and unmanned bit attack machines, are equipment exclusive to mobile armors. These innovative offensive systems are installed only in Newtype mobile armors. These could be considered ultimate weapons, against which there are no countermeasures.

Although many mobile armors are designed for space combat, they can also function adequately in the atmosphere if equipped with Minovsky craft systems. The development of land warfare versions of the MA-08 and MSN-02 Zeong, as mass production types, was also investigated. The movable heavy gun platform known as the MAX-03 Adzam was an example of this Minovsky craft system.

Translator's Notes

(1) The term "rocket motor" usually refers to devices such as attitude control verniers that use solid fuel, but in this case the text seems to be talking about the mobile suit's main thrusters.

(2) This claim is contradicted in the MS Design Collection section of the book, which says that the Acguy has a mega particle cannon in its right arm.

(3) The original text refers here to the MAN-08, but this is clearly a typo.

GUNDAM OFFICIAL REPORT 4: HIGH TECHNOLOGY U.C.0001~0080

Space Colonies

Space colonies are artificial satellites constructed at the Lagrange points of the Earth and moon. The typical open colony forms an artificial living space which can accommodate 36 million people inside a cylinder 32 kilometers long and 6.3 kilometers in diameter. Enormous mirrors are attached to this cylinder, directing sunlight into the interior. The colony rotates once every two minutes to produce artificial gravity via centrifugal force. Farm blocks are arranged around the cylinder.

Closed-type colonies have no windows or mirrors. Instead, solar panels are deployed around the colony. Their energy is converted to microwaves, and then back into electricity to power the artificial sun installed within the cylinder. Although this type costs more to construct than the open type, it has more usable surface area due to the lack of windows, and can accommodate twice as many people. Both types are capable of self-sufficiency, relying only on solar energy.

A cluster of 36 to 40 colonies constitutes a Side, and each Side can house 1.3 billion people.

The colonies were constructed using lunar resources. The lunar rocks which served as raw materials were sent to the construction airspace using mass drivers (electromagnetic catapults). The satellite Luna II, an asteroid with a diameter of 680 kilometers which was transported from the asteroid belt using nuclear pulse propulsion, also provided resources for the construction of Side 7.

Incidentally, the construction of Side 7 was suspended. Only the first colony exists (and, moreover, it is incomplete). Thus it is not officially a Side.

Finally, we will note the names of the Sides: Side 1 is Zarn, Side 2 is Hatte, Side 3 is Munzo, Side 4 is Mua, Side 5 is Loum, Side 6 is Riah, and Size 7 is Noa. In some cases, the individual colonies also have names of their own. For example, Side 1, Colony 1 is named Shangri-La.

Solar Power Satellites

Most of the electrical power consumed on Earth is supplied by solar power satellites that have been placed in satellite orbit. This system uses solar panels to convert sunlight directly into electrical power, which is transmitted in microwave form to receiver facilities on the ground, and then turned back into electricity.

Newtypes

As people became spacenoids, they required broader powers of perception and the capacity for flexible thinking in order to adapt to life in outer space. Zeon Zum Deikun predicted that humanity would evolve to adapt to space in this fashion. It was for this reason that he advocated the migration of humanity into space.

Practically speaking, Newtypes are people whose powers of insight surpass those of an ordinary person, allowing them to perceive the feelings and intentions of other people. Of the Principality of Zeon's mobile suit pilots, some were identified as having unusually high combat results and survival rates, and their special characteristics were scientifically verified by the Flanagan Agency. The strain of combat had served as a trigger and increased their abilities to an unusual degree, and they could even demonstrate a form of precognition.

Psycommu

The psycommu is officially known as a psycho communicator. The development of this system began when the Flanagan Agency detected reactive waves from the brains of its test subjects in the course of Newtype research. In principle, it is an interface that translates these reactive waves (psycho-waves) into computer language. Because thoughts are transmitted directly to machines, its reaction speed is extremely high, and when it was experimentally installed in mobile armors it made it possible to operate these machines more smoothly than with conventional control systems. It was also possible to control many machines simultaneously, enabling the use of multiple wired mega particle cannons or wireless unmanned bit attack machines to perform all-range attacks.

Minovsky Particles

These are elementary particles with near-zero rest mass and a positive or negative electrical charge. They have the special characteristic of forming a force field when aligned in a cubic lattice. They were discovered by Torenov Y. Minovsky, the originator of Minovsky physics (1). Minovsky physics is the physics of Minovsky particles and their technological applications, and it spurred the development of military technologies such as the implementation of nuclear fusion reactors, radio jamming, mega particle cannons, and anti-gravity (Minovsky craft systems).

These applied technologies were researched by the Minovsky Physics Society at Side 3, but in U.C.0072 Minovsky himself defected to the Federation in order to prevent a war, bringing along his technologies and also developing new ones such as energy CAP technology.

Minovsky Craft

A makeshift anti-gravity system created through the technological application of Minovsky physics. Levitation is made possible by a repulsive force against the force field (I-field) of the cubic lattice formed by Minovsky particles. Examples of its use in weapons include the MAX-03 Adzam of the Principality forces, and the assault landing ship White Base of the Federation Forces. Because this technology is still incomplete, it must be used in combination with a normal propulsion system.

Thanks to this anti-gravity propulsion system, the White base was able to enter and escape the atmosphere under its own power. The weak point of this system is that, since the Minovsky particle generators cannot be miniaturized, it cannot be installed in a mobile suit-class machine.

Beam Weapons

Minovsky beam weapons (MBW) are powerful new weapons which have replaced traditional charged particle beam weapons (PBW). They include mega particle cannons, beam sabers, radio interference, Minovsky craft systems, et cetera, but of all these the mega particle cannon is the most typical offensive weapon. The following is an explanation of its basic principles and construction.

Generally speaking, the mega particle cannon is made up of accumulator, generator, accelerator, and emitter sections (2). Its firing process is reflected in its structure as follows.

The firing signal is transmitted from the CPM of the machine to the CPM within the beam cannon via connectors in the arm. Minovsky particles are compressed inside an energy condenser by a powerful I-field, and they degenerate and fuse into mega particles. At this point, part of their mass is converted to kinetic energy.

These mega particles, now in a high-energy state, are transferred to the accumulator section and stored until they reach a certain level. When they exceed this level, the mega particles are transferred to the beam generator and emitted.

The resulting mega particle beam passes through several acceleration and focusing rings in the accelerator section, adjusting it to deliver the maximum possible destructive power at the point of impact. Then, in the emitter section, it is adjusted to stabilize its trajectory and fired toward the target.

The above is a general outline of the structural principles of the mega particle cannon. Because a mega particle cannon using this design requires a variety of large-scale equipment, it could only be used for the main guns of warships until the development of the energy CAP (energy capacitor).

The energy CAP can emit high-energy Minovsky particles that have been compressed by an I-field. As a result, the energy condenser can be omitted, and the weapon can be made small and light enough for a mobile suit to carry. The energy needed to make Minovsky particles degenerate into mega particles, incidentally, is supplied by the main machine via a connector.

The principle of the beam saber and beam javelin is to use the heat energy produced when mega particles are released directly. The energy CAP is used just as in a compact mega particle cannon, and the mega particles are generated via the same principle.

Anti-Beam Barrier

A defensive weapon that makes use of the polarity of Minovsky particles. A powerful I-field is generated around the machine, and this changes the trajectory of beams so as to avoid a direct hit to the machine itself. Because it requires an enormous amount of energy and large-scale devices, it is not very widely used.

Translator's Notes

(1) This scientist was previously identified as Y.T. Minovsky in Gundam Century. The earlier version seems more appropriate, since it functions as a more direct homage to Mobile Suit Gundam director Yoshiyuki Tomino.

(2) The original text lists the generator section first, and goes on to state that the energy condenser is part of this generator section, but this is clearly contradicted by the accompanying diagrams. According to these diagrams, the energy condenser is part of the accumulator section, where the firing process begins.

MS PILOT MANUAL

Translator's Note: This section is not yet translated.

MS DESIGN COLLECTION

Translator's Note: This material is largely replicated in the Mobile Suit Gundam MS Encyclopedia, so I've covered it there.

MS GLOSSARY

Translator's Note: These glossary items are distributed among three pages in Japanese alphabetical order. I've listed them here in a single section in English alphabetical order.

all range attack
A special tactic that can be used only by Newtype mobile armors. By simultaneously controlling multiple attack units (wired mega particle cannons or bits), a target can be attacked from all directions.

apogee motor
A rocket motor installed in mobile suits and spacecraft, and used for supplemental attitude control. The early mobile suits of the Principality forces used solid-fuel motors, but later models changed to higher-performance thrusters that used liquid rockets. Also known as "verniers."

armor
Mobile suit armor is usually a composite armor (hybrid armor) in which ceramics are sandwiched between high-tensile titanium alloys. Early models of the MS-05 and MS-06 used a multi-layered spaced armor made from super high-tensile steel, but this was replaced by the previously mentioned material to reduce weight and improve bulletproofing. The Gundarium used in the armor materials of the RX-78 was a super-hard alloy made from a rare metal called Luna Titanium. The triple-layered honeycomb armor made from this alloy was far more bulletproof than other armors, but its ingredients were rare and difficult to process, making it unsuitable for mass production. As a result, it was not adopted in the RGM-79.

bit
An unmanned attack machine carried by the MAN-08. It is remotely controlled by the reactive waves of a Newtype pilot, amplified by the psycommu system. A generator is installed within the machine, allowing it to drive a mega particle cannon.

core block system
The escape system adopted in the RX series. A section of the torso that includes the cockpit block separates from the main body and becomes an escape pod. The pod then transforms into a general-purpose fighter called a Core Fighter. Although its mobility and offensive capabilities increase the pilot's chances of survival, this was not adopted in the RGM-79 due to its extremely high cost. The RX-78 enhancement system known as the G Armor could be considered an expanded application of this.

grenade
As one would expect, the hand grenades normally used by infantry also serve as mobile suit weapons. The grenade itself has no propulsion, and is either thrown by hand or propelled by the explosive force of a mounted launcher. There is also a multiple warhead type known as the cracker.

heat hawk
A melee weapon used by the MS-06, which cuts through the enemy with a heated blade. The heat saber used by the MS-07 and the heat sword used by the MS-09 are weapons of the same type.

heat rod
A melee weapon used by the MS-07. Normally stored inside the right arm, it can be extended to a maximum length of 17.5 meters and shock the enemy with a high-voltage current.

heatproof field
A device installed only in the RX-78, which uses an air field to block the friction heat of atmospheric entry. It uses the same principle as the ballute. However, since the heat is not completely blocked, the machine itself must be simultaneously cooled.

jet pack
An auxiliary thruster installed on the amphibious mobile suits MSM-03C and MSM-07E, and used for water takeoff and gliding. It actually uses chemical rockets, and is discarded after use.

magnet coating
A magnetic coating process applied to the drive system (mainly the actuators) of the RX-78-2 in order to reduce friction resistance. This increased the machine's reaction speed to three times its previous level.

manipulator
In general terms, an artificial arm, and thus the arm of a mobile suit. The original concept of the mobile suit was a powered space suit that magnified the abilities of its operator, and the high working capabilities of general-purpose mobile suits are surely a manifestation of this. A mobile suit's manipulator perfectly reproduces the movements of a human arm, and tactile sensors are installed at various points, enabling it to perform precision work thanks to reciprocal feedback with its computer.

mega particle cannon (1)
The mainstream beam weapon of this era. At the outbreak of the war these were used as the main guns of space warships, but starting with the RX-78 it became possible for mobile suits to carry them as well. Because these weapons consume vast amounts of energy, they lack the rapid-fire capabilities of conventional guns, and if the reactor output drops then it can take a long time before the cannon can be fired again. In the beam rifle, however, these shortcomings were addressed by the adoption of the energy CAP (energy capacitor). See "Mega Particle Cannon".

mobile armor
See "Appearance of the Mobile Armor".

mobile suit
See "Birth of the Mobile Suit".

mono-eye
The main camera of the Principality forces' mobile suits and mobile armors. This is a compound sensor in which laser and infra-red sensors are arranged around an electro-optical camera. In addition to this mono-eye, external cameras are also installed at various points on the machine. The RX-78 is equipped with a dual sensor unit known as the twin eye for its main camera.

nuclear fusion reactor
Implemented in the Universal Century through the application of Minovsky physics, and used as the main power source of mobile suits and various types of vessel. In mobile suits, this is often referred to simply as a generator.

nuclear thermal propulsion system (2)
A propulsion system used in mobile suits and various types of vessel. It uses the thermal energy of the nuclear fusion reactor (or thermonuclear reactor) to obtain thrust. There are three types: nuclear thermal rockets for use in space, nuclear thermal jets for use in the atmosphere, and nuclear thermal hydrojets for underwater use. Nuclear thermal propulsion has the advantages of high thrust compared to traditional systems, and reduced propellant consumption. Starting with the MS-R09, general-purpose mobile suits switched from chemical rockets to these systems.

propellant tank
This refers to an externally attached fuel (propellant) tank. It is used mainly as additional equipment to extend a mobile suit's operating range and combat time. The tank uses a dual-layered construction and contains both propellant and coolant.

shield
In this context, this refers to a shield used by a mobile suit. Although crude, this can be an effective defensive measure depending on the skill of the pilot. It is not normally carried by mobile suits with thick armor and thus high defensive capabilities.

spike armor
The spiked shoulder armor seen on many Principality forces mobile suits. This equipment is used in melee combat to ram the enemy and destroy their armor.

vulcan
A machine gun installed in mobile suits and fighter craft. Although it has only one barrel, it has multiple chambers, and the rotating chambers are individually loaded with bullets and liquid explosive as it fires. 60mm is the typical caliber for mobile suits, and the RX-78 could expend its 600 rounds of ammunition in just under one minute of rapid firing. As an anti-mobile suit weapon, it has low firepower and poor accuracy, and is used mainly for close defense or diversion.

Translator's Notes

(1) In the original text, this is captioned in English as "mega particle beam gun".

(2) In the original text, this is captioned in English as "thermonuclear react thruster system."

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