Argama-class

The Argama-class is a carrier/assault landing ship and is part of the class of ship that appears in the anime Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, the anime Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, and the photo-novel Gundam Sentinel.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Argama Class Assault Carrier was developed in secret at the Sweetwater colony by Anaheim Electronics with funding from the Anti Earth Union Group. The Argama class was inspired by the successful Pegasus-class assault carrier White Base, from the One Year War. Instead of having a central centrifuge that would rotate to simulate gravity, the Argama has two rotating residential modules at are able to rotate to simulate gravity for the crew. These blocks are extended while rotating, the bridge of the Argama class ships are able extend when not in combat, and be retracted with the habitat blocks when combat operations begin. The improvements upon the design enable the Argama class to carry more mobile suits then the Pegasus class and a pair of mega particle cannons as its main armament. In addition to its mobile suit compliment and mega particle cannons, the Argama class was also armed with with four main gun turrets, a hyper mega particle cannon, a missile launcher, as well Anti-Air/Anti-Mobile Suit defenses. The first Argama-class ship was launched in March UC 0087 when it started its first operation to steal a prototype RX-178 Gundam Mk-II from a Titans base at Green Noa I.

Armaments

 * Main Gun Turret
 * Four mega particle guns mounted on turrets serve as the main guns for the Argama. Three of the guns are mounted on the bow of the ship with one placed on the dorsal side in front of the bridge and between the launch catapults, and the remaining two mounted on the ventral side. The fourth gun is placed on the dorsal aft side of the ship and covers the rear.


 * Mega Particle Cannon
 * The Argama's most powerful weapon during the Gryps Conflict and second most powerful during the First Neo Zeon War are a pair of high powered mega particle cannon stored in special compartments with one on the port side and the other on the starboard side. Because of their power the mega particle cannons take some time to charge up before being fired. The mega particle cannons can rotate so that they can be fired forward or aft of the ship.


 * Hyper Mega Particle Cannon
 * During the First Neo Zeon War the left mega particle cannon was upgraded into a hyper mega particle cannon, the most powerful weapon installed on any EFSF/AEUG ship. The purpose for the upgrade was so that the Argama could be used to attack Axis and destroy the asteroid with one use of the hyper mega particle cannon; however, in practice the weapon failed. Because of its power, the hyper mega particle cannon takes more time to charge up than standard beam weapons.


 * Missile Launcher
 * The Argama is equipped with multiple missile launchers that are used to launch anti-mobile suit and anti-ship missiles.


 * AA/AMS Defense
 * The Argama is equipped with multiple CIWS weapons that serve as an anti-air and anti-mobile suit defense against missiles and mobile suits.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Ballute System
 * The Argama-class is capable of utilizing a ballute atmospheric re-entry system, in which an iflatable device is deployed from the back of the ship and allows heat and friction to be dispersed around and away from the ship, allowing for a safe re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

Argama
The most famous of the Argama-class assault carriers was the Argama itself, which served as the flagship of the AEUG fleet during the Gryps Conflict. Originally captained by Henken Bekkener it was soon placed under the command of Bright Noa, who remained its captain till after the Gryps Conflict. Entering service on March UC 0087, the first mission for the Argama under Henken Bekkener's command was to capture one of the new Gundam's being developed by the Titans at a base on Green Noa I.

Following the rescue of Bright Noa and his ship, the Temptation, the former White Base commander is given command of the Argama and remains its captain long after the Gryps Conflict and into the First Neo Zeon War. It was upgraded with the Hyper Mega Particle Cannon in the latter stages of the War, but after the Colony Drop of Dublin, the crew was forced to abandon it on Earth so Karaba could repair and use it. It was replaced by the Nahel Argama for the last stages of the War.

Pegasus III
The second ship of the Argama-class to be developed, the Pegasus III was named in honor of the Pegasus-class assault carriers. The Pegasus III had several changes to its design, such as the residential modules are fixed into place and the radar antennas on the side of the bridge were replaced with those that resemble the Pegasus class ships of the One Year War.

Commanded by Eton Heathrow, the Pegasus III was launched from the Baikonur space base on February 25, UC 0088 as part of Task force Alpha. Their mission was the suppress the New Desides during the Pezun Rebellion.