Diva

The Diva is a fictional space battleship from Mobile Suit Gundam AGE. It is commanded by Grodek Ainoa in A.G. 115 and later Millais Alloy in A.G. 141. In A.G. 164, The Earth Federation Government sent a rookie lieutenant named Natora Einus as the new captain of Diva.

Technology and Combat Characteristics
The Diva is the flagship of the Earth Federal Forces, developed to transport, aid, and support Flit and the AGE-1 Gundam AGE-1 Normal. Developed in the Space Colony Nora, it was supposed to be commanded by Dian Fonroid. Aside from carrying the Gundam the Diva is also designed to carry a number of additional Genoace mobile suits and the Genoace Custom to further support both the ship and the Gundam in battle. Two linear catapults are used to deploy the mobile suits.

The Diva also houses the AGE Builder and its supporting computer system in the ventral section of the ship. The Builder can quickly construct new weapons and equipment for the Gundam, which the Diva can send to the Gundam even in mid-battle through the use of a catapult specialized for the AGE Builder.

During its time in Minsry the Diva underwent an overhaul to upgrade its systems with a new weapon known as the photon blaster cannon, a weapon designed by the AGE System that is said to be more powerful than the Federation's most powerful weapon the hyper mega particle cannon. The weapon was designed as a means of combating the Fa Bose, the UE's mothership. The cannon was placed on the mid-line of the ship underneath the bridge section. To accommodate the cannon the forward section was modified to split and rotate. This essentially gives the Diva two modes, the original cruise mode and the new assault mode.

Armament

 * Anti-Air Cannons
 * The Diva is equipped with a large number of anti-air cannons (exact number currently unknown). The cannons appear to be able to adjust their angle in order to better target the enemy. The cannons also appear to be beam cannons. Judging from what has been seen so far it appears that the Diva mounts at least twenty of these weapons


 * Beam Cannons
 * The Diva's primary anti-ship weapons are large scale beam cannons, of which there are at least four.


 * 3-tube Missile Launcher/Anti-beam dispersal shell launchers
 * Along the upper side of the ship are six launch tubes for anti-beam dispersal shells, mounted three to each side of the bridge. These are essentially missiles that detonate some distance away from the ship and release a substance that disperses beam weapons. They are similar to the anti-beam depth charge launchers of Cosmic Era warships, but but with apparently greater range.Can also launch standard missiles.


 * Photon Blaster Cannon
 * The photon blaster cannon is a weapon designed by the AGE System that is said to be more powerful than the Federation's most powerful weapon the hyper mega particle cannon. The weapon was designed as a means of combating the Fa Bose, the UE's mothership. The cannon was placed on the mid-line of the ship underneath the bridge section. To accommodate the cannon the forward section was modified to split and rotate. According to Flit Asuno, the weapon is too powerful for use within atmosphere.


 * Plasma Diver Missile

History
The Diva was built in the Nora colony. When the UE attacked and damaged the colony an insane plan was concocted to evacuate the civilians to the colony core, and then use the Diva to pull the core out of the colony before it collapsed. The Diva's original captain, Dian Fonroid, and his command staff believed the plan was too insane and decided to disregard it and abandon the civilians. When Grodek Ainoa discovered Fonroid's intentions he stunned the captain and his command staff, locked them away, deleted their entries from the crew records, and took command of the ship himself, lying by saying the orders came from HQ. Grodek proceeded with the plan to evacuate the colony core. Though the situations became a little hairy the Diva successfully pulled the core out and away from the colony before it collapsed.

The Diva then proceeds to the Fardain colony where it docked to be resupplied. While docked at Fardain Grodek is preparing the Diva for an assault against a UE base that he has discovered the location of. Several days after docking at Fardain, the Diva, along with two additional mobile suit squadrons provided by Fardian's Zalam and Euba factions, proceeds to thwart a large-scale UE attack on the colony.

After thwarting the UE attack on Fardain, the Diva proceeds to the Minsry colony in order to rally additional forces before proceeding with a planned attack on the UE stronghold projected to be located at an abandoned Federation space fortress. At Minsry the Diva was overhauled to incorporate the new photon blaster cannon into its systems.

A similar vessel, the Amadeus, took part in the defense of Big Ring in A.G.141.

During the battle of Nostrum the Diva is used as the operating core of the Photon Ring Ray strategic weapon, using the photon blaster cannon to amplify the power and effective range of the weapon.

Variants

 * Amadeus
 * Baronche
 * Diva-class Mass Production Type (Gundam AGE)

Trivia

 * The Diva-class is the Assault Carrier of Mobile Suit Gundam AGE. Unlike traditional assault carriers of the various Gundam series, in its original form the launch catapults are not oriented the same way as the ship. Instead the catapults are oriented horizontally so that when a mobile suit launches its head is pointing towards either the port or starboard side of the ship while its feet are pointing towards the interior center of the ship. After the ships transformation the launch catapults have the traditional orientation.
 * After its upgrade the Diva receives a photon blaster cannon, which is similar to mega particle cannons and positron blaster cannons of previous series. To use the cannon the Diva splits its forward section and rotates the launch catapults, giving it an appearance to other protagonist ships such as the MSC-07 Albion, Archangel and the White Base from the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, with the Veigan even calling it the 'Trojan Horse'.
 * The sound effect used by the Photon Blaster Cannon is the same as used by the Archangel's Positron Blaster Cannon Lohengrin