LM314V21 Victory 2 Gundam

The LM314V21 Victory 2 Gundam (aka Victory 2, V2, LM314V21) is a mobile suit that appears in Mobile Suit Victory Gundam.

Technology and Combat Characteristics
The Victory 2 (V2) Gundam was the newest Gundam produced by the League Militaire as their new symbol, replacing the older LM312V04 Victory Gundam. Nevertheless it shared many similarities with its predecessor, most notably the three-component Core Block System, which consisted of a Core Fighter, a Top Fighter and a Bottom Fighter that combined to form the V2's body. It also allowed damaged parts to be quickly and easily swapped in the middle of battle. Its armaments were for most part identical to the original Victory as well, although most of its systems were upgraded to better combat the newer mobile weapons being produced by the Zanscare Empire. Like its predecessor the V2 could also be outfitted with a variety of equipment to adapt to different mission roles. These upgrades typically saw the V2 outfitted with additional armor or extra weapons (or both).

The most important upgrade, however, was the Minovsky Drive System, which was derived from the Victory Gundam's Minovsky Flight System and provided the unit with unparalleled power and maneuverability. This system allowed the V2 to fly in space without the use of conventional rocket thrusters (though some were still incorporated for maneuvering) and achieve incredible speeds. If used on Earth the Minovsky Drive allowed the V2 to hover in mid-air without additional support, a significant advantage over the beam rotor technology used by other mobile suits of the time.

Arguably the most important ability of the Minovsky Drive, however, was its ability to be used for both offensive and defensive purposes, sometimes simultaneously. The system's high-energy exhaust plumes manifested as a giant pair of wings ("Wings of Light"), which could be used as either gigantic beam sabers to slice through any target or as massive beam shields to shield both the Gundam itself and other targets. The defensive ability of the Wings of Light is nigh-unbreakable, if not absolute: Not even the ZMT-S29S Zanneck's beam cannon, which could hit targets on Earth from high in the atmosphere, could penetrate the Wings of Light.

History
Only two Victory 2 Gundams were known to be produced, one of which was assigned to the League Militaire's ace pilot Uso Ewin, who would put the suit to great use during the latter half of the Zanscare War. The other unit, which featured a black color scheme, was somehow acquired by Grey Stoke and used by the Newtype Kamui Gian to provide back-up for Ewin's unit in a battle against the Zong. It is unknown how many more, if any, V2s were produced.

Variants

 * LM314V23 Victory 2 Buster Gundam
 * LM314V24 Victory 2 Assault Gundam
 * LM314V23/24 V2 Assault-Buster Gundam

Trivia

 * The "Wings of Light" of the ZGMF-X42S Destiny Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny has many similarities with the Victory 2 Gundam's Minovsky Drive.