GN-001/hs-A01 Gundam Avalanche Exia

The protagonist mobile suit of the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam 00, and the mobile suit of Setsuna F. Seiei, Gundam Exia is the first Gundam to be displayed to the world at large. Sporting the set of armaments known as the "Seven Swords" System, the Exia is best-suited for melee combat. The Exia is also the first publically-known mobile suit to use beam-based weaponry, an indication of how vastly advanced it is in comparison to other mobile suits fielded at the time.

Its name derives from Exusia and/or Exousia, the biblical Greek word for the power of choice and/or authority.

Combat Characteristics
Appears in the manga sidestory Mobile Suit Gundam 00V. The GN-001 Gundam Exia can be equipped with the optional high-mobility equipment hs-A01 Avalanche. Though the GN particle propulsion system native to the Exia allows for relatively high speed and acceleration, the unit is actually incapable of matching or exceeding certain aircrafts and spacecrafts in flight. The Avalanche was developed for the purpose of eliminating this issue. The optional equipment consists of a series of large-capacity GN particle condenser attachments, which act to store the particle production of the GN drive for release in a single 10-minute burst of ultra-high speed. Higher output is possible, but the strain it places on the body of the pilot becomes severe. As the condensers require a full hour to charge, repeated use of the burst function is impossible. The standard Seven Swords armaments can be mounted behind the Avalanche equipment, and quickly deployed for use. The name "Avalanche" refers to the immediate elimination of all units before the attached Exia, as if in the face of an avalanche. "hs" stands for "high speed," and "A01" stands for "Avalanche Unit-01."

GN Beam Saber & Beam Dagger''
Beam equipment in the Anno Domini continuity is still in the process of being developed by most military powers as a 2nd generation mobile suit armament. The Gundams are the first series of units to actually employ them on the battlefield. The Exia has a total of four beam sabers: two of standard length, mounted behind either shoulder; and two beam daggers, mounted behind the waist. Though such weapons are more versatile than solid blades, the GN particles composing the blade body may be subject to dispersion and other forms of disruption and grow less effective in an atmosphere. The sabers function by emitting a positron field which helds condensed GN Particles in the form of a blade. When in contact with another surface, the positron field breaks and releases the condensed particles directly onto the contact surface.

GN Long Blade & Short Blade
A pair of solid blades differing in length, sheathed at either side of the Exia's waist when not in use. The blades are lined with GN particles to increase the effectiveness of armor-cutting. Normally dual-wielded.

GN Sword/Rifle
A solid blade attached to a miniature forearm shield, which serves as the Exia's primary weapon -- the longest blade amongst the Seven Swords. The cutting edge is lined with GN particles, allowing it to easily split MS armor. The sword can be vertically folded along the forearm, exposing the muzzle of a short-range, high-speed beam rifle concealed behind the shield. A single shot can destroy a conventional enemy unit. The sword can also be used as a physical blade to pierce/negate GN Field equipped opponents.

GN Shield
Defensive equipment composed of durable E-Carbon, superior to the armor class of conventional mobile weapons and extremely difficult to destroy. As the Exia is designed for close-quarters combat, the shield it's equipped with is relatively small and light-weight. Both ends of the shield are bladed and of sufficient consistency to be used as a piercing weapon.

GN Vulcan Cannon
A small beam-based vulcan cannon, built into the Exia's forearms. As all of the its capabilities are inferior to that of the GN Sword - Rifle Mode, it is used primarily for threatening and limiting enemy movement.

Optical Camouflage
Exia features a cloaking system based on Celestial Being's optical camouflage technology. When performing missions that need Exia to be hidden, the optical camouflage blends Exia into its surroundings; the cloak isn't perfect. The cloak isn't an active cloaking field, it's only applicable when Exia is stationary. Should Exia move during cloak, the optical camouflage would reveal Exia. The optical camouflage is also capable of expanding its cloak field. It's able to cloak another Gundam inches away from its position, but it's unclear if it is capable of cloaking a non-Gundam MS and/or foreign object.

Trans-Am System
Trans-Am grants Exia three times it's normal capabilities. It's overall speed, firepower, and strength is temporarily increased at three times its normal specs. When activated Exia becomes a high speed MS combatant, capable of hyper vector CQC combat. Because CB engineers didn't know about Trans-Am, no secondary features or special abilities were given to Exia when Trans-Am is activated. The system utilizes the maximum potential of its GN Drive in particle generation. Once all it's particles are spent, Exia is temporarily under powered until the GN Drive recharges Exia's particle levels to normal performance parameters.