GAT-X105 Strike Gundam

The GAT-X105 Strike Gundam is a prototype multi-mode mobile suit featured in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. Its primary pilot was Kira Yamato before it was passed down to former mobile armor ace pilot, Mu La Flaga.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Strike Gundam is the most versatile of the five Gundams in the Earth Alliance's G Project and can be easily configured for various types of combat. Using its Striker Packs, it can be outfitted for high mobility combat (Aile Strike), long range heavy assault (Launcher Strike) or melee combat (Sword Strike). In addition, the Striker packs are also equipped with backup batteries that can extend the Strike's operation time. Built on the X100 series frame first adopted by the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam, the Strike also has the Phase Shift armor system. In terms of armament, the Strike itself is equipped only with two head-mounted CIWS and a pair of combat knives stored in the side skirt armor, but it can also be optionally armed with a bazooka, a shield and a beam rifle. Because of its bright blue, red and white color phase-shifted scheme, the Strike is easily the most visually distinctive of the five (with the possible exception of the bright red-colored GAT-X303 Aegis). Later on, the Strike Gundam was equipped with a Natural-use OS to allow its new pilot, Mu La Flaga, to control the suit effectively.

Armaments

 * "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel Anti Air CIWS
 * Mounted in the Strike's head are two "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel CIWS guns. These light projectile weapons are used to intercept missiles and to destroy lightly armored vehicles, although it is classified as Anti Air.


 * "Armor Schneider" Combat Knife
 * Stored in the Strike's side skirt armor are a pair of folding "Armor Schneider" combat knives. These knives do not need power from the suit, can be thrown, and their blades vibrate at high speed allowing them to pierce through most armor except PS armor.


 * 57mm High-energy Beam Rifle
 * An optional armament, the beam rifle can be stored on the side skirt armor. This is the primary ranged combat weapon and can easily destroy a ZGMF-1017 GINN with one shot, but is mostly ineffective against suits with anti-beam coating. It has an additional handle that can shift to the side, and is often used for extra stability when the Strike is firing its rifle rapidly.


 * Bazooka
 * An optional ranged weapon, the bazooka fires explosive shells and is loaded with four magazines. As it is a conventional weapon, it does not draw power from the Strike's battery and this results in extended combat endurance. Another advantage is that the bazooka can be used underwater, unlike a beam rifle. The disadvantage of the weapon is that its greater size and weight makes it somewhat less mobile then the beam rifle. In the manga, Gundam SEED RE:, the bazooka had an alternate Shrapnel munition.


 * Shield
 * An optional piece of equipment designed to increase the Strike's defensive capability, it is mounted on the left forearm and/or handheld. The shield does not have phase shift armor, so it is not as durable as the Strike's armor, however it also does not drain energy each time it is hit. The shield's major advantage is that it is anti-beam coated and can block or deflect beam weapon attacks, against which phase shift armor is ineffective. The same shield is also used by GAT-X102 Duel Gundam and other mobile suits.


 * XM404 "Grand Slam" Anti-Ship Sword
 * A large sword developed by the ZAFT, but used by the Strike to take down enemy mobile suits. Seen only in episode 08 of Gundam Evolve.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Hardpoints for Striker Packs
 * The key feature of the Strike is its ability to equip additional equipment in the form of striker packs. Each striker pack is designed to outfit the Strike with the equipment needed to fulfill specific combat roles with maximum efficiency.


 * Phase Shift armor
 * As with all of the G Project mobile suits, the GAT-X105 Strike is equipped with phase shift armor. When activated the Strike's color is changed from a light grey to a white scheme with a bit of blue and red mixed in. Phase Shift armor, when activated, renders the Strike immune to physical attacks such as bullets, the GINN sword, or against missiles. However Phase Shift armor continually drains the battery of energy, shortening the mobile suit's combat endurance, and uses up additional energy when it is hit.

History
To counter ZAFT's advanced mobile suits, the Earth Alliance's Atlantic Federation secretly collaborated with Morgenroete to develop their own series of mobile suits under the G Project. In January CE 71, five prototype suits were secretly rolled out at the space colony Heliopolis. ZAFT however became aware of these machines, infiltrated the colony on January 25 and stole four of the suits. The only machine to remain out of ZAFT's hands was the Strike, which was first piloted by Murrue Ramius, a EA lieutenant and then by a civilian Coordinator named Kira Yamato. Kira used the suit to fight against the invading ZAFT forces although he could not prevent the destruction of the colony. Following this battle, the Strike was entrusted to Kira. Thus, Kira joined the crew of the Archangel and fought against the pursuing ZAFT forces both in space and later on Earth. During the ship's journey to the EA's JOSH-A base in Alaska, Kira battled and defeated several ZAFT ace pilots, including Andrew Waltfeld and the ZAFT Reds who piloted the four stolen Gundams. On April 17, Kira fought an intense battle against his former friend Athrun Zala in his GAT-X303 Aegis. In this battle the Strike was severely damaged, although its remains were salvaged by the Orb Union. Kira himself was rescued by Junk Guild member Lowe Guele and brought to PLANT, where he stole the ZGMF-X10A Freedom with the help of Lacus Clyne.

The Orb Union eventually rebuilt the Strike from the damaged remains and loaded it with the newly developed Natural-use OS. Following the defection of the Archangel crew who sought refuge at Orb Union in early June, the Strike became the personal mobile suit of ace pilot Mu La Flaga. Mu's Strike sparred with Kira Yamato's Freedom (at the end of Gundam SEED Phase 37) and was also involved in the battle to protect Orb against the Alliance's invasion. Some time later, Mu used the Launcher Strike in the battle his long-time rival Rau Le Creuset, who was piloting the new ZAFT MS, ZGMF-600 GuAIZ. During the final battle of the First Alliance-PLANT War, Creuset was assigned to the advanced ZGMF-X13A Providence. Despite being a versatile mobile suit, the Strike proved to be no match for the superior Providence and was heavily damaged thus forcing Mu to retreat Archangel. Before he could enter the ship, he protected the ship from a positron blast from the EA ship Dominion. The positron blast destroyed the Strike but Mu managed to survive the blast.

During the Second Battle of Jachin Due, another Strike, called the MBF-02 Strike Rouge, was built by Orb and piloted by Cagalli Yula Athha. After the war, as part of the "Actaeon Project" MS development plan, at least one other Strike was re-manufactured. This unit was piloted by Phantom Pain pilot, Sven Cal Payang, and had a darker phase-shifted colors to better balance energy consumption and armor strength. Sven's Strike Gundam is usually in the form of the Strike Gundam IWSP, which is later upgraded to the more powerful GAT-X105E Strike E, and subsequently, the GAT-X105E+AQM/E-X09S Strike Noir Gundam.

Due to the Strike's successful design, it became the archetype for the majority of the Earth Alliance's mass-produced mobile suits from the GAT-01 Strike Dagger to the GAT-04 Windam. ZAFT would also take the basics of the Strike's Striker Pack feature and use it as the basis for their Wizard packs for their new ZAKU mobile suits. The Strike's design would also be used by ZAFT to create a new version of the mobile suit with numerous technological improvements, the ZGMF-X56S Impulse.

Variants

 * GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam
 * GAT-X105+AQM/E-X02 Sword Strike Gundam
 * GAT-X105+AQM/E-X03 Launcher Strike Gundam
 * GAT-X105+AQM/E-X04 Gunbarrel Strike Gundam
 * GAT-X105+AQM/E-YM1 Perfect Strike Gundam
 * GAT-X105+P204QX Lightning Strike Gundam
 * GAT-X105+P202QX Strike Gundam IWSP

Notes & Trivia

 * Strike's head crest displays the text "CINQUE X-105", which means "Five" in Italian and a reference to the GAT-X105 Strike being the fifth mobile suit developed under the Earth Alliance's "G Project".
 * Interestingly, a number of models have shown that Strike can combine with the Aile, Sword and Launcher Striker Packs at the same time. This form officially referred as Perfect Strike Gundam in the HD Remastered series of Gundam SEED in which it makes its first debut in a motion picture. It is said to be the original concept behind the ZGMF-X10A Freedom and the later inspiration for the ZGMF-X42S Destiny.
 * In certain Super Robot Wars games (K and L) if anyone other than Cagalli assigned to pilot the Strike Gundam, the unit will become the conventional blue, red and white colored GAT-X105 Strike. Meanwhile, if Cagalli is assigned to, the unit will become her personal heavily pink colored MBF-02 Strike Rouge. It is for plot purposes, the Strike Rouge; this references the recolor of the Strike Rouge for Kira's use in Destiny.
 * The "Grand Slam" Anti-Ship Sword is provided in the Perfect Grade model kit of Strike Gundam and Master Grade kit of Strike Gundam IWSP, a weapon that never appears in the anime, but is featured in the special episode 08 of Gundam Evolve.
 * Despite being on a battery that runs down during the show, the Strike (and other SEED suits) slowly recover EN like any other unit in most if not all Super Robot Wars games that it appears in.
 * The Strike is the only unit of the original five G Weapons to have the traditional face vents.
 * In the Playstation 3 Games, Gundam Extreme Vs. and Gundam Extreme Vs. Full Boost. Whenever choosing a mobile suit from the Gundam SEED series in the Arcade selection screen the opening video would show off Kira Yamato in the Strike Vs. Rau Le Creuset in the Providence. The Strike was used instead Freedom only because Freedom was not prominent in the game at the time. This is also a clear reference to Amuro Ray in the Gundam Vs. Char in the Zeong.