RGM-79Q GM Quel

The RGM-79Q GM Quel is a mass-produced general purpose mobile suit used by the Earth Federation's elite Titans special unit. It first appeared in the OVA Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory and was later featured in Advance of Zeta: The Flag of Titans and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The RGM-79Q GM Quel is the first mass-produced mobile suit created by the Titans special forces, used during the organization's early stages mainly for peacekeeping, riot control and suppression purposes inside space colonies. It can be said that a clear line could be drawn, performance wise, between the more advanced GM Quel and the other mass-produced service models used within the common ranks of the EFSF, signifying the elite status of the Titans unit.

Manufactured on Luna II, the GM Quel was developed using the EFSF's own technology and capabilities as a demonstration of the early Titans' commitment to their "Terra firma" policies, despite gaining the expertise and support from numerous military and civilian contractors, such as the Zeonic Company and Anaheim Electronics after the war. Using the Augusta base's high-performing RGM-79N GM Custom model as the basis of their new design, the Titans redeveloped the GM Custom, simplifying it to make the unit lighter and less complex for the ease of mass production, while keeping its high performance standards relatively unaffected. Any loss of durability and/or reliability as a result of the simplification process was made up by introducing new, innovative design concepts and technology into the machine. One such example is the design of the GM Quel's new arm unit, which would later further evolve into the Movable Frame concept utilized by the RX-178 Gundam Mk-II and the next generation of Variable (transformable) Mobile Suits (VMS).

While essentially just an updated version of the GM Custom, the GM Quel however does feature various minor improvements over its predecessor. The shape of its forehead, chest and shoulder armor has been streamlined, and high performance multi-purpose sensor units have been installed on the lower calf area of both legs and on the slope above the left chest intake. The performance of the existing sensor and communications equipment on the head unit has also been improved. These electronic upgrades allow the GM Quel to better monitor its surrounding environments and civilian populations while on peacekeeping duties. And due to the increased funding and resources enjoyed by the Titans, the GM Quel has also gained the option of being armed with Beam weaponry, significantly improving its firepower. However some colonial garrison units have opted to retain their standard issue GM Rifles instead, so as to minimize and/or avoid causing collateral damage to colony walls.

A specialized equipment testing and evaluation team, known as "Titans Test Team" or "T3 Unit", uses the GM Quel as the basis for their development of the next generation RX-121 series Gundam-type MS. Performance testing of these prototypes are carried out in actual combat scenarios, much like the venerable RX-78 Gundam Series, against Zeon remnants.

By the beginning of the Gryps Conflict in U.C. 0087, the GM Quel, along with other GM series mobile suits such as the RMS-179 GM II, was considered to be out-dated, and was gradually replaced as a frontline unit by the EFSF and the Titans with newer mobile suits such as the RMS-106 Hizack and the RMS-108 Marasai.

Temporary Titans units made up of ordinary Earth Federation Forces use GM Quel painted in red and white Federation colors.

Armaments

 * 60mm Vulcan Gun
 * A basic armament of the RGM series of mobile suits is a pair of head mounted 60mm vulcan guns. These shell firing weapons have a high-rate of fire but have little power, however, they are effective at close range and is commonly employed as a deterrence tactic to keep an enemy mobile suit from getting too close. The weapons are ideal for shooting down small, fast moving, lightly armored targets such as missiles, small land vehicles, and attack helicopters.


 * XB-G-1065H Beam Saber
 * Standard weapon for melee combat for Earth Federation mobile suits is the beam saber, a small cylindrical device held in the mobile suit's hands when operated and is powered by an energy capacitor that is recharged from special racks. This weapon emits a blade of plasma contained by an I-field and is capable of cutting through any metal alloy. The only way to block a beam saber is to counter with another beam saber or to use armor that has been treated with an anti-beam coating. Th GM Quel has one mounted in a recharge rack in the backpack behind the right shoulder.


 * HFW-GR·MR82 90mm GM Rifle
 * The 90mm GM rifle is one of several optional ranged armaments that the Earth Federation regularly equipped their GM mobile suits with. Because the GM Rifle is a simple shell-firing machine gun that is based on older technologies, it has no where near the power of a beam rifle, but it is a weapon that can be cheaply produced and easily maintained. It features different barrel, sensor unit, stock and magazine configurations that allows for different ballistic and handling properties. The ammunition is stored in spare magazines that can be replaced when they are used up.


 * BOWA·BR-S-85-C2 Beam Rifle
 * An optional long-range weapon that has much more power than the GM Rifle. The particle beam fired from a beam rifle can penetrate almost any armor that has not been treated with specific counter-measures. This is the same model used by the RMS-179 GM II and MSA-003 Nemo, which has a power rating of 1.9 MW and is powered by a rechargeable energy cap.


 * BOWA·XBR-M84a "Short Barrel" Beam Rifle
 * This is the same model used by the RX-121 Gundam TR-1 (Hazel) produced by Konpeitoh Arsenal. The particle beam fired from the beam rifle can penetrate almost any armor that has not been treated with specific counter-measures. Unlike most beam weapons of the period, which draws power from an E-Cap, it is powered by a newly-developed replaceable E-Pac.


 * BLASH XBR-X-79YK Long-Range Beam Rifle
 * The Long-Range Beam Rifle is mounted with a high-powered scope, which allowed the pilot to hit distant targets with pinpoint accuracy. Originally equipped for RGM-79［G］ GM Sniper during the One Year War, it can be utilized by later GM models without external power supply and cooling system. During the events in MSV-R: The Return of Johnny Ridden, the P.M.C. Themis's GM Quel is equipped with Long-Range Beam Rifle.


 * BLASH HB-L-07/N-STD Hyper Bazooka
 * Technically a large rocket launcher it could fire several 360mm missiles to attack targets at long range. No mass-production MS's armor is able to stop this weapon. While very powerful, it has a slow rate of fire and a fairly little amount of ammunition. Most oftenly used to take out slow, heavily armored targets.


 * RGM·M-Sh-ABT/S-00195 Shield
 * A shield is a thick sheet of armor designed to take severe punishment that would normally destroy a mobile suit. Since the introduction of beam weaponry, shields have been treated with an anti-beam coating allowing it to withstand several beam shots before the coating wears off. This model is effective at blocking both ranged and melee attacks. It can be equipped on either arm and is treated with a Beam resistant coating. It can also carry two spare magazines for the GM Rifle.

History
Following the partial success of Operation Stardust in the Delaz Conflict, Admiral Jamitov Hymen of the EFSF partitioned for the creation of a specialized counter-insurgency group which could act outside of conventional Federation jurisdiction in order to hunt down and repel any anti-government groups and activities. Knowing that his proposition would soon come to pass, he motioned many of his plans forward in advance in anticipation of its eventual realization. He secretly ordered the development of a high quality mass-produced mobile suit which would serve as the mainstay combat unit in his new organization. When the Titans elite unit was finally formally established in December, U.C. 0083, the first production batches of the GM Quel had already rolled off the assembly line and was immediately assigned for active duty. This showcases the genius of Jamitov Hymen in politics and manipulation.

The overall dark paint scheme first introduced by the GM Quel would later be selected as the official "Titans color" and applied on many other mobile suits produced by the Titans.

The GM Quel would continue to serve the Titans until the onset of the Gryps Conflict in U.C. 0087, where they are replaced by more advanced mobile suits created as a result of the arms race between the participating factions.

Variants

 * RGM-79Q GM Quel (Hazel Reserve Unit)

Notes and Trivia

 * The "Quel" designation stands for "Qualified to Use Earthly Law", and is homophonic to the word "Quell", which means to kill or to suppress. This further signifies the unit's intended role and also reflects the tyrannical nature of its operator, the oppressive Titans.
 * Unlike the RGM-79 GM which was developed from a Gundam type, the GM Quel wasn't developed from the Gundam series. Instead, it served as a basis for the development of other Gundam-type MS.
 * GM Quel has what is in common with the Death Troopers from Star Wars: Both are dark colored units in elite units in a corrupted government with improved weaponry with a certain lifespan where they would be ceased later on.