Vosgulov-class

The fictional Vosgulov-class submarine is a ZAFT naval mobile suit carrier submarine, which gave the ZAFT forces based on Earth the complete control of the seas. Though it is armed with anti-air missiles and torpedoes, its main weapons are the mobile suits it carries. Typically, its 3 vertical linear catapults are used to launch AMF-101 DINN aerial combat mobile suits, and the four underwater catapults (which function like oversize torpedo tubes) can each launch two UMF-4A GOOhN or UMF-5 ZnO amphibious mobile suits.

During the Earth Alliance ship Archangel's journey to JOSH-A, the Earth Alliance HQ, one such submarine, under the command of Marco Morassim, attacked the EA ship several times before being destroyed. Another Vosgulov-class, the Cousteau, was assigned to the Zala team as its base of operation during its pursuit of the Archangel. During ZAFT's Operation Spit Break, many Vosgulov-class submarines were deployed from ZAFT's Carpentaria base to Alsaka for the assault on JOSH-A. In CE 73, the Vosgulov-class Nyiragongo was assigned to escort the Minerva in its attack on Suez. Early in CE 74, during Operation: Fury the ZAFT invasion of Orb, ZGMF-2000 GOUF Ignited mobile suits were seen being launched from the vertical linear catapults of the flagship St. Helens, replacing the AMF-101 DINN in those catapults.

The Cousteau is named for the renowned oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, the Nyiragongo is named for Mount Nyiragongo, an active volcano in the Congo, the Degtyarev is named for Russian firearms inventor Vasily Degtyarev. The Ilyas is named for Ilyas, a prophet in the Qur'an who was sent to the Israelites. The St. Helens is named for Mount St. Helens, an active volcano in Washington State, US.