GAT-X105 Strike Gundam

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

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Strike is the most versatile of the five Gundams created by the Earth Alliance's G Project. Because of its bright blue, red and white color scheme, the Strike is easily the most visually distinctive of the five (with the possible exception of the bright red-colored GAT-X303 Aegis). Using its Striker Packs, the Strike can be outfitted for all-purpose combat (Aile Strike), heavy assault (Launcher Strike) or heavy melee combat (Sword Strike). Design wise, the Strike is simply an extension of the Duel's frame, allowing for a multi-role function not featured in the Duel, Buster, or Blitz. (In fact, the Strike's Striker Pack allowed it to mimic, to variable degrees, many of the abilities of the first three mobile suits).

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 hips are a pair of folding "Armor Schneider" combat knives. These knives do not need power from the suit, can be thrown, and are capable of piercing the joints and under-armored sections of ZAFT mobile suits.


 * 57mm High-energy Beam Rifle
 * Another add-on to the regular Strike, the beam rifle can optionally be stored on the rear waist. This is the primary mid to long range combat weapon and can easily destroy a ZGMF-1017 GINN with one shot, but is mostly ineffective against suits with anti-beam coating.


 * Bazooka
 * The bazooka is an optional heavy assault weapon based upon the standard bazooka design of firing explosive shells. Because it is a conventional weapon the bazooka does not draw power from the Strike's battery, giving the Strike a heavy assault option that does not drain its battery, allowing for extended combat endurance. Another advantage is that the bazooka can be used underwater, unlike a beam rifle. To increase firepower the bazooka loads four cartridges of ammo. The disadvantage is that its greater size and weight makes it somewhat less mobile then the beam rifle.


 * Shield
 * The shield is an optional piece of equipment designed to increase the Strike's defensive capability. A piece of armor almost as long as the Strike is tall the shield is used to intercept attacks that the pilot cannot, or will not dodge. 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 designed to block and absorb energy based attacks from weapons such as beam rifles and beam sabers, an ability the phase shift armor is unable to accomplish. However the shield has limits, for instance its ability to block an attack on the scale of a positron cannon blast is limited to halting the momentum while the shield and Strike itself will be destroyed.


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

System 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. The Strike's designers created several methods by which the Strike could exchange striker packs during mid-combat in order to increase the Strike's effectiveness, however they never managed to work out a truly efficient system making such switch's risky with a high reliance on pilot skill to make them work.


 * 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. Also the Phase Shift armor draws on even more energy each time it is struck.

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 couldn't prevent the destruction of the colony. Following this battle, the Strike was entrusted to the Heliopolis civilian coordinator Kira Yamato. 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 several ZAFT ace pilots and even defeated them, among them Andrew Waltfeld and the ZAFT Reds with 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 built a new Strike model (built partially with materials salvaged from the remains of the first), which was equipped with the newly developed Natural-OS. Following the defection of the Archangel crew to the Orb Union in early June, the second 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). Flaga used his new suit in battles against both the EA and ZAFT. During the last battle of the first Bloody Valentine War, Flaga fought against long-time rival Rau Le Creuset in his new ZGMF-X13A Providence. The outdated Strike proved to be no match for the powerful new suit and was critically damaged, forcing Flaga to escape to the Archangel. Before he could enter the ship, Flaga protected the ship from a positron blast from the EA ship Dominion, which completely destroyed the Strike, although Mu survived.

During the Second Battle of Jachin Due, the third Strike, called the MBF-02 Strike Rouge, was revealed by Orb and piloted by Cagalli Yula Athha.

Several more units of the Strike were later revealed to be built, all of them being upgraded to the more powerful GAT-X105E Strike E. One such unit was used by Phantom Pain pilot Sven Cal Payang, while another was used by Lukas O'Donnell.

Because of the Strike's highly successful design it would become 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
 * MBF-02 Strike Rouge
 * GAT-X105E Strike E
 * GAT-X105E+AQM/E-X09S Strike Noir
 * LG-GAT-X105 Gale Strike

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, 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.