RGM-122 Javelin

The RGM-122 Javelin was the main mass-produced general purpose Earth Federation mobile suit developed by Anaheim Electronics and appears in the anime series Mobile Suit Victory Gundam and the manga series Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Javelin was based on its predecessor the RGM-119 Jamesgun and the early model, and would share most of its parts and system designs with the Jamesgun. The later production model which was the used during the Zanscare War, would be built with completely original parts.

In addition to various thrusters that improve its mobility over the Jamesgun in space, the Javelin was also equipped with a javelin pack backpack. The javelin pack is equipped with pair of shot lancers, inspired by similar weapons of the same name used by the Crossbone Vanguard's mobile suit. The shot lancers can be switched-out with different backpack weapons depending on the situation, notable are the mega spear pack which features a pair of large anti-ship spears instead of the shot lancer and the cannon pack which allows the Javelin to take the role of an artillery fire support unit, the RGM-122C Javelin Cannon. There are two types of cannon packs, a dual beam cannon and double 4-barrel beam cannon. Although the Javelin is the best mass production MS available to the Earth Federation, it is still several decades old by the time of the Zanscare Wars. It was outclassed by the newer Zanscare designs and would eventually be replaced by a newer RGM-147 mobile suit as revealed in the novels.

Armaments

 * Vulcan Gun
 * Standard armament for Earth Federation mobile suits is a pair of defensive Vulcan guns mounted in the mobile suit's head. These Vulcans are used to intercept missiles and to destroy light vehicles. They typically have little effect on a mobile suit's heaver armor.


 * Shot Lancer
 * The backpack mounted shot lancer is another weapon derived from the Crossbone Vanguard that became standard equipment on the Javelin. It is a close to mid-range weapon designed to impale enemy mobile suits by using an electromagnetic launching equipment to propel the lances at high speeds. These lances have enough force to tear through early Zanscare Empire mobile suits. And a second heavy duty lance utilized heat weapon technology and rocket thrusters to increase penetration power.


 * Beam Shield
 * The Javelin's left arm is equipped with the highly successful beam shield technology introduced during the invasion of the Crossbone Vanguard. A new protective device used by the mobile suits of the U.C. 0120 era. Thanks to their increased generator output, the scaled-down mobile suits of this era are able to use beam technology for defensive purposes. Unlike an I-field generator, which is effective only against beam attacks, the beam shield blocks both beam and projectile weapons. The beam shield generates a plane of energy similar to the blade of a beam saber. This plane is divided into multiple sections, which can be turned on or off as needed to conserve energy. Individual sections are also automatically deactivated whenever they're in danger of coming into contact with the mobile suit itself.


 * Beam Saber
 * The Javelin is equipped with a pair of standard beam sabers for close range combat.


 * Beam Rifle
 * The Javelin uses a standard beam rifle that uses a rechargeable energy cap which can be internally recharged.

History
The RGM-122 Javelin was developed and deployed by the Earth Federation during the first half of the second Universal Century as the replacement for the older RGM-119 Jamesgun. Their exact roll out date is unknown but they were seen as early as UC 0133, fighting alongside Jamesguns and limited mass production F91 Gundam Formula 91 against the forces of the Jupiter Empire. When comparing the Javelin's performance specs to the F91 Gundam's and considering that Gundams were assigned to ace pilots who are typically given more powerful machines, it is easy to determine that the F91 was a more powerful machine. During the war with the Jupiter Empire Javelins destroyed more Empire mobile suits than Empire suits did Javelins, though it is unknown if it was because of a technological difference between the mobile suits, a skill difference between the pilots or any combination thereof. The Javelin mobile suit would then acquit itself very well against the Empire during the counterattack with the Crossbone Vanguard and the Colonial Earth Federation Forces.

Three years later in UC 0136 the Javelin would be put to the test again when an Earth Federation mobile suit team was sent to investigate reports of mysterious attacks in an uninhabited region of outer space. The Javelin would be pitted against the MS-06MS Barbus mobile suit. Despite the fact that the Barbus used older technology and was piloted by (Newtype) chimpanzees, the Javelin would be defeated.

Use of the Javelin would continue for another twenty years into the UC 0150s when the Zanscare Empire declared war on the Earth Federation. However, by UC 0153 it was clear that the 30 year old mobile suit was no match against the newer mobile suits created by the Ballistic Equipment and Space Patrol Armory.

Variants

 * RGM-122 Javelin Early Type
 * RGM-122 Javelin Mega Spear Loading Type
 * RGM-122 Javelin Prototype
 * RGM-122C Javelin Cannon

Notes & Trivia

 * The Javelin's Space Deployment colors are similar to that of the RGM-79 GM mobile suit almost eight decades prior.
 * The Javelin appears as an NPC unit in Gundam Extreme VS. It gained notoriety amongst players due to it leaving behind a dangerous nuclear explosion whenever shot down.