MBF-M1 M1 Astray

The MBF-M1 M1 Astray is a mass-produced mobile suit for the Orb Union in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
A mass production version of the prototype Astray units that are developed at Heliopolis, the M1 Astray is a general purpose mobile suit, suitable for use on Earth or in space. Its armament is virtually the same as the one used on the prototype Astray units in their original state, and includes two "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel CIWS, two Type 70 beam sabers, a Type 71 beam rifle for ranged combat and a shield for defense. The suit is also armored with Foam Metal like the prototype Astray units, but unlike them, the M1 Astray is not designed with a movable backpack or external connector on its back. Instead, it permanently mounts a flight pack on its back which improves its mobility in space or on earth, and allows it to fly for a short period. Later, the suit is granted atmospheric flight capability through the use of the "EF-24R Flight Rotor Shrike". When equipped with this equipment, the suit is known as M1 Astray Shrike.

Armaments

 * "Igelstellung" 75mm Multi-Barrel CIWS
 * The Igelstellung 75mm multi-barrel Close In Weapon System is a pair of head mounted Vulcan guns. These guns are small-caliber shell firing weapons that are designed to shoot down missiles and lightly armored vehicles, but are ineffective against the heavier armor of a mobile suit.


 * Type 70 Beam Saber
 * The type 70 beam saber is the standard close combat beam weapon of Orb mobile suits. The MBF-M1 M1 Astray is equipped with two beam sabers on its flight pack.


 * Type 71 Beam Rifle
 * The type 71 beam rifle is the standard ranged beam weapon of the Orb military. The beam rifle fires an energy beam that is highly effective against most targets, such as mobile suits, but is less effective against targets designed to take beam attacks, such as laminated armor or shields treated with an anti-beam coating. It can destroy a GINN, Strike Dagger, and GuAIZ with a single shot.


 * Shield
 * M1 Astray can hold a single physical shield for defense on its left arm. This is the same type of shield as used by Strike and Duel Gundams.


 * Type 71-44 Improved Sniper Beam Rifle
 * A weapon from the MBF-M1A M1A Astray, this was a handheld beam weapon that was developed specifically for long distance shooting. Appears in Gundam Build Fighters, on a customized blue M1 Astray unit.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Flight Pack
 * To increase mobility, the M1 Astrays are fitted with a fixed "flight pack" derived from the GAT-X105 Strike's Aile Striker pack. The flight pack did not provide true flight but it did increase the suit's overall mobility, and allows it to fly for a short period.


 * EF-24R Flight Rotor Shrike
 * After the first Bloody Valentine War, some M1 Astrays are fitted with the "EF-24R Flight Rotor Shrike", which is mounted on the existing flight pack for improved aerial capabilities. When equipped with the flight rotor shrike, the M1 Astray is known as M1 Astray Shrike and is capable of independent flight in the Earth's atmosphere.

History
The Astray series mobile suits are a series of light mobile suits build by the Orb Union during the Bloody Valentine War to protect their neutrality. Benefiting from the Earth Alliance's G Project research, the Astrays copied most of the major features of the Gundam mobile suits except for Phase Shift armor, which Orb could not duplicate by observation. The model number of the Astrays is "MBF" (for Main Battle Figure), which was also used on the prototype models, which were the MBF-P01 Astray Gold Frame, MBF-P02 Astray Red Frame, MBF-P03 Astray Blue Frame, and the unassembled MBF-P04 Astray Green Frame and MBF-P05 Gundam Astray Unit 5 (Which later become MBF-P05LM Astray Mirage Frame)

The base production model of the Astray is the MBF-M1, commonly simply called the "M1 Astray". The M1 Astrays were test-piloted by Asagi Caldwell, Juri Wu Nien, and Mayura Labatt, but little progress was made until Strike pilot Kira Yamato assisted in creating a Natural-use operating system. Even before this OS was completed, Orb put the M1 Astray into mass production. However, this proved insufficient when the Earth Alliance invaded Orb, as even though they proved individually superior to the Strike Daggers, Orb's forces were eventually overwhelmed by the high quantity of the Strike Daggers. All of the surviving M1 Astrays were loaded onto the battleship Kusanagi to escape into space, where they provided the bulk of the Three Ships Alliance's mobile suit compliment. The Astrays proved to be equal to the ZAFT's GuAIZ mobile suits, individually. However, many of those Astrays were still destroyed protecting the ships of the Alliance, among them the three test pilots'. Asagi and Juri were blown up by two GAT-01 Strike Daggers' beam rifle shots, while Mayura was killed when a GuAIZ stabbed her cockpit as she sliced across its cockpit.

When he joined the Three Ship Alliance, Jean "Glittering Star J" Carry piloted an M1 Astray with a white paint scheme, which became known as the "MBF-M1 M1 Astray Jean Carry Custom". He survived the war, and joined up with the Orb defense forces.

Besides the variant M1A Astray, former Morgenroete technician Yoon Sefan created the MWF-JG71 Raysta, a civilian mobile suit based upon the M1 Astray. This suit is eventually mass-produced and sold by the Junk Guild.

In CE 73, the successor to the Astray series, the MVF-M11C Murasame was fielded. The Murasame featured similar but increased armament and was capable of transforming into a jet fighter for aerial combat. Also, some of the older Astray units were outfitted with Flight Rotor Shrike units for increased aerial abilities.

Variants

 * MBF-M1A M1A Astray

Notes & Trivia

 * In the GBA Gundam SEED game, it's possible for the Archangel crew to obtain an Astray, though for only one stage. This is done by having Kira ignore Birdy flying off while in ORB.
 * The HG Gundam Seed Remaster Gunpla of the M1 Astray is given an extra "plastic model exclusive" armament in the form of two Anti-Ship Swords that can be mounted on the hip armor when not in use. These appear to be the same weapons as those mounted on the P202QX Integrated Weapons Striker Pack
 * The HG 1/144 scale model instruction manual in the Gunpla kit specifies the M1 Astray unit numbers of the three test pilots: Asagi's designated unit is 211, Mayura's is 212, and Juri's is 213. Bundled number decals allow the option of displaying these unit numbers or applying a custom one.
 * In Battle Assault 3 featuring Gundam SEED, their Astrays are given different colors to further distinguish them from one another as well as fighting styles:
 * Asagi's Astray is the standard color and prefers the use of a beam saber
 * Juri's Astray has a purple tint and focuses on ranged combat with the beam rifle
 * Mayura's Astray has a pink tint and focuses on hand-to-hand combat.