ZGMF-1017 GINN

The ZGMF-1017 GINN is a mass produced general purpose mobile suit, it is the mainstay mobile suit of the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty (ZAFT) up until the introduction of the ZGMF-600 GuAIZ near the end of the Bloody Valentine War. The unit is featured in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The GINN is a durable, basic mobile suit. It has two large, thruster-filled "wings" on its back and carries basic, dependable weapons - a 76mm machine gun and a 10-meter-long sword form its primary armament. The GINN can also be equipped with a three-round missile launcher on each leg and "D-Class" assault weapons consisting of heavy arm/leg-mounted missile launchers, a recoiless cannon and a heavy particle cannon. The versatile GINN has several variants, some of which (high-maneuver, desert, marine, tactical air reconnaissance and long-range space recon variants) are seen in the TV footage. The GINN is even used by nonaligned factions, especially mercenaries and pirates. The GINN was manufactured in such high quantities from 69-71 that units will be in common use for many years to come. The GINN's powerful thrusters can only keep it airborne for a short time under gravity, so it uses the Guul subflight lifter to fly in an atmosphere. Late in the Bloody Valentine War, GINN pilots found their heavier, sturdily armored mobile suits much clumsier than the lightweight GAT-01 Strike Daggers of the Earth Alliance and MBF-M1 M1 Astrays of the Orb Union, and highly vulnerable to beam weapons; fortunately for ZAFT, by this time, the faster, beam weaponry-equipped ZGMF-600 GuAIZ was in full production.

Armaments

 * MA-M3 Heavy Sword
 * The MA-M3 heavy sword is the standard close range armament of the GINN series of mobile suits. In appearance the weapon is similar to a European broadsword, featuring a double-edged blade. The design of the sword relies on both its weight and the force of the attack to crush armor as much as it relies on its keenness to cut, and so far the design has proven highly effective against thin armor of the TS-MA2 Moebius. When not in use the sword is typically mounted on the left side of the waist.


 * MMI-M8A3 76mm Heavy Assault Machine Gun
 * The MMI-M8A3 76mm heavy assault machine gun is the standard ranged armament of the GINN series of mobile suits. As its name suggests the MMI-M8A3 is a mobile suit assault machine gun. The machine gun has multiple modes of fire, one rapid-fire and the other a single-fire mode that has more power. The machine gun is clip-fed and the GINN is capable of carrying extra clips in case the first runs out of ammunition. Because of its versatility and power the MMI-M8A3 is the pilot's weapon of choice on almost any mission with the exception of anti-fortress combat. When not in use the MMI-M8A3 is stored on a weapons mount on the back of the waist.


 * M68 "Pardus" 3-barrel Missile Launcher
 * M68 "Pardus" missile launchers are D-Type weapons mounted on the GINN's legs.


 * M66 "Canus" Short-range Guided Missile Launcher
 * The M66 "Canus" short-range guided missile launcher is the most powerful weapon in the GINN's arsenal. The weapon mounts on the arms and carries two large anti-fortress missiles. Though guided the missiles are large and slow and can be easily be avoided by nimble targets such as a Moebius mobile armor, making the "Canus" unsuited for anything either than anti-fortress combat missions.


 * M69 "Barrus" Heavy Ion Cannon
 * The M69 "Barrus" heavy ion cannon is an early model mobile suit beam weapon. Deemed sufficient for combat the "Barrus" cannon is similar in size and power to a bazooka, requiring its own independent power pack to operate. Because of its size the cannon is somewhat unwieldy and is not ideal for combat against nimble opponents. Although its power is not to be underestimated, the firepower is only comparable to beam rifle.


 * M68 "Cattus" 500mm Recoilless Rifle
 * The M68 "Cattus" 500mm recoilless rifle is a standard GINN armament that is similar in design to a bazooka, though fires non-explosive rounds. The M68 "Cattus" 500mm recoilless rifle has greater range and firepower than the MMI-M8A3 76mm heavy assault machine gun but has less ammunition and a slower rate of fire. Typically the "Cattus" is reserved for larger more heavily armored targets such as battleships.


 * Sniper Rifle
 * The GINN is able to use the sniper rifle normally equipped to the ZGMF-LRR704B GINN Long Range Reconnaissance Type. During Operation Spit-Break, one GINN so equipped attacked the LCAM-01XA Archangel during the ship's attempted escape from JOSH-A

History
Developed from the YMF-01B Proto GINN the ZGMF-1017 GINN was the first mass production military use mobile suit developed by ZAFT, first rolling off the production lines on November 3, 69 CE. It would continue to be ZAFT's primary and most heavily mass produced mobile suit up into the year 71 CE, and would serve as the basis for many of ZAFT's future mobile, several of which are variants of the GINN while others replaced as ZAFT's front-line mobile suit.

GINN types remain in common use late into CE 73, including the new, more powerful GINN High Maneuver II, which seems to have been designed as an alternative to the ZGMF-600 GuAIZ. However, the expense of the HM2 limits its use to a few elite pilots and units.

During the early months of the Bloody Valentine War it became increasingly obvious to ZAFT that the one-size-fits-all GINN would not be able to adequately perform all missions, so many variants optimized to specific environments and specific missions were produced, often resulting in wildly differing descendant units (like the officer-type ZGMF-515 CGUE, ground-type TMF/A-802 BuCUE air-type AMF-101 DINN, and aquatic-type UMF-4A GOOhN). Nevertheless, all major GINN variants remained in use on the last day of the war, (September 26 CE 71). After the war, the expensive successor unit ZGMF-600 GuAIZ would be quickly phased out in favor of a more versatile and powerful suit, the ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior (and its commander-type variant, the ZGMF-1001 ZAKU Phantom).

Variants

 * TMF/S-3 GINN OCHER Type
 * UWMF/S-1 GINN WASP Type
 * YF-3A GINN FEMWS
 * YMF-01B Proto GINN
 * ZGMF-1017 GINN Ceremonial Decoration Type
 * ZGMF-1017 GINN Gai Murakumo Custom
 * ZGMF-1017 GINN Elijah Kiel Custom
 * ZGMF-1017 GINN Miguel Aiman Custom
 * ZGMF-1017 GINN Goud Veia Custom
 * ZGMF-1017 Works GINN
 * ZGMF-1017 GINN Un No Custom
 * ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type
 * ZGMF-1017M2 GINN High Maneuver Type II
 * ZGMF-1017AS GINN Assault Type
 * ZGMF-LRR704B GINN Long Range Reconnaissance Type
 * ZGMF/TAR-X1 GINN Tactical Air Reconnaissance Type
 * ZGMF-1017 GINN Insurgent Type
 * ZGMF-1017 GINN High Mobility Custom "Tempest"
 * ZGMF-1017 GINN Heavy Artillery Custom "Fuego"