RX-78GP03 Gundam "Dendrobium"

As described in the MG model manual and MS encyclopedia, while the initial two designs of the Gundam Development Project were specifically designed for an offensive role, the Federation also needed a design for territorial defense in space, also known as Area Dominance tactic. In the Area Dominance Tactic, the battalion group will be small, may be even just a single unit, but need to be able to hold on to that region and fight against numerous enemies with a vats amount of firepower. Furthermore, if it's a single unit, it needs to be able to move around a large area of space rapidly to defend all the incoming enemies. Since the Earth Federation forces were interested in the power of mobile armours deployed by Zeon forces during the One Year War, they had specifically ordered the unit to be a model using mobile armour technology. The result of this was the massive RX-78GP03D Gundam "Dendrobium" mobile weapon. It was not a mobile armour but a unit composed of a mobile suit "Stamen" and its add on "Orchis".

Developed at the Von Braun city facility and to be Field tested at Anaheim Electronics' La Vie En Rose orbital manufacturing plant, the GP03D Dendrobium was designed to have exceptional firepower and mobility with minimal use of manpower. Two large weapons racks containing 16 weapon containers sat on the top of the GP03, enabling the pilot to engage in extended firefights without running out of ammunition. The containers were interchangeable and were able to carry different weapons. Extendable large claws mounted with large beam sabres were mounted on both sides of the underbelly of the unit. A warship class mega beam cannon was mounted on the right, while an I-field generator was mounted on left. The control unit for the Dendrobium was the RX-78GP03S Dendrobium Stamen, which was the mobile suit itself. In cases of emergency or severe damage to the Orchis, the Stamen could eject from the mobile armor portion.

- GP03D was "acquired" by the crew of the Albion during a stop at La Vie En Rose, against the orders of the Federation liaison officer overseeing its development. Federation pilot Kou Uraki piloted this unit in the final moments of Operation Stardust, destroying enemies including the AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra and engaged in battle with the AMA-X2 Neue Ziel mobile armour and both were severely damaged by the solar system II deployed by the Earth Federation forces in an unsuccessful attempt to stop a colony drop on the North American Midwest area. - - The use of a powerful mobile armor with fast acceleration, heavy defense, and vast firepower has only few further developments along this concept in the Universal Century timeline, and most were not used for Area Dominance, but for long range assault against enemy strongholds. Example can be seen in the earlier FHA-78-7 design, EX-S Gundam 303-E Deep Striker, Gaplant TR-5 [Fiver], and V2 Assault-Buster Gundam. However, the concept of Area Dominance is carried over, but instead uses the more agile and versatile transformable or mode-change mobile suit, such as Gaplant TR-5 [Hrairoo] and RX-178 Super Gundam.