RGC-80 GM Cannon

The GM Cannon and the GM Cannon Test Type are fictional mobile suits from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam.

RGC-80 GM Cannon
Based upon the prototype RGC-80-1 GM Cannon Test Type artillery-use mobile suit designed by the Earth Federation Forces, the RGC-80 GM Cannon was a completely reworked and refined version that corrected the errors of the Test Type, including its terrible recoil and balance issues that prevent the Test Type from being mass produced. And although it was never actually seen in any Mobile Suit Gundam animated series the GM Cannon is an official Mobile Suit Variation.

To solve the recoil issues, the GM Cannon mounted only a single 240 mm recoilless cannon as opposed to the twin cannons of its predecessor. Heavier armor was created for the GM Cannon and fitted onto the skirt armor and legs to further solve balance, recoil, and weight problems.

Initially only six RGC-80 GM Cannons would be produced and fielded. These six GM Cannons would serve as a part of the Earth Federation's campaign to retake the North American continent. By the time the Earth Federation had recaptured California Base from the Principality of Zeon forces on North America's Pacific Coast, the GM Cannons had proven themselves on the field of combat and the unit was approved for mass-production. Forty-four additional GM Cannons would be constructed and distributed to various Earth Federation battalions around the Earth to assist in driving the Zeon Military Force back out into space. Some units would be sent to Africa, and others were used by famous teams such as the White Dingos.

The RGC-80 GM Cannon would continue to see active service even after the One Year War and into the Gryps Conflict in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam series in Universal Century 0087.

RGC-80-1 GM Cannon Test Type
The RGC-80-1 GM Cannon Test Type is an experimental Earth Federation Forces artillery mobile suit. Although it was never actually seen in any animated series the GM Cannon Test Type is an official Mobile Suit Variation.

When the Earth Federation Forces finally began mass-producing their own RGM-79 GM model of mobile suits in the final months of the One Year War it was decided that there would need to be a mid-range fire support unit to properly supplement their close-range GM forces. Rather than wasting the time designing a new mobile suit, and then putting a strain on resources setting up the new production lines that would be necessary to build them, the Federation Forces decided to simply produce a design variant of the standard GM to fill the void in their ranks.

The first GM redesign created in the attempt to solve the Federation's problem was the RGC-80-1 GM Cannon Test Type. The GM Cannon Test Type was little more than a normal GM with a RX-77-2 Guncannon's head, backpack, and dual 240 mm shoulder-mounted cannons. However there was a critical flaw in this first design. The dual shoulder cannons were far too heavy for the light frame of the GM, and when the cannons were fired the unit experienced severe recoil and balance problems. The GM Canon Test Type was deemed insufficient, and the Federation's researchers and engineers went back to rework the design, producing the RGC-80 GM Cannon as their final product.

RGC-80 GM Cannon
Manufacturer: Earth Federation Forces Operator: Earth Federation Forces Unit type: mass production artillery mobile suit Dimensions: overall height 18.4 meters; head height 18.0 meters Weight: empty 49.9 metric tons; max gross 65.3 metric tons Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 976 kW Armament: 240 mm cannon, 20 round magazine, fires 240 mm rockets, mounted on main body over right shoulder; 2 x 60 mm vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; beam rifle, powered by rechargeable energy cap Pilot(s): Lido Wolf, Master P. Rayer, Leung Lee-Fai, Maximilian Berger



RGC-80-1 GM Cannon Test Type
Manufacturer: Earth Federation Forces Operator: Earth Federation Forces Unit type: experimental artillery mobile suit Dimensions: unknown Weight: unknown Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rating unknown Armament: 2 x 60 mm vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x 240 mm cannon, variable independent-fire/fire-linked, 20 round magazine each, mounted over shoulders