The Calamity War (厄祭戦 Yakusai-sen?) refers to the interplanetary conflict between humanity and the out of control, autonomous mobile armor prior to the adoption of the Post Disaster calendar. It is the largest war in history, claiming the lives of 1/4 of the world's total population[1], and destroyed untold number of cities. Led by Agnika Kaieru and the original ancestors of Gjallarhorn's Seven Stars, humanity eventually won this long-running war about 300 years ago. This disastrous event had a great impact on the future world[1].
Rise of the Mobile Armor[]
The beginning of the Calamity War was the result of AI-equipped, self-sustaining weapon systems going out of control[1]. Before the outbreak of the Calamity War, automated machinery was a symbol of wealth and abundance, and humans were actively promoting the automation of wars.[2] With the risk of losing valuable soldiers reduced as the weapons were AI operated, and the introduction of the semi-permanent Ahab Reactor as a power source, mobile armors became the ideal weapon that can fight efficiently and persistently[1]. However, this eventually led to tragedy[1]. It is unclear when the war came to be called the Calamity War, but the intensifying fighting led to excessive evolution of AI, resulting in further large-scale wars[1].
Critically, AI that specialized in destroying enemy soldiers eventually expanded its target to all of humanity, regardless of friend or foe[1]. It is unclear if this was due to man-made changes or a result of AI-driven evolution[1]. Eventually, mobile armors gained additional abilities to self-proliferate by creating, strengthening, and developing varied mobile armors on their own, meanwhile it also become possible for Mobile Armors to independently produce unmanned sub-units known as Pluma that do not have Ahab Reactors[1].
Development of anti-Mobile Armor Weapons[]
To stop the threat of mobile armors, humanity worked together regardless of nationalities to develop various countermeasures[1]. Notable examples included 'Nanolaminate Armor' that rendered mobile armors' beam weaponry ineffective, destructive electromagnetic projectile launcher called 'Dáinsleif', and humanoid weapon known as 'mobile suit'[1]. Among them, Mobile Suits became humanity's main weapon during the war, and remained synonymous with mobile weapons even after the war[1]. These Mobile Suits have a humanoid form, and were operated by humans as a reflection on the fact that the Mobile Armors went out of control due to their self-sustaining nature, and to bring the War to an end using humanity's own power[1]. Therefore, the Mobile Suit can be thought of as a magnified projection of the power of a human being[1].
Birth of Gundam Frame[]
Mobile Suit development during the Calamity War (Fan translation of image from 'Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans Mechanics & World 2' Book)
Mobile suits such as those using the famous Rodi Frame and Hexa Frame have been in use since the middle stages of the war, but even then, they have difficulties fighting on equal terms with mobile armors, especially the newer ones[1]. Additionally, mobile armors had somehow acquired Nanolaminate Armor technology, possibly through information leakage, making them difficult to destroy[1].
Development of mobile suits shifted to a new phase in the late stages of the war[1]. Notably, the newly developed Gundam Frame did not simply aim for high performance, but promoted further integration of humans and machines with the 'Alaya-Vijnana System', which can be called the ultimate human-machine interface[1]. This system, which pursued the idea of "ending the Calamity War with human power", directly connects the human pilot to the mobile suit, enabling the pilot to control the machine as if it is part of their body[1].
Another feature of the Gundam Frame is that it is powered by two Ahab Reactors, granting it excessive output that was used for a burst of power during the few opportunities available to land a clean hit on the highly mobile Mobile Armor[1]. From this, it can be seen that the Gundam Frame is extremely specialized for battle against mobile armor[1]. However, due to the difficulties faced in manufacturing two Ahab Reactors operating in parallel, only 72 Gundam Frames were rolled out[1]. This number was considered insufficient to stop the mobile armors that had self-proliferation capabilities, and it was thought that cooperation with other mobile suits and the use of Dáinsleif played an important role in the war[1].
Dáinsleif and Unit Formation[]
Dáinsleif was one of the few weapons capable of penetrating Nanolaminate Armor[1] However due to its destructive power, it was not used on Earth considering the post-war reconstruction, instead, the Dáinsleif was used against the mobile armor nesting on the Moon, leading to heavy damages that altered the shape of the Moon[1]. It is probable that the banning of the use of Dáinsleif in the post-war period is a reflection of the destruction inflicted on the Moon[1].
Unit formation based on location
The unit formation deployed against the mobile armors depended on where the battlefield was[1]. On Earth and Mars, the Gundam Frames served as the main fighting units, and they destroyed the mobile armors one by one with assistance from other mobile suits and supporting units[1]. In space, the Dáinsleifs were used as the main weapon, and were assisted by mobile suits, including Gundam Frames, and other supporting units[1]. On the Moon, mobile suit teams like the one deployed on Earth and Mars were also used in addition to the aforementioned use of the Dáinsleif.[1]. Even with these powerful weapons and tactics, it still took some time for humanity to bring the Calamity War to an end.[1]
Post-War Era[]
Among the mobile suit pilots who fought in the war, none was more famous than Agnika Kaieru, who operated the ASW-G-01 Gundam Bael, the first Gundam Frame[1]. Since the Gundam Bael had no special weapons, Agnika was undoubtedly an overwhelmingly talented person when it came to combat[1]. He was then viewed as a spiritual pillar in the post-war reconstruction period[1]. Agnika was also one of the founders of the peacekeeping organization known as Gjallarhorn. Gjallarhorn is managed by the Seven Stars - family clans of seven Gundam Frames pilots who fought alongside Agnika during the war.
In P.D. 001, the "Vingólf Declaration" made by Gjallarhorn officially brought the Calamity War to an end, and humanity created a new social framework upon reflecting on what led to the war[1]. As a result, the nations of the Earth was divided into four economic blocs; Arbrau, Strategic Alliance Union (SAU), African Union, and the Oceanian Federation, with Gjallarhorn using its military power to keep an eye on the blocs and prevent the tragedy of Calamity War from repeating again[1].
Additionally, restrictions and bans were placed on weapons that could be the decisive factor in a war[1]. Examples included limiting the construction of new Ahab Reactors to Gjallarhorn, thereby effectively limiting the development of new mobile suits; banning the Dáinsleif because it can be used for mass murder; Gjallarhorn would manage the Gundam Frames belonging to the Seven Stars, while Gundam Frames that could not be recovered would be abandoned after their cockpit, which contained the linkage part for the Alaya-Vijnana System, was destroyed; and making it a taboo to implant mechanical devices into the human body so as to prevent widespread use of the Alaya-Vijnana System[1].
These prohibitions were also meant to enable Gjallarhorn to carry out its duties smoothly, in other words, this is an arrangement to create a world where the organization can respond to any accident with its military power[1]. However, if the situation goes out of control, Gjallarhorn has the ability to lift these prohibitions immediately so as to bring things under control[1].
Gjallarhorn also carefully pursued the whereabouts of mobile armor after the war, even seeking out and destroying units that have became dormant[1]. Despite this, since the Calamity War was fought in countless battlegrounds throughout Earth, Moon, Mars, and space, there is a possibility that a mobile armor may be found in unexpected places in the future[1].
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 'Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans Mechanics & World 2' Book
- ↑ High Grade Hashmal model kit manual