F71 G-Cannon

Template:Infobox/Mobile Weapon Ver.2The F-71 G-Cannon is a mass-produced artillery mobile suit, it was featured in the anime movie Mobile Suit Gundam F91.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

Developed by SNRI and manufactured by Anaheim Electronics, the G-Cannon is a simplified mass production version of the SNRI's F70 Cannon Gundam. The G-Cannon inherits the ability to remove its back-mounted machine cannons and function as a close-combat mobile suit, but its overall performance is still inferior to the Cannon Gundam.

The lower performance is due to design changes caused by Anaheim Electronics using off-the-shelf components for manufacturing, differing from those of SNRI. Additionally, as it was developed during peacetime, the G-Cannon was designed for riot supression and other small scale conflicts. This also meant considerations were made for combat within colonies, and as such it does not have high caliber weapons for MS combat.

Nevertheless, the G-Cannon outperforms the Federation's RGM-109 Heavygun, as any features not required for its artillery support role can be removed to reduce weight and increase performance. The G-Cannon can also utilize the weapons system derived from the F90 Gundam F90's mission packs, with its machine cannons being replaceable with various equipment including the VSBR, a 200mm long range cannon and beam cannons. The most complex variant is the F71 G-Cannon Powered Weapon Type.

Armaments

• Vulcan Gun

Mounted in the head, the pair of shell firing weapons have high rate of fire, but little power and can't damage the armor of a mobile suit, though they can damage lightly armored areas such as the sensors. They are ideal for shooting down small, lightly armored targets such as missiles, attack vehicles, etc.

• Quadruple Machine Cannon

The most identifying weapon of the F71 G-Cannon is the pair of rapid firing quadruple machine cannons mounted on its back for medium range fire support. The cannons shoot medium caliber, high-speed, armor piercing rounds instead of beams or large caliber projectiles in consideration of combat within space colonies. These cannons are also effective in anti-air combat and can be removed for the G-Cannon to serve as a close combat unit.

• Double Beam Gun

A small-caliber beam weapon attached to both forearms.

• Beam Saber

The standard close range armament for most mobile suits, it is a small device held in the mobile suit's hands when operated and is powered by a rechargeable energy capacitor. The beam saber emits a blade of plasma contained by an I-Field and can cut through most armor not treated with anti-beam coating.

• Beam Rifle

The same firearm as used by the RGM-109 Heavygun, it features a full barrel structure for barrel protection and to maintain accuracy. As the weapon is developed during a time where anti-MS combat is not the main focus and usage of beam rifles are actively avoided to protect the space colonies, it is installed with a sub-sensor as well as a limiter to avoid excessive power.

• Shield

A type of defensive armament used by many mobile suits. The shield is a thick sheet of armor designed to take severe punishment that would normally destroy a mobile suit. It is also treated with an anti-beam coating to withstand several beam shots before the coating wears off. Typically, physical shields can only take so much damage before they succumb to the pressure and break.

History

In U.C. 0111, the Federation Forces adopt SNRI's Formula Project series for their next generation of mobile suits, replacing Anaheim Electronics. However, as SNRI was mainly a research institution still in the process of transitioning into production, Anaheim Electronics' services were retained by the Federation Forces for mass production. As a result, early SNRI designs were outsourced to Anaheim for production.

The G-Cannon is the first mass production mobile suit of the Formula Project. While SNRI intended to mass-produce the F70 Cannon Gundam, design changes by Anaheim due to the use of off-the-shelf parts led to the creation and production of the G-Cannon instead. This worsened SNRI's relationship with Anaheim, as the developers of the F70 were not pleased with the G-Cannon design, and Anaheim was displeased with SNRI's unwillingness to share data and technology.

The G-Cannon was rolled out in April of U.C. 0115. In combat, it typically serves as a fire-support unit for the Heavyguns and Jegans. A number of G-Cannons served as part of the Earth Federation Forces' colony defense when the Crossbone Vanguard invaded the colony Frontier IV in U.C. 0123. However the G-Cannons, as well as the Earth Federation's other mobile suits, were overwhelmed by the newer beam-shield equipped mobile suits of the Crossbone Vanguard.

Variants

• F71 G-Cannon Powered Weapon Type
• F71 G-Cannon VSBR Type

Gallery

Cockpit Hatch

Cockpit

Cockpit - color art

Beam Rifle

Shield

Firing Quadruple Machine Cannons

Gunpla

1/100 Original F71 G-Cannon (1990): box art

Reference

Lineart & Profile

External links

• F71 G-Cannon on MAHQ.net