GAT-01 Strike Dagger

The GAT-01 Strike Dagger is the Earth Alliance's main mass-production type mobile suit for the last few months of the Bloody Valentine War. Its design is a highly simplified version of the experimental GAT-X105 Strike, which had proved highly effective in combat against ZAFT's mobile suits.

The original GAT-01 design concept - later produced as the GAT-01A1 105 Dagger - was nearly identical in performance to the Strike. However, due to an urgent need to produce large numbers of mobile suits in a short time, the Strike Dagger removed several of the Strike's features that would be restored in the 105 Dagger, including the capacity to use Striker Packs, an advanced sensor system, and strong EMP shielding. In addition, the Strike's energy-intensive Phase Shift armor was removed both as a cost-cutting measure and to improve the Strike Dagger's combat endurance. Armed with a single 75mm "Igelstellung" CIWS gun, an ES01 beam saber and an M703 beam rifle, the Strike Dagger was a "cheap and cheerful" production model which was nonetheless highly effective in battle.

Introduced early in Cosmic Era June 71, the Strike Dagger saw first service in the Battle of Porta Panama, acquitting itself well in combat against ZAFT's ZGMF-1017 GINN mobile suits. From that battle onward, the Strike Dagger replaced the outdated TS-MA2 Moebius mobile armor in all roles other than nuclear delivery, proving superior to the GINN in ground combat. However it proved to be inferior to both Orb's MBF-M1 Astray, and ZAFT's successor unit, the ZGMF-600 GuAIZ. After the Battle of Porta Panama, all Strike Daggers had their EMP shielding upgraded to defend against ZAFT's Gungnir weapon system. The Strike Dagger was withdrawn from service as soon as the GAT-01A1 105 Dagger was available in numbers.

Specifications