The Gattle is a space fighter-bomber that appears in Mobile Suit Gundam.
Technology & Combat Characteristics[]
The Gattle was one of the few space fighters in the Principality of Zeon's armed forces. It was classified as a "space fast heavy combat bomber". The cockpit was double-seated, with a separate pilot and copilot. The cockpit also served as an escape capsule, which could be propelled for short periods of time by rockets installed in the rear. It is armed with a total of four fixed 30mm Vulcan guns mounted on the underside of the cockpit, a set of five built-in missile launchers on the left and right units, and two armament stations (pylons) for large anti-ship missiles.
To increase maneuverability, it had attitude control verniers in various parts of the fuselage. However, it was not as efficient as the AMBAC system used in MS, and its combat time was not as long as that of MS. Due to this, they were often deployed and operated for fortress defense, rather than being mounted on combat ships as shipboard aircraft. The engines were noted to be powerful, capable of propelling the fighter at speeds similar to other mobile suits.
Armaments[]
- 30mm Vulcan Gun
- The Gattle is armed with two pairs of 30mm Vulcans, one pair mounted in front of each cockpit. These Vulcans are ideal for engaging other enemy fighters, but have little to no effect on mobile suits.
- 5-tube Missile Launcher
- Mounted in the fuselage of the Gattle on either side of the cockpits are a pair of 5-tube missile launchers, capable of firing volleys of missiles capable of damaging or destroying mobile suits - though Minovsky Particle interference granted them little more than line-of-sight targeting, limiting their use to bombardment. It's unknown how many missiles the Gattle can carry.
- Large Anti-Ship Missile
- An optional armament for the Gattle, the fighter could mount two large anti-ship missiles on either side of the fighter for heavy offensive capabilities, such as attack runs on enemy battleships or even fortifications. While powerful, these missiles increased the mass of the Gattle and limited its maneuverability until fired, making them risky to use when enemy mobile suits were in play.
History[]
Although it had been in operation since before the full deployment of MS and was regarded as a "bridge" unit until the deployment of MS, and was being decommissioned during the One Year War, it continued to participate in actual combat throughout the entire period from the One Week Battle at the beginning to the final stages of the Battle of A Baoa Qu. In the latter half of the war, when the situation was deteriorating, they were mainly used to defend bases and stall the enemy as part of space fortresses and Dolos-class aircraft carriers. After the war, some of them were converted into non-combat-use work boats. In addition, the MS-21C Dra-C was developed by combining the Gattle's engine with the Zaku II, a testament to the reliability and power of its engines.
Gallery[]
Anime[]
.png "Gattle in Space 01 (MSG Ep42).png (4.45 MB)")
.png "Gattle Large Missile Firing 01 (MSG Ep42).png (4.16 MB)")
Action Figures[]
References[]
