The Izumo-class is a class of battleship introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
Contents
Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Izumo-class was a class of battleship produced by Morgenroete Inc. and used by the Orb Union. The Izumo's design later served as the basis for the Earth Alliance's new Archangel-class assault ship, and thus both classes have similar bridge layout and weaponry. However, the Izumo-class has fewer weapons, featuring only four "Lohengrin" Positron Blaster Cannons, two Dual High-energy "Gottfried" Beam Cannons, and at least sixteen CIWS. On the other hand, the Izumo-class has a greater mobile suit carrying capacity, capable of carrying a complement of 10+ mobile suits. Additionally, the Izumo-class can split into five modules that form three different parts: A, B and C. Part B is the ship's main body, while the Part A forms the ship's forward sections and contains the rails of the linear catapult, and the Part C forms the two side sections at the rear.
Armaments
- "Lohengrin" Positron Blaster Cannon
- The strongest weapon of the Izumo-class is its four "Lohengrin" positron blaster cannons, which are retractable and mounted in the side sections at the rear. The cannons' beams can punch through enemy warships like the Nazca-class easily. Each cannon can fire individual blasts, or the two cannons on each side can fire a combined blast.
- "Gottfried" Mk 71 225cm Dual High-energy Beam Cannon
- Two "Gottfried" Mk 71 225cm Dual High-energy Beam Cannons are installed on rotating mount, allowing them to cover a wide firing angle. Mounted on the top and bottom of the battleship, the Izumo-class' Gottfrieds are retractable like the the Archangel-class'.
- "Igelstellung" 75mm Automatic Multi-barrel CIWS
- At least 16 "Igelstellung" 75mm Automatic Multi-barrel CIWS guns are spread over the hull of the ship. These shell-firing weapons are used to shoot down incoming missiles or enemy units.
Special Equipment & Features
- Modular Design
- The Izumo-class has the ability to split into three parts: Part A (the combination of the two flat front modules), Part B (the central module), and Part C (the combination of the two side modules at the rear). Only Part B is used for atmospheric entry and launches back into space, and once in orbit, it docks with the other parts to form the whole ship. During atmospheric exit, Part B is fitted with a special cover. Due to its lower mass compared to the whole ship, Part B can easily be sent up into space using a Mass Driver, making transport between planet and space much more cost-efficient.
- Plasma Booster
- A reusable external booster designed to help the Izumo-class launch into space without the use of a Mass Driver. Once the vessel has reached the desired velocity, the plasma boosters detach and return independently to Earth. These boosters were used by the Archangel in CE 71 when it launches into space from the Orb Union.
History
The Izumo-class battleships are powerful warships of the Orb Union created some time before CE 71. When the Earth Alliance started their G Project, they also planned to create a mobile suit carrier ship, for which the Izumo-class became the basis. The result was the Archangel-class. At least four Izumo-class ships were built.
Izumo
The first ship and namesake of the class belongs to Orb's Sahaku family. It was first used by Rondo Gina Sahaku as his base of operations. Gina planned to strengthen Orb's position by playing the Earth Alliance and ZAFT against each other. He was, however, later killed by Gai Murakumo. Afterward, Gina's twin sister - Rondo Mina Sahaku took control of the Izumo.
Kusanagi
This ship belonged to the Athha family and was used in CE 71 by Cagalli Yula Athha and Ledonir Kisaka to escape the invasion of Orb by the Earth Alliance.[1] The ship, together with the Archangel and FFMH-Y101 Eternal, formed the Three Ships Alliance to end the First Alliance-PLANT War.[2] The Kusanagi took part in the Battle of Mendel,[2] where it and the Eternal destroyed the Nazca-class destroyer Vesalius,[3] and the Second Battle of Jachin Due, the final battle of the war, in which it attempted to destroy the GENESIS super weapon.[4]
During the Second Alliance-PLANT War, the Kusanagi and two other Izumo-class ships departed from Copernicus city on the moon to join up with the other ships of the former Three Ships Alliance as well as renegade units of the Earth Alliance and ZAFT to stop ZAFT forces, who had just fired the Requiem at the Earth Alliance's Arzachel lunar base. The Kusanagi fired its Lohengrins at the Requiem only to have it blocked by multiple Positron Reflector shields deployed over the mouth of the moon-based superweapon.[5] The Kusanagi survived the final battle around the Mobile Space Fortress Messiah despite being targeted twice by the Neo-GENESIS laser system aboard the fortress.[6]
Other Ships
Two more ships of the Izumo-class were seen during the Second Alliance-PLANT War, known as the Susanoo and Tsukyomi. The two ships, together with the Kusanagi, were used to attack the Requiem cannon. However, their "Lohengrin" Positron Blaster Cannons proved ineffective against the positron reflectors around the Requiem. All Izumo-class, along with the Archangel and the Eternal were able to avoid the blast from Neo-GENESIS.[6]
Gallery
Anime
.png "Kusanagi and Astrays 01 (Seed HD Ep40).png (3.5 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi Launching 01 (Seed HD Ep40).png (4.1 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi Launching 02 (Seed HD Ep40).png (3.95 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi Launching 03 (Seed HD Ep40).png (2.7 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi Launching 04 (Seed HD Ep40).png (1.22 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi Rear Thrusters 01 (Seed HD Ep41).png (3.94 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi Thrusters Separating 01 (Seed HD Ep41).png (3.19 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi Assembly 01 (Seed HD Ep41).png (3.84 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi Assembly Complete 01 (Seed HD Ep41).png (4.37 MB)")
.png "Izumo Bridge Exterior (Seed HD Ep41).png (4.71 MB)")
.png "Izumo-Class Bridge Interior 01 (Seed HD Ep41).png (4.7 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi Catapult 01 (Seed HD Ep41).png (3.42 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi CIWS 01 (Seed HD Ep46).png (3.36 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi Gottfried Stored 01 (Seed HD Ep46).png (3.07 MB)")
.png "Kusanagi Lohengrin Firing 01 (Seed HD Ep49).png (2.86 MB)")
.png "Eternal and Kusanagi in Battle 01 (Seed HD Ep46).png (3.29 MB)")
.png "Eternal and Kusanagi in Battle 02 (Seed HD Ep46).png (3.92 MB)")
.png "Eternal & Kusanagi Rear 01 (Seed HD Ep49).png (4.2 MB)")
.png "Archangle, Kusanagi and Eternal Damaged 01 (Seed HD Ep50).png (5.21 MB)")
.png "TSA Fleet 01 (Seed Destiny HD Ep48).png (4 MB)")
.png "TSA Fleet 02 (Seed Destiny HD Ep48).png (3.67 MB)")
.png "Izumo-Class Rear 01 (Seed Destiny HD Ep48).png (4.84 MB)")
.png "Izumo-Class in Combat 02 (Seed Destiny HD Ep49).png (4.06 MB)")
.png "Izumo-Class in Combat 01 (Seed Destiny HD Ep49).png (4.18 MB)")
Games
Fan Art
.jpeg "Izumo-Class \"Kusanagi\" (Art by AdamKop).jpeg (1.38 MB)")
Notes & Trivia
- The name "Izumo" comes from a region of Japan which is believed to be the place where the Storm god Susanowo descended to Earth when banished from heaven. Coincidentally, Izumo is a name used several times in the Japanese Navy, with a class of 19th century armored cruiser and a class of modern helicopter carrier bearing this name.
- Kusanagi is the second name of the sword, the Ame-no-Murakumo, which Susanoo pulled from the tail of the slain Yamato no Orochi and presented to his sister, the Sun goddess Amaterasu, as a reconciliation gift. Kusanagi is the sword of the Japanese Imperial regalia.
- Susanoo is the Shinto god of the sea and storms.
- Tsukyomi, also spelled Tsukuyomi, is the god of the moon in Shinto mythology.
- Kusanagi never appeared in any Super Robot Wars series. It is usually replaced by another ship from other series (such as the Nadesico from Martian Successor Nadesico series in Super Robot Wars J and Super Robot Wars W) as the part of the Three Ships Alliance.
Appearances
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
- Episode 40 (HD Remastered Episode 38), Into the Dawn Skies - (First Appearance)
- Episode 41 (HD Remastered Episode 39), Trembling World
- Episode 42 (HD Remastered Episode 40), Lacus Strikes
- Episode 43 (HD Remastered Episode 41), What Stands in the Way
- Episode 44 (HD Remastered Episode 42), Spiral of Encounters
- Episode 45 (HD Remastered Episode 43), The Opening Door
- Episode 46 (HD Remastered Episode 44), A Place for the Soul
- Episode 47 (HD Remastered Episode 45), The Nightmare Reborn
- Episode 48 (HD Remastered Episode 46), Day of Wrath
- Episode 49 (HD Remastered Episode 47), The Final Light
- Episode 50 (HD Remastered Episode 48), To a Future that Never Ends
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- Episode 49 (HD Remastered Episode 48), Rey
- Episode 50 (HD Remastered Episode 49 & 50), The Final Power
References
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-40, Into the Dawn Skies
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-43, What Stands in the Way
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-46, A Place for the Soul
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-50, To a Future that Never Ends
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-49, Rey
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-50, The Final Power
External links
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