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Jaburo (ジャブロー?) is a massive military complex introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam. It served as the headquarters of the Earth Federation Forces during the One Year War.

Overview[]

Constructed in an enormous subterranean cavern system in the heart of the South American Amazon River basin, Jaburo was a sprawling complex that included factories, spaceship docks, research facilities, administrative offices, and living quarters for legions of military and civilian personnel, all of which were linked together by an extensive network of roadways, tunnels, and canals. The base spanned an area of 42 square kilometers,[1] and was divided into four quadrants or "blocks" that were designated with the letters A, B, C, and D. It had numerous concealed and fortified entry gates for ground vehicles, boats, aircraft, mobile suits, and spacecraft, and the surface above it was dotted with camouflaged anti-aircraft batteries and monitoring posts. The Federation's early Mobile Suit production began in Jaburo, ultimately producing thousands of units, including many Gundam prototypes and other experimental weapons.

While Jaburo's general location in South America was common knowledge, its entry points and internal layout were zealously guarded secrets, and the complex was considered impervious to conventional assaults by both Federation and Zeon strategists.

History[]

One Year War[]

Jaburo had often been a target for Zeon military; however due to its unusual location, a frontal assault proved nearly impossible. In the early weeks of the One Year War, Zeon began Operation British, attempting a space colony drop on the continent to wipe out the Federation leadership wholesale. The attempt failed due to fierce resistance by the Federation fleet, causing the colony to miss its reentry angle over the Pacific Ocean, instead striking Australia. After the failure of Operation British, Zeon realized the only way to neutralize Jaburo, was a costly frontal assault. Prior to Char Aznable's famous raid, several other attempts were planned, including using multiple battalions of Mobile Suits accompanied by a experimental Mobile Armor being designed in East Asia by Zeon scientist Ginias Sahalin. However, the Apsaras Project ended in complete failure when Federation forces discovered the project and destroyed the Mobile Armor before it could leave Asia [2]. An overwhelming strike was abandoned after the ground war turned in the Federation's favor after the Battle of Odessa.

On November 30, U.C. 0079, Char Aznable and his forces traced the White Base to Jaburo. Relaying his position to several of Zeon's remaining military units, they launched a combined air, land, and underwater operation, at first securing several of the notoriously difficult to locate entrances to the base. The Zeon's mobile suit force consisted of Zaku IIs, Goufs, Doms, Z'Goks, Goggs, and a Zock. However, the assault ultimately proved devastating for the Zeon forces, as they had to fight through a hailstorm of anti-aircraft artillery, mines, and entrenched positions. Moreover, the Battle of Jaburo served as the first major deployment of the Federation's mass production RGM-79 GMs, along with other new Gundam, including the RX-78-6 Mudrock Gundam. The White Base and its RX-78-2 Gundam played a pivotal role in the battle, defeating Char Aznable and his saboteurs, forcing their retreat and ensuring the Zeon forces' defeat.

An alternative plan to eliminate Jaburo, Operation Stork, coincided with the main assault. Operation Stork involved planting Zeon infiltrators with falsified IDs among Federation forces during a minor battle in the vicinity of Jaburo. After the battle, the infiltrators would be transported to Jaburo alongside the surviving Federation troops. For the second phase, the infiltrators would obtain map data of Jaburo, plant a virus to sow confusion and cover their tracks, and then flee outside the complex to a waiting Zeon submarine. The final phase of Operation Stork was to use the map data to guide a small mobile suit team to Jaburo's spacecraft hangar, then detonate a nuclear device inside, destroying the Federation's new space counterattack fleet before it could be launched against Zeon. Operation Stork had successfully completed its first phase by November 27, when White Base landed at Jaburo. The mission was then officially scrubbed after Zeon confirmed Jaburo's location and a frontal assault was approved. However, Zeon's Griffon Corps, the unit charged with carrying out Operation Stork, ignored the cancellation order and continued the mission anyway as a contingency for the possible failure of the main assault. The three Zeon infiltrators completed the second phase at the cost of their own lives during the assault's early stages. Griffon Corps commander Captain Maximilian Shell personally spearheaded phase three in a modified MSM-08 Zogok, intent on self-destructing to cripple Jaburo, but he was stopped by Aggressor Squadron.[3]

Gryps War[]

Jaburo was again in the spotlight during the early stages of the Gryps War. AEUG forces led by Quattro Bajeena attacked the complex, but the elite Titans had set a trap for them in the form of a nuclear bomb. Jaburo had gradually fallen into disuse after the One Year War, and was only defended by antique units such as the Tin Cod and Saberfish fighters, numerous GM Sniper Customs, GM Cannons, Gouf Flight Types, and Guntank IIs. The AEUG detected the deception and escaped with little to no casualties.[4] Despite the destruction of the central facility in U.C. 0087, other portions of the base remained functional almost four years later, in MSV-R: The Return of Johnny Ridden.

Regild Century[]

A thousand years later in the Regild Century era, Bellri Zenam and Luin Lee would battle against the other in the ruins, within them were the fossilized remains of Z'Goks from the invasion of Jaburo ages prior.

Gallery[]

Anime[]

Illustrations & Artwork[]

Games[]

Notes & Trivia[]

  • In reality, building an underground base in the Amazon basin would be extremely impractical, as the earth in the Amazon basin was made up of soft clay and sand deposits, without the thick layers of bedrock depicted in Gundam. Perhaps because of this, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin and Gundam Reconguista in G moved Jaburo to the Guiana Highlands in Mount Roraima.
  • The JOSH-A base in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is similar to Jaburo, albeit not the main HQ like Jaburo. Like Jaburo, JOSH-A is also self-destructed with superweapons as a last resort by Earth-based extremist factions trying to eliminate their enemies (Jaburo by the Earth Federation's Titans; JOSH-A by members of the Earth Alliance affiliated with Blue Cosmos).
  • Jaburo is most likely named after the Jabiru bird which is native from Mexico down to Brazil.
  • In After War Gundam X, the United Nations Earth was also headquartered in South America, though it was never named or shown on screen.
  • Rostroulan in Mobile Suit Gundam AGE resembles Jaburo in many aspects.
  • In Gundam Build Fighters, Jaburo Field serves both as a battlefield and training facility.

Appearances[]

References[]

Universal Century Locations
Asteroids
A Baoa Qu/Gate of Zedan | Axis | Fifth Luna | Luna II | Moussa | Palau | Pezun | Solomon/Konpei Island
Earth
Adelaide | Antarctica | Augusta Base | Belfast | California Base | Dakar | Davao | Dublin | Great Canyon | Hickory | Hong Kong | Jaburo | Kennedy Spaceport | Kimberlite Base | Lhasa | Mount Kilimanjaro | Murasame Research Institute | New Guinea | New York | Odessa | Oenbelli | Seattle | St. Anges | Sydney | Torrington Base
Moon
Aires City | Amman | Anaheim | Granada | Von Braun | Neo Cartagena
Space Colonies
Cosmo Babylonia | Laplace | Londenion | Moon Moon | Side 1 | Side 2 | Side 3 | Side 4 | Side 5 | Side 6 | Side 7 | Side 8 | Sweetwater
Others
Penta | Magallanica | Side A (Arcadia)
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