Jet Core Booster

Jet Core Booster
Jet Core Booster (ジェット・コア・ブースター/コア・イージー)
Unit Type
Mass Production Atmospheric Fighter
Profile
Developed from	FF-X7 Core Fighter FF-X7-Bst Core Booster
First Seen	0079 U.C.
Last Seen	0081 U.C.
Manufacturer	Hervic
Operator	Earth Federation Forces
General Characteristics
Overall Height	6.75 meters22.146 ft <br />265.748 in <br />
Overall Length	13.8 meters
Max Weight	18.3 metric tons
Pilot Accommodations	Pilot only (in canopy-style cockpit)
Movement
Propulsion	Thermonuclear Jet Engines
Standard Armaments
Fixed	4x 25mm Vulcan Gun 1x High Caliber Autocannon
Optional Armaments
Fixed	? x Missile Large Smart Bomb
Real World
Mechanical Designer	Kimitoshi Yamane
Appearances*
Movie	Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team - Miller's Report
OVA	08th MST
Game	Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise From the Ashes

The Jet Core Booster (also known as Core-EZ) is a multi-purpose fighter aircraft that appeared in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

The Jet Core Booster consists of the nose section of the FF-X7 Core Fighter and a newly designed body section based on the FF-X7-Bst Core Booster. It was developed specifically for use in the atmosphere, and its propulsion system has been replaced with a thermonuclear jet engine, with large air intakes at the root of the main wing pylons. It is equipped with variable canard wings and vectored nozzles, and boasts high mobility. Despite its large size, it was nimble enough to go toe to toe with Zeon's smaller Dopp fighters.

The only fixed armaments on the fighter are the same 25mm Vulcans of the Core Fighter and a single high caliber autocannon built offset into the fuselage. Due to the fighter mounting thermonuclear engines, it couldn't mount a reactor capable of supporting enough output for the mega particle cannons of its predecessor. Other armaments include a pair of ventral missile bays and an external armament station under the fuselage for high grade munitions. The craft boasted high versatility, capable of handling everything from attacking ground targets to maintaining air superiority.

Due to the simplifications of the design from its predecessors, production of the Jet Core Booster was streamlined, though costs and manufacturing of the fighter's onboard equipment is more expensive than other fighters like the FF-6 TIN Cod or the FF-S3 Saberfish due to it utilizing the avionics and equipment of the Core Fighter.

Armaments

• 25mm Vulcan Gun

Two pairs of Vulcan guns were mounted in the nose of the Jet Core Booster. While essentially ineffective against mobile suit armor, they were useful for combat against other aircraft, intercepting incoming missiles/rockets, destroying mobile suit sensors, and attacking lightly-armored vehicles.

• Autocannon

The Jet Core Booster mounts a high caliber autocannon built into the left side of the fuselage.

• Missile

The underside of the fuselage houses two missile bays in armored hatches. These bays can hold long-range missiles or air-to-air missiles. These bays can't be opened whilst carrying a smart bomb.

• Large Smart Bomb

The Jet Core Booster can carry anti-surface weapon on the underside of its fuselage. It is a large container-shaped guided bomb that buries itself into the ground upon impact before exploding.

History

One of the most notable operations the Jet Core Booster took part in was the assault on a Principality of Zeon base in the jungles of Southeast Asia, the mountain fortress being one of the last of Zeon's strongholds on Earth. A large number of Jet Core Booster units were deployed first to acquire air superiority. Once obtained the fighters' roles were switched to bombing the enemy base to cover the advance of the mobile suit assault forces. Some of these fighters would fall victim to Norris Packard's MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom, who used the fighters as impromptu grapple points to attack Federation forces.

After the end of the war, the Earth Federation Forces saw that the future of combat vehicles lay with mobile suits, and production of the Jet Core Booster was halted to divert resources to mobile suit research and development. The Jet Core Booster would continue service in U.C 0081, where they would be used in operations against Zeon remnants.

Gallery

Anime

Front; Dogfighting with a Dopp

Bombing the Zeon mountain base

Large Smart Bomb

Dropping smart bomb

Illustrations & Artwork

Jet Core Boosters from Master Archive Mobile Suit RX-78 Gundam

Underside

Manga

Jet Core Booster as featured in Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Record U.C. 0081 - The Wrath of Varuna

Gunpla

EX Model 1/144 Jet Core Booster

Action Figures

Jet Core Booster action figure as part of Mobile Suit in Action (MSiA / MIA) "RGM-79[G] GM Sniper & Jet Core Booster" figure set (North American release; 2001): package front view.

Jet Core Booster action figure as part of MSiA / MIA "RGM-79[G] GM Sniper" (Asian release; 2003): package front view.

Notes & Trivia

• According to Master Archive Mobile Suit RX-78 Gundam, only 16 Jet Core Boosters were produced. However, this contradicts the depiction in The 08th MS Team. During the bombing of Zeon's mountain base alone, far more than 16 Jet Core Boosters were seen. The Master Archive also gave it the model number "FFB-7Bst", which was not used in any other media.