The Laurasia-class is a frigate in the Cosmic Era timeline.
Contents
Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Laurasia-class is designated as a mobile suit carrying frigate (FFM), and was the first class of space warships created by ZAFT. Like all other ZAFT warships, it was designed to carry mobile suits and has a hanger in the egg-shaped pod on the underside that can hold up to six mobile suits. These suits are launched using a retractable catapult at the front of the pod. The pod also has the ability to detach from the ship for use as an atmospheric re-entry capsule.
Weapons wise, the Laurasia-class features a large complement of weapons. Its most powerful weapon are two 937mm dual high-energy beam cannons, mounted on top of the ship. It also has a single 450mm dual railgun, two 450mm railguns, two 125mm cannons and four 450mm multipurpose Vertical Launch Systems for additional firepower. Lastly, the ship has six 58mm CIWS guns, four on top and two below, for close-range defensive fire.
Armaments
- 937mm dual high-energy cannon
- 450mm dual railgun
- 450mm railgun
- 125mm cannon
- 58mm CIWS
- 450mm multipurpose Vertical Launch System
Special Equipment & Features
- Atmospheric Re-entry Capsule
History
During the initial period of the First Alliance-PLANT War, the Laurasia-class frigates made up nearly the whole ZAFT space fleet. At the beginning of CE 71, ZAFT started to field the newer Nazca-class destroyer, which slowly began to replace the Laurasia-class.
One Laurasia-class frigate, the Gamow, was assigned to the Le Creuset team and escorted the team's Nazca-class flagship, the Vesalius. When the Vesalius returned home to PLANT to report to the Supreme Council, the Gamow became the mothership for Yzak Joule, Dearka Elsman and Nicol Amalfi and their Gundams. The ship and its suits then attacked the Archangel until it was driven away by the arrival of the Earth Alliance's 8th Fleet. The Gamow, together with the Vesalius and another Laurasia-class frigate attacked the 8th Fleet in Earth's orbit. There, the critically damaged Gamow managed to destroy the 8th Fleet's flagship Menelaos in a suicide ramming attack. The Laurasia-class vessels were also seen in other battles throughout the war.
After the war, the replacing of the Laurasia-class ships through the Nazca-class continued. Nevertheless, during the time of the Second Alliance-PLANT War, many ships of this older class were still in service. Some of these vessels eventually switched side in that war and joined the Three Ships Alliance, together with several Nazca-class vessels and ships of the Earth Alliance.
At least one Laurasia-class frigate is known to be used by the Serpent Tail mercenary group. The group used the ship, among other missions, to attack a ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type and eventually capture the suit.
Picture Gallery
Trivia
- The Laurasia-class is named for one of the two supercontinents which was formed after the breakup of Pangaea.
- The Gamow is named for George Gamow, an astrophysicist and early advocate of the Big Bang theory.
- The Ziegler is named for Karl Ziegler, a German chemist who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Giulio Natta of Italy for developing catalysts that aid in the manufacture of plastics with greater uniformity, hardness, strength, and resistance to heat that leads to modern plastics.
- The Galvani is named for Luigi Galvani, an Italian physician and physicist who first covered biological electricity.
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