The Laurasia-class is a space frigate introduced in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
Technology & Combat Characteristics[]
Designated as a mobile suit carrying frigate (FFM), the Laurasia-class was the first class of space warships created by ZAFT, and was developed at a point when mobile suit usage and battle tactics were only theoretical and in the early stages of being established.[1] This can be seen from the ship's armaments, where a number of them are relatively oversized compared to the size of the ship itself.[1] This is a result of the Laurasia-class being geared more towards ship-to-ship combat, and not really designed to support its mobile suit force in combat.[1]
The Laurasia-class has a variety of armaments, consisting of two 937mm dual high-energy cannons, a single 450mm dual railgun, two 450mm railguns, two 125mm cannons, four 450mm multipurpose Vertical Launching Systems (VLS), and six 58mm CIWS guns for close-range defensive fire. While the presence of large caliber cannons and guns are useful for anti-ship attacks, they unfortunately caused the ship to be heavier, negatively affecting its mobility.[1] However, this is no impediment to the Laurasia-class operating together with other ships, such as the Nazca-class destroyers.[1]
To carry mobile suits, the Laurasia-class was designed with 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 and function as an atmospheric re-entry descent capsule. The Laurasia-class's bridge has outstanding visibility due to its location at the front of the ship, but this placement also makes it more vulnerable to being hit.[2] To offset this, the bridge was constructed with thicker armor.[2]
Armaments[]
- 937mm Dual High-Energy Cannon
- 450mm Dual Railgun
- 450mm Railgun
- 125mm Cannon
- 58mm CIWS
- 450mm Multipurpose Vertical Launching System
Special Equipment & Features[]
- Descent Capsule
History[]
Developed prior to the First Alliance-PLANT War, the Laurasia-class was manufactured by ZAFT in their effort to establish a military force to further the goal of making PLANT an independent nation, outside the control of Earth's sponsor nations. During the first year of the First Alliance-PLANT War, Laurasia-class frigates made up nearly the whole ZAFT space fleet, before being supplemented by the introduction of the Nazca-class destroyer in January, C.E. 71.
One Laurasia-class frigate, the Gamow, was under the command of Captain Zelman and assigned to the Le Creuset Team and escorted the team's Nazca-class flagship, the Vesalius.[3] When the Vesalius returned home to PLANT to report to the Supreme Council, the Gamow became the mothership for Yzak Jule, Dearka Elsman and Nicol Amalfi and their Gundams.[4] The ship and its suits then attacked the Archangel, during the Battle of Artemis and the Skirmish towards Earth, until it was driven away by the arrival of the Earth Alliance's 8th Fleet.[5][6] The Gamow, together with the Vesalius and another Laurasia-class frigate, the Ziegler, attacked the 8th Fleet during the Battle of Orbit. There, the critically damaged Gamow managed to destroy the 8th Fleet's flagship Menelaos in a suicide ramming attack.[7] The Laurasia-class vessels were also seen in other battles throughout the war.
At least one Laurasia-class frigate was known to be used by the mercenary group Serpent Tail, who used the ship, among other missions, to attack and capture a ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type.[8]
After the war, ZAFT began replacing the Laurasia-class with the Nazca-class. Despite that, the Laurasia-class was still in service by the Second Alliance-PLANT War two years later. Although, more Nazca-class vessels were in service than the Laurasia-class by that point of time.[9][10] At the climax of the Second Alliance-PLANT War, several Laurasia-class were part of the renegade ZAFT forces that allied with the Three Ships Alliance, and participated in the Battle of Messiah.[11]
After the war, the Laurasia-class received further upgrades, increasing its firepower. Some ships were also exported to the newly independent Kingdom of Foundation.
Gallery[]
Anime[]
Fan Art[]
Games[]
Notes & 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 discovered biological electricity.
- In animation, the 450mm Dual Railgun is incorrectly depicted as a beam weapon firing green beams.
Appearances[]
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
- PHASE-01, False Peace
- First Appearance
- PHASE-02, Its Name: Gundam
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-03, Collapsing Land
- PHASE-04, Silent Run
- PHASE-05, Phase Shift Down
- PHASE-06, The Vanishing Gundam
- PHASE-07, The Scar of Space
- Wreckage
- PHASE-08, The Songstress of The Enemy Forces
- In Flashback(s)
- PHASE-10, Crossroads
- Mentioned only
- PHASE-11, The Awakening Sword
- PHASE-12, Flay's Decision
- PHASE-13, Stars Falling in Space
- PHASE-15, The Respective Solitudes
- PHASE-23, Fateful Encounter
- PHASE-27, Endless Rondo
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-34, Seen and Unseen
- PHASE-37, Divine Thunder
- PHASE-42, Lacus Strikes
- PHASE-47, The Nightmare Reborn
- PHASE-48, Day of Wrath
- PHASE-49, The Final Light
- PHASE-50, To a Future that Never Ends
- PHASE-01, False Peace
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- PHASE-01, Angry Eyes
- PHASE-02, Those Who Call For War
- PHASE-09, Bared Fangs
- PHASE-11, The Chosen Path
- PHASE-38, A New Flag
- PHASE-45, Prelude to Revolution
- PHASE-48, To a New World
- OVAs and ONAs
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED After-Phase Between the Stars
- In Image(s): Appears in a News Broadcast
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED MSV Astray
- Episode 2, Blue Frame
- Games
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The Official Gundam Perfect File, Issue 49, pg. 6
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Official Gundam Perfect File, Issue 49, pg. 5
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-01, False Peace
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-05, Phase Shift Down
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-06, The Vanishing Gundam
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-11, The Awakening Sword
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-13, Stars Falling in Space
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED MSV Astray Episode 2, Blue Frame
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-02, Those Who Call For War
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-48, To a New World
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-49, Rey
External links[]