The Nazca-class is a space destroyer first introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
Technology & Combat Characteristics
Developed after the Laurasia-class, the Nazca-class is designated as a mobile suit carrying, high-speed destroyer (DDMH). Its greatest attribute is its speed, which surpasses even the Earth Alliance's Archangel-class.[1] Its hangar has room for six mobile suits, which can be launched from a linear catapult that extends from the center of the ship.[2] The Nazca-class is armed with a pair of 120cm High-energy Beam Cannons in the front, two 66mm Dual Railguns on both sides of the bridge, five 450mm Multipurpose VLS (with starboard and the port side of the ship each having two VLS) and ten 58mm CIWS in unknown locations.
Armaments
- 120cm High-Energy Beam Cannon
- A pair of rotatable beam cannons mounted on the bow of the Nazca-class serve as the ship's main weapons. A single salvo from these cannons was able to sink a Nelson-class battleship.
- 66mm Dual Railgun
- 58mm CIWS
- 450mm Multipurpose Vertical Launch System
Special Equipment & Features
History
Introduced at the beginning of C.E. 71, the Nazca-class was the newest space warship developed by ZAFT during the First Alliance-PLANT War. Initially used to supplement ZAFT's main space warship, the Laurasia-class, the Nazca-class quickly became an important part of ZAFT's space fleet and participated in many battles against the Earth Alliance's space forces.
One notable Nazca-class vessel was the Vesalius, which served as the flagship of Rau Le Creuset's task force. The Vesalius, alongside the Laurasia-class vessel, Gamow, attacked the Orb Union's space colony Heliopolis to capture the new mobile suits of the Earth Alliance.[3] The ship was also used by Rau and his group to pursue the Archangel after it left the space colony, and eventually fought against the Earth Alliance's 8th Space Fleet in the Battle of Orbit.[4][5][6] When the Archangel returned to space several months later, the Vesalius was used to attack it and its fellow ships of the newly formed Three Ships Alliance at the Mendel Colony.[7] During the battle, the Vesalius was destroyed by the combined firepower of the Izumo-class vessel, the Kusanagi, and the FFMH-Y101 Eternal.[8]
The Amzen, Rembrandt, Gansback, and Bonstell were Nazca-class vessels that were part of a ZAFT expeditionary force that was wiped out by Rondo Gina Sahaku with his MBF-P01-ReAMATU Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatsu. The Nazca-class eventually began replacing the Laurasia-class as ZAFT's main space vessel, although this process wasn't finished even during the Second Alliance-PLANT War that occurred two years after the end of the first war. However, by that point, more Nazca-class vessels were in service than Laurasia-class.
In C.E. 73, one Nazca-class, the Voltaire, served as the flagship of Yzak Joule's team and was accompanied by its sister ship, the Rousseau, in a failed attempt to destroy a large fragment of Junius Seven's remains before it fell to Earth.[9] Another Nazca-class was equipped with the experimental Neutron Stampeder and participated in the Battle of Aprilius One, where it was instrumental in thwarting a nuclear attack by Earth Alliance forces shortly after the declaration of the Second Alliance-PLANT War.[10] Three such vessels (the Holst, Caernarfon and one unknown name) made up the fleet which chased the Eternal after it fled its asteroid base. The three ships and most of their mobile suits were subsequently heavily damaged by Kira Yamato's new ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam.[11] At the climax of the second war, several Nazca-class were part of the Three Ships Alliance's new fleet, consisting of ships from different nations, and participated at the Battle of Messiah.[12][13]
Gallery
Anime
.png "Nazca-Class Front 01 (Seed HD Ep46).png (3.58 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Side View 01 (Seed HD Ep12).png (2.72 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Thrusters 01 (Seed HD Ep45).png (3.62 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Bridge 01 (Seed HD Ep1).png (4.79 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Bridge 03 (Seed HD Ep4).png (4.36 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Strategy Table 01 (Seed HD Ep43).png (4.35 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Beam Cannons 01 (Seed HD Ep9).png (2.51 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class in Battle 02 (Seed HD Ep47).png (3.53 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Railguns Firing 01 (Seed HD Ep1).png (4.38 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Catapult 01 (Seed HD Ep43).png (3.66 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Interior 02 (SEED HD Ep4).png (4.29 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Catapult 02 (Seed HD Ep46).png (4.48 MB)")
.png "Nazca Rear Hatch (Seed HD Ep46).png (2.65 MB)")
.png "ZAFT Task Force 01 (Seed HD Ep12).png (4.3 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Dry Dock 02 (Seed HD Ep22).png (7.49 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class Dry Dock 01 (Seed Destiny HD Ep9).png (5.16 MB)")
.png "Nazca-Class in Battle 01 (Seed HD Ep47).png (3.39 MB)")
.png "Nazca & Laurasia Defectors 01 (Seed Destiny HD Ep47).png (2.99 MB)")
Fan Art
.png "Fan version of Nazca-Class Design (MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM SEED C.E. Mechanics & World ).png (2.14 MB)")
Games
Notes & Trivia
- The Nazca-class itself is named for the Nazca culture of ancient Peru.
- The Vesalius is named for the 16th century physician Andreas Vesalius, who wrote the first complete textbook on human anatomy.
- The Heusinger is possibly named for Edmund Heusinger von Waldegg, who invented the steam engine valve gear independently in 1849.
- The Voltaire takes its name from the pen name of 18th century philosopher François-Marie Arouet.
- The Rousseau is most likely named for 18th century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
- The Holst is named for Gustavus Theodore von Holst, who was an English composer whose best-known work is his orchestral suite The Planets.
- The Caernarfon is named for the famous Caernarfon Castle in Wales. It was built by Edward I as a military stronghold and also as a seat of government and royal palace. It was the setting for the Investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales.
Appearances
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
- PHASE-01, False Peace
- First Appearance
- PHASE-02, Its Name: Gundam
- PHASE-03, Collapsing Land
- PHASE-13, Stars Falling in Space
- PHASE-34, Seen and Unseen
- PHASE-01, False Peace
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- PHASE-09, Bared Fangs
- PHASE-39, Kira of the Skies
- PHASE-05, Scars That Won't Heal
- PHASE-02, Those Who Call For War
References
.jpg "Nazca-Class and Laurasia-Class File 01 (Official Gundam Fact File).jpg (2.63 MB)")
.jpg "Nazca-Class and Laurasia-Class File 02 (Official Gundam Fact File).jpg (2.39 MB)")
.jpg "Nazca-Class and Laurasia-Class File 03 (Gundam Perfect Files).jpg (3.83 MB)")
.jpg "Nazca-Class and Laurasia-Class File 04 (Gundam Perfect Files).jpg (3.86 MB)")
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam Seed - C.E. Mechanics & The World, p. 196
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam Seed - MS Encyclopedia, p. 60
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-01, False Peace
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-05, Phase Shift Down
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-09, The Fading Light
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-13, Stars Falling in Space
- ↑ 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 Destiny PHASE-06, The End of the World
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-09, Bared Fangs
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-39, Kira of the Skies
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-48, To a New World
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-50, The Final Power
External links
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