Nazca-class

Nazca-class
Nazca-class (Nazca-class)
Unit Type
Mass Production High-Speed Space Destroyer
Profile
Ships of the Line	Vesalius, Hoisinger, Helderton, Voltaire, Rousseau, Caernafon, Holst, Burton, Barfest, Fourier, Herchel, Amzen, Rembrandt, Gansback, Bonstell, Marvest, Burckhardt
First Seen	January, 71 C.E.
Manufacturer	Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty
Operator	Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty Le Creuset Team Joule Team Rogue ZAFT Terrorists Kingdom of Foundation Three Ships Alliance Civilians
Known Captains	Fredrik Ades (Vesalius) Hari Jagannath (Burckhardt)
General Characteristics
Overall Length	255 meters
MS Hangars	1
MS Catapults	1
MS Capacity	6
Movement
Propulsion	4 × Large Thruster 8 × Small Thruster
Equipment
Optional	Neutron Stampeder
Standard Armaments
Fixed	2 × 120cm high-energy beam cannon 2 × 66mm dual railgun 10 × 58mm CIWS 5 × 450mm multipurpose Vertical Launch System
Mobile Weapons
GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam ZGMF-1017 GINN ZGMF-515 CGUE ZGMF-600 GuAIZ ZGMF-601R GuAIZ R ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior ZGMF-1001 ZAKU Phantom ZGMF-2000 GOUF Ignited
Real World
Mechanical Designer	Kimitoshi Yamane
Appearances*
Television	SEED: #1 - Episode #50 GSD

The Nazca-class is a space destroyer introduced in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

Developed with the lessons learned from the Laurasia-class, the Nazca-class is designed with an emphasis to function alongside mobile suits and is designated as a mobile suit-carrying, high-speed destroyer (DDMH). Unlike the Laurasia-class, the Nazca-class benefits from data accumulated from real combat and is better able to accommodate and support its mobile suit forces compared to its predecessor. Its hangar has room for six mobile suits, which can be launched from a linear catapult that extends from the center of the ship.

The Nazca’s greatest attribute is its superb speed and mobility, far surpassing the Laurasia and even the Earth Alliance’s Archangel-class. This is achieved through several large thrusters on the ship’s rear and smaller thrusters located on its port and starboard sides. The Nazca-class is armed with a pair of 120 cm high-energy beam cannons in the front, two 66mm dual railguns on both sides of the bridge, five 450mm multipurpose Vertical Launching System (VLS) (with starboard and the port side of the ship each having two VLS) and ten 58mm CIWS in unknown locations.

Armaments

• 120 cm 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

Located on both sides of the bridge, a pair of dual railguns serves as the ship's anti-air armament against close-range attackers.

• 58mm CIWS

• 450mm Multipurpose Vertical Launch System

Special Equipment & Features

• Neutron Stampeder

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. 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. 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. During the battle, the Vesalius was destroyed by the combined firepower of the Izumo-class vessel, the Kusanagi, and the FFMH-Y101 Eternal.

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. 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. 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. Near the end of the second war, several Nazca-class ships were part of the ZAFT defectors who sided with the Three Ship Alliance, and participated at the Battle of Messiah.

By C.E 75, the Nazca-class was still in service and some were also exported to the Kingdom of Foundation. In the same year, with the aid of Foundation forces, PLANT defense committee chairman Hari Jagannath launched a coup against ZAFT aboard his personal Nazca-class, the Burckhardt.

Gallery

Anime

Class name displayed on a monitor screen

Front view

Side view

Rear view

Top view

Underside

Bridge exterior

Bridge interior (1)

Bridge interior (2)

Strategy table

Hangar interior

Opening Hangar's hatch

Catapult (1)

Catapult (2)

Catapult (3)

120 cm High-Energy Beam Cannons

Firing 120 cm High-Energy Beam Cannons & Missiles

Firing 66mm Dual Railguns

Rear Hatch

With Laurasia-class ships

Docked

Exiting dock

Vs Eternal and Kusanagi

Destruction of the Vesalius

A Nazca-class equipped with neutron stampeder

After firing neutron stampeder

Two Nazca-class ships as part of Terminal's forces.

Fan Art

Fan colored linearts and translated profile based on original from "MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM SEED C.E. Mechanics & The World" book

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 (later King Charles III) as Prince of Wales.
• The Burckhardt is possibly named for the Swiss historian of art and culture Jacob Burckhardt.

Appearances

Television Series

• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
  • PHASE-01, False Peace
    • First Appearance
  • PHASE-02, Its Name: Gundam
  • PHASE-03, Collapsing Land
  • PHASE-04, Silent Run
  • PHASE-05, Phase Shift Down
  • PHASE-07, The Scar of Space
  • PHASE-08, The Songstress of The Enemy Forces
  • PHASE-09, The Fading Light
  • PHASE-10, Crossroads
  • PHASE-11, The Awakening Sword
  • PHASE-12, Flay's Decision
  • PHASE-13, Stars Falling in Space
  • PHASE-15, The Respective Solitudes
  • PHASE-20, On a Calm Day
  • PHASE-22, The Sea Dyed Red
  • PHASE-23, Fateful Encounter
  • PHASE-27, Endless Rondo
    • Flashback(s) Only
  • PHASE-30, Flashing Blades
    • Flashback(s) Only
  • PHASE-33, Gathering Darkness
    • Flashback(s) Only
  • PHASE-34, Seen and Unseen
  • PHASE-42, Lacus Strikes
  • PHASE-43, What Stands in the Way
  • PHASE-44, Spiral of Encounters
  • PHASE-45, The Opening Door
  • PHASE-46, A Place for the Soul
  • PHASE-47, The Nightmare Reborn
  • PHASE-48, Day of Wrath
  • PHASE-49, The Final Light
  • PHASE-50, To a Future that Never Ends
• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
  • PHASE-01, Angry Eyes
  • PHASE-02, Those Who Call For War
  • PHASE-05, Scars That Won't Heal
  • PHASE-09, Bared Fangs
  • PHASE-11, The Chosen Path
  • PHASE-38, A New Flag
  • PHASE-39, Kira of the Skies
  • PHASE-44, Lacus Times Two
  • PHASE-45, Prelude to Revolution
  • PHASE-48, To a New World

OVAs and ONAs

• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED After-Phase Between the Stars
  • Wreckage Only
• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED MSV Astray
  • Episode 2, Blue Frame

Manga

• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray
  • Chapter 11.5, Magic Bullet of Dusk

Games

• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Never Ending Tomorrow

References

Official Gundam Fact File (1)

Official Gundam Fact File (2)

Gundam Perfect File (1)

Gundam Perfect File (2)

External links

This article is part of Project: SEED

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Project Leader: User:CD298