The RX-78 series was a series of mobile suits developed by the Earth Federation Forces during and after the One Year War. Units of the series were commonly referred to as "Gundams".
History[]
The RX-78 series was originally one of three mobile suit series developed as part of Operation V. Three types of mobile suits were planned for the project: a close-quarters combat mobile infantry, a medium-range support mobile artillery, and a long-range support mobile tank. The RX-78 was the prototype of the close-quarters combat unit.[1] As with the earlier RX-77 Guncannon (the medium-range artillery unit prototype), the RX-78 was equipped with a portable miniaturized mega particle cannon colloquially referred to as a "beam rifle". Unlike the RX-77, however, the RX-78 was also equipped with a melee weapon known as the "beam saber".[1] Like the other Operation V units, it adopted a triple honeycomb armor made using Luna Titanium, a durable yet costly material. All three units featured the Core Block System: their cockpit blocks are interchangeable and can transform into the FF-X7 Core Fighter, which functions as an armed escape pod.[1]
The first unit of the series, the RX-78-1 Prototype Gundam, rolled out in July of U.C. 0079.[2] After the first three units: Unit 1, Unit 2, and Unit 3, were completed at Jaburo, they were transferred to Side 7 for testing[3] (though Unit 1 was apparently tested in space at least once prior to this).[4] In August, the RX-78 series began final testing in Side 7. In the same month, development of the RX-78NT-1 Gundam NT-1 began at the Earth Federation's Augusta Base in North America. On September 18, Side 7 was attacked by a Principality of Zeon special forces unit led by Char Aznable.[2][5] During the attack, Unit 1 was severely damaged and Unit 3 was lightly damaged.[1] However, Amuro Ray, a civilian boy at Side 7, boarded Unit 2 - the RX-78-2 Gundam - and fought off the initial attack.[5] Soon after, he joined the Federation Pegasus-class assault carrier White Base as the Gundam's pilot.
Meanwhile, development of the RX-78 series continued in Jaburo, leading to the "second lot" series: RX-78-4 through RX-78-8. Unit 4 and Unit 5 were specialized for space combat in anticipation of the Earth Federation Forces' space counterattack.[6] They were assigned to the Pegasus-class assault carrier Thoroughbred of the 16th Autonomous Corps.[7] Unit 6 featured enhanced fixed armaments, and was originally assigned to the Pegasus-class assault carrier Blanc Rival, but was damaged by Zeon's Midnight Fenrir Corps while defending its mothership during the Zeon attack on Jaburo and eventually participated in the operation to recapture California Base.[8] Unit 7 was still in the planning phase when the war ended. It was later completed in U.C. 0081 and assigned to the Phantom Sweep Corps for their mission to hunt down the Zeon remnant group Invisible Knights.[9] Almost nothing is known about Unit 8, including whether or not it was actually produced.
During the war, Amuro, piloting the Gundam, scored a string of victories against the Principality of Zeon forces, destroying a large number of Zeon mobile suits and mobile armors, including the MA-08 Big Zam piloted by Dozle Zabi, one of Zeon's top military commanders, becoming one of the Federation's top aces during the war. The name "Gundam" also became legendary as a result, spawning a vast number of successors and derivative units.
The EFF originally planned to mass produce all three Operation V mobile suits. However, due to the outstanding battle results achieved by the RX-78-2, it was decided that only the RX-78-derived mobile suit would be mass produced. This led to the RGM-79 GM, which was based on the combat data of the RX-78-2, becoming the Federation's mass production mobile suit.[1]
Units[]
Mainline[]
The "mainline" RX-78 series included Units 1 through 8. Units from RX-78-4 onward were known as the "second lot", and were notable for omitting the Core Block System in favor of a variety of improvements and special equipment.[6]
- First lot
- Second lot
G-4 Project[]
The G-4 Project was a next generation mobile suit development plan drawn up by the Earth Federation leadership in the late stages of the One Year War. Its goal was to develop advanced mobile suits based on the RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam for all branches of the Earth Federation Forces.[10]
- Space Force
- Air Force
Other than these two units, it is said that plans for a close quarters combat unit and a heavy firepower type unit for the Ground Force, as well as an aquatic unit for the Navy were also under consideration.[10]
Gundam Development Project[]
Main article: Gundam Development Project The Gundam Development Project was a mobile suit development project jointly conducted by the Earth Federation Forces and Anaheim Electronics following the One Year War, with the goal of closing the technology gap between the Federation and Zeon in terms of mobile suit development. It was the last of the RX-78 series.
- RX-78GP00 Gundam "Blossom"
- RX-78GP01 Gundam "Zephyranthes"
- RX-78GP02A Gundam "Physalis"
- RX-78GP03 Gundam "Dendrobium"
- RX-78GP04G Gundam "Gerbera"
Others[]
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Entertainment Bible MS Encyclopedia Part 1: One Year War, p.46
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Entertainment Bible Gundam Encyclopedia 2: Zanscare War - Part 2, p.53
- ↑ Mobile Suit Variations Model Series 1/144 RX-78-1 Prototype Gundam (1983) instruction manual
- ↑ MSV-R Hand Book 2: Zeon Edition (2014), p.80
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Gundam Rising
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Gundam Weapons - New Generation (2001), p.73
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: Space, To the End of a Flash
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam: Battlefield Record U.C. 0081
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Mobile Suit Gundam: MS Generation, p.231