RGM-79 GM - History

History

After suffering heavy losses in the early phase of the One Year War, due to Zeon's deployment of mobile suits, the Earth Federation attempted to catch up in the mobile-warfare arms race with its highly classified Project V. However, the RX-78 prototype, although proven to be extremely powerful, would almost certainly bankrupt the Federation's wartime budget if it was to be manufactured in the quantity needed for the ongoing struggle. To solve this problem, the RGM-79 series was born.

The RGM-79 design was based on the same basic tactical concept of the Gundam — a general-use all-rounder unit capable of utilizing beam weaponry. The production model of the GM removed and simplified many of the RX-78's more expensive construction design and complicated electronic systems, such as the Core Block system and the learning computer. The RX-78's lunar titanium armor was replaced with the cheaper standard titanium alloy, and the Minovsky fusion powerplant was down-rated. As a consequence of the reduced power output, the GM was armed with a cheaper, effective but short-ranged beam spray gun instead of the Gundam's more accurate and powerful beam rifle. Other standard armaments for the GM included a 100 mm machinegun or a 380 mm bazooka, a single beam saber and two head-mounted 60 mm Vulcan machineguns. To make up for the relative deficiency in long-range firepower in space combats, every GM squad (usually 3 or 4 units) was usually tactically teamed up with at least 2 RB-79 Ball mobile pods for complementary fire support.

Because the GM incorporated the design concepts from both Jaburo and Luna II, the resultant product achieved over 90% parts-compatibility between its space and land variants, greatly improving the Federation's battlefield logistics.

The GM is a very agile mobile suit, with a maximum thruster acceleration of 0.94 g (9.2 m/s²), 180-degree turn time of 1.6 seconds, and a maximum running ground speed of over 102 km/h (60 miles per hour). It is superior to Zeon's standard Zakus and even Rick Doms in some aspects. The GM also has a better sensor system than most Zeon units that allows it much greater detection range. While its titanium-alloy construction provided slightly superior protection compared to the Zeon standard high-tensile steel, it was not enough to provide substantial protection against the beam weaponry and heavy-projectile rounds, which had become standard by the time of its introduction. Because of this, the GM is equipped with a full-sized, lunar titanium-coated composite shield for extra protection.

The GM's introduction in November of U.C. 0079 would turn the tide of war totally against Zeon (although strictly speaking, Zeon was already in retreat after their crushing defeat in Odessa). While not as well-armored as Zeon's new standard MS-09R Rick Dom, and inferior to mass-produced high-performance units such as the MS-14 Gelgoog, the GM benefitted from the Earth Federation's absolute superiority in collateral technologies and production/repair capacity. Zeon's focus on developing excessive varieties of experimental units stalled support of their frontline forces even as the Federation began its counterattack. In the end, the Doms would not be fully deployed until late November, and the Gelgoogs would not see its first deployment until the last two weeks of the One Year War. Zeon frontline battle units often could not get the spare parts they needed for maintenance and repairs due to logistic complexity. The final battle of A Baoa Qu laid bare Zeon's strategic error, as masses of well-trained EFSF pilots in GMs had overwhelmed the dwindling supply of Zeon veterans flying untested, unfamiliar mobile suits. Most of the pilots were seasoned ex-pilots for starfighters, assisted by analyzed combat data from the learning computer system.

During the One Year War, a recorded 42 + 288 GMs were produced. That was 42 early types and 288 late types, and each variant had no more than 50 units, as claimed in Gundam Officials and MG model manual. These numbers dated back to early semi-canon guide book Gundam Century, although most people doubted that these production numbers are accurate (which adds up to only a little less than 1000 GM produced during the OYW) since the top 8 Zeon Ace pilots claim to have shot down a total of 1222 MSs by the books MS Variation and History of One Year War (一年戦争史). Same sources also included that Zeon forces, unlike EFF, do not count their shotdowns very accurately. With a squad of 3 pilots shooting down one enemy MS, it is always claimed as 1 MS kill per pilot instead of 1/3 per pilot. Also, shotdown pictures were seldom closely inspected and thus making a lot of shotdowns number actually just bluff. Another proposed theory is that the EFF did not have MS in the beginning of the war and Zeon forces counted all types of conventional and mobile weapons as shotdowns, and these include the massive numbers of mobile pods, conventional tanks and atmospheric/space fighters (with over 30000 left even after the war), which is another form of bluff that is definitely enough to fill up the numbers.

The idea behind the GM is to compensate individual performance with versatility, quantity and team battle tactics. As a good all-round, beginner-friendly mobile suit more suitable for mass production and maintenance, the GM managed to outperform superior units like the Gelgoog on a strategic level, and proved itself to be a much more effective weapon in determining the outcome of the war.

After the One Year War, the RGM-79 design became the backbone of the Earth Federation Forces. Many variants were produced throughout the 0080s, and the basic frame was not replaced until the appearance of the RGM-89 Jegan in 0089. After the Jegans, although not as fast and heavily armed as the contemporary RGM-86R GM III, were chosen as the new mainstay mobile suits of the Earth Federation for the next three decades, the subsequent members of the GM series were no longer named "GM".