MS Classics: Operation V As word of Zeon's mobile suit development efforts began to leak out in the years leading up to the One Year War, the Earth Federation began a number of research projects intended to counter Zeon's rumored new weapon. When the war began, the enemy's mobile suits proved to be devastatingly effective, and the Federation responded by dramatically accelerating its own development program. In April of UC 0079, all ongoing mobile suit projects were consolidated into a single crash program called "Operation V." Illustrations by Mark Simmons			Mobile Suit Classics The Early Years Outbreak of War The Earth Invasion The Ace's Zaku The Terrestrial Front Operation V The Jet Set

Mobile Suit Classics 32 RX-75-4 GUNTANK One of Operation V's components was the RX-75 project, initiated four years earlier. Based on little more than rumors of Zeon's new weapon, the design began as an anti-mobile suit fighting vehicle, and evolved into a crude mobile suit armed with recoilless cannons and missile launchers, and equipped with caterpillar treads instead of legs. The RX-75-4, the fourth iteration of the design, featured the same Core Block System used in the other Operation V prototypes. However, it still required two operators - a driver in the Core Block cockpit and a gunner in the head. The Guntank stationed aboard the White Base, the only survivor of the Zeon attack on Side 7, was later modified so that pilot Hayato Kobayashi could operate it singlehandedly from the head cockpit.

Mobile Suit Classics 33 RX-77-2 GUNCANNON The Federation's first fully humanoid mobile suit design was the RX-77 Guncannon, a mid-range support unit with shoulder-mounted cannons and heavy Luna titanium armor. After one prototype unit had been completed, the design was revised to permit the use of beam weapons. The result was the pre-production RX-77-2 version, armed with a powerful beam rifle; since the mobile suit wasn't intended for close combat, it carried no melee weapons. Six RX-77-2 units were produced, of which three were still at the Side 7 test site when it was attacked by Zeon special forces on September 18, UC 0079. The one unit that survived the attack was stationed aboard the White Base, where it was piloted by civilian Kai Shiden. A second Guncannon was later assigned to the White Base, and the remaining two were sent into battle during the Federation's Operation Star One.

Mobile Suit Classics 34 RX-78-1 PROTOTYPE GUNDAM Developed in parallel with the RX-77 Guncannon, the RX-78 Gundam was designed for close combat against enemy mobile suits. Thanks to recent Federation technological breakthroughs, the designers were able to equip the RX-78 with a compact beam rifle as powerful as a battleship cannon - as well as a new type of melee weapon, a lethal energy blade called a beam saber. Like its fellow Operation V prototypes, the RX-78 was protected by tough Luna titanium armor, though since its armor was lighter it also carried a supplemental shield. The RX-78-1, the first iteration of the Gundam design, was completed in July UC 0079. Development of the next version was already underway, and the improved RX-78-2 rolled out a couple of weeks later.

Mobile Suit Classics 35 RX-78-2 GUNDAM ROLLOUT COLORS The second version of the Gundam was only slightly altered from the first, with higher power output to satisfy the beam rifle's energy requirements. Initially the RX-78-2 was given the same color scheme as its predecessor, with white paint substituted for black. When testing of the Operation V prototypes began at the Side 7 research colony in August of UC 0079, all the Gundam units were given an eye-catching demonstration color scheme. The details of the Gundam's production are somewhat controversial. According to the old MSV texts, eight Gundams were produced at the Federation's Jaburo base, of which three were sent to Side 7 and subsequently upgraded to the RX-78-2 model. These days, however, the consensus is that only three Gundams were made, all of them at Side 7.

Mobile Suit Classics 36 RX-78-2 GUNDAM DEMONSTRATION COLORS Field testing of the Earth Federation's prototype mobile suits was performed at the Side 7 research colony, far from the prying eyes of the Duchy of Zeon. When testing began in August of UC 0079, the RX-78 prototypes were given a striking demonstration color scheme. A month later, the tests were complete, and on September 18 the mobile assault carrier White Base arrived at Side 7 to collect the prototypes and their vital test data. As fate would have it, a Zeon cruiser spotted the White Base in transit and launched a surprise attack on Side 7. With most of the White Base crew and the Side 7 garrison wiped out, it fell to a fifteen-year-old civilian named Amuro Ray to pilot the sole functional prototype and fend off the attackers. In the months to come, Amuro would become the greatest ace of the One Year War, and the RX-78 Gundam would become a legend.

Mobile Suit Classics 37 RX-78-3 G-3 GUNDAM Of the three Gundam prototypes that were being tested at the Side 7 research colony, only the second unit survived the Zeon attack unscathed. The remains of the two damaged units were loaded onto the assault carrier White Base and transferred to the Federation's Luna Two base. Here, the third unit was reconstructed using parts from the first, and this revived (and repainted) Gundam was used as a testbed for new technologies. Due to the upgrades it received, this test unit was assigned a new model number and consequently given the nickname "G-3." Of the features tested on the G-3, the most noteworthy was the magnet coating technology developed by Mosk Han. By increasing the efficiency of the field motors used in the G-3's joints, the magnet coating process boosted its manueverability by almost 30%. This process was ultimately applied to the second unit piloted by Amuro Ray.

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