Archangel class assault ship
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| Archangel-class assault ship | |
|---|---|
| LCAM-01XA Archangel | |
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| LCAM-02XD Dominion | |
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| Fast Facts | |
| Ship Type | Assault ship/Submarine |
| Class: | Archangel |
| Launched: | Archangel - 25 January C.E. 71 Dominion - June C.E. 71 |
| Manufacturer: | Earth Alliance/Orb Union |
| Operator: | Earth Alliance(Atlantic Federation), Three Ships Alliance/Terminal, Orb Union |
| Ships of Class: | LCAM-01XA Archangel, LCAM-02XD Dominion |
| General Characteristics | |
| Length: | 420 meters |
| Propulsion: | Thermonuclear pulse thruster x 6 Small thermonuclear pulse thruster x 8 |
| Armor: | Laminated armor, unknown thickness |
| Armament: | Lohengrin Positron Blaster Cannon x 2 Gottfried Mk.71 225cm dual high-energy beam cannon x 2 |
| Mobile Suit Complement: |
(Archangel - Early C.E. 71) GAT-X105 Strike (Archangel - Mid-Late C.E. 71) GAT-X105 Strike (Dominion - C.E. 71) GAT-X131 Calamity (Archangel - C.E. 73) ZGMF-X10A Freedom (Archangel - C.E. 74) FX-550 Skygrasper x1 |
| Linear Catapults: | Two |
This article is about a fictional ship class from the Cosmic Era timeline of the anime Gundam metaseries.
The Archangel-class assault ship was developed to support the mobile suits developed under the G Project. The Archangel class mobile assault ships are functionally equivalent to the current day aircraft carrier; their primary mission being to launch and recover mobile suits and mobile armors. However, based in part on the Orb Union's Izumo-class battleship design, she is also a very heavily armed battleship (more heavily armed than either the Nelson-class battleship or Agamemnon-class carrier).
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[edit] Design and construction
The Archangel-class assault ship was developed to support the mobile suits developed under the G Project. The G Project, which was initiated by Earth Alliance with support of Morgenroete. Inc, developed the base unit GAT-X102 Duel, heavy assault unit GAT-X103 Buster, stealth unit GAT-X207 Blitz, high-powered commander unit GAT-X303 Aegis and most famous of the five, the multi-mode GAT-X105 Strike. For this intent, she is equipped with two linear catapults for supporting launches of mobile suits.
Her design is based on the Orb Union's Izumo-class battleship. Some elements of Izumo's design which was also used in the construction of the Archangel class assault ships include the Lohengrin positron cannons and Gottfried Mk. 71 dual beam cannons. She is also equipped with Laminated armor, which provides protection against beam weaponry by dispersing them across the entire surface of the armor.
Two Archangel-class ships were built during the war: Archangel and Dominion. In addition, the Archangel class had a special tender vessel designed for it, called the Cornelius-class. The prototype for the Archangel's tender would later be acquired by the Junk Guild and modified into the ReHOME. The production vessels of Cornelius class were seen with the Dominion when she was at the Earth Alliance Lunar Base.
Later, after the Bloody Valentine War ended, the Archangel was refitted with underwater operation capabilities, making her almost invincible underwater because most beam weapons (which is the main armament of mobile suits and ships) don't work underwater while she can use her powerful Valiant Mk.8 110cm linear cannon, a projectile based railgun, underwater. This is proven in underwater battles during the Second Bloody Valentine War. In addition, this capability makes the Archangel difficult to detect.
[edit] Characteristics
The Archangel is a trans-atmospheric ship. She is able to enter and operate in an atmosphere and launch back to outer space without the help of a mass driver. In earth's atmosphere, she can fly low. Later upgrades on Archangel after the Bloody Valentine War's end enable her to submerge underwater, as well as operate in slightly higher altitudes.
At the time it launched, the Archangel class ship was the largest warship in the Cosmic Era universe, armed with two large-bore "Gottfried Mk. 71" beam cannons in forward turrets, two "Valiant Mk. 8" 110cm linear cannons in aft mounts, 8 75 mm "Igelstellung" CIWS turrets, 24 multi-purpose missile launchers (missiles include Sledgehammer anti-ship missiles and Korinthos and Wombat heavy anti-aircraft missiles) and a 16-cell Helldart anti-aircraft missile launcher (located at the back of the bridge tower). However, the Archangel's most powerful weapons are her two Lohengrin bow-mounted positron cannons.
The heavy defensive and offensive armament of the Archangel class, combined with the ship's laminated armor, made it almost impregnable to all but the most determined assault. The Archangel class ships' firepower even exceeds most warships in its era, making it difficult to be equalized as a pure aircraft carrier, as it features the hybrid of a Battleship and an aircraft carrier.
The true power of the Archangel class is hidden in the ship's cavernous hangar bay: Room for up to twelve mobile suits or mobile armors (though it was intended for eight at the most). Combined with the G-series prototypes, the Archangel was intended to be very nearly invincible. In operations, she was intended to hold the GAT-X102 Duel and GAT-X103 Buster, Lieutenant Mu La Flaga's TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero mobile armor, and two TS-MA2 Moebius mobile armors back for defense while the GAT-X105 Strike, GAT-X303 Aegis, and GAT-X207 Blitz engaged the enemy.
To take note, the Dominion is similar in appearance to the Archangel, except the fact that she has a dark appearance and has improved sensor.
[edit] In service
[edit] LCAM-01XA Archangel
The Archangel for most of the time is commanded by Murrue Ramius. Her impressive capability, mobile suit complements and crews made her survive all major battles in both the Bloody Valentine War and the Second Bloody Valentine War. Although launched as an Earth Alliance ship, she later became part of the Three Ships Alliance (which later become Terminal). After the Battle of Onogoro, the Archangel is formally commissioned to the Orb Union's Space Fleet.
[edit] Earth Alliance service
The Archangel's first combat action is on 25 January CE 71, where ZAFT was attacking Heliopolis, where she was stationed. Due to ZAFT's sudden attack, her original captain was killed. Natarle Badgiruel, one of her officers, then managed to activate and launch the Archangel and put her into action. Soon later, the Archangel's command was transferred to Lieutenant (later Lt. Commander) Murrue Ramius, after Lieutenant Mu La Flaga rejected the captain role because he is inexperienced in ship's command(and also due to the fact that only he and Kira Yamato could defend the ship in combat), despite his seniority (i.e. he is older than Ramius).
With ZAFT stealing four of the five prototypes and destroying the two Moebius mobile armors, Archangel was left with only the Strike and Lieutenant Commander La Flaga's Moebius Zero to defend herself. After the battleship linked up with Admiral Halburton's 8th Fleet, she took on-board two FX-550 Skygrasper fighters, which were compatible with the Strike's Striker Packs. En route to the JOSH-A base in Alaska, the Archangel lost the Strike and one Skygrasper in combat and recaptured the Buster.
[edit] Renegade service and forming of Three Ships Alliance
During the Battle of JOSH-A, the Archangel was saved from destruction by Kira Yamato. The event made the Archangel's crew decide to desert the Earth Alliance and joined the Orb Union later. In addition, it added the stolen ZAFT mobile suit ZGMF-X10A Freedom to its complement, piloted by former Strike pilot Kira Yamato.
During the Battle of Orb, Athrun Zala, with his ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam, joined the Archangel. Both the Justice and the Freedom later transferred to the Eternal, after the Eternal joined her and Orb's Kusanagi, forming the Three Ship Alliance. At the war's last days, Archangel's mobile weapon complements were the repaired Strike Gundam, piloted by Mu La Flaga and the Buster, piloted by Dearka Elsman.
The Archangel was severely damaged on the war's last day, 26 September, at the Second Battle of Jachin Due. During the course of the battle, however, she destroyed the Dominion.
When the treaty was made, the Duel and the Buster were destroyed and the Archangel was to be destroyed as well by ZAFT who asked for it to be but instead the Archangel went into hiding for two years.
[edit] Terminal
After the war, the Archangel was repaired, upgraded with submarine-esque capability, an indoor hotspring, and hidden in a secret hangar at Orb. After a failed attack by ZAFT commandos in CE 73, the Archangel left this facility. Its mobile suit complement at this point was the ZGMF-X10A Freedom piloted by Kira Yamato, the MBF-02 Strike Rouge piloted by Cagalli Yula Athha, and a new MVF-M11C Murasame transformable mobile suit piloted by Andrew Waltfeld.
Later that year, the Archangel intervened in battles between the ZAFT battleship Minerva and a joint Earth Alliance/Orb Union task force near the Dardanelles and again off the coast of Crete. After the second battle, six more Murasames from the Orb aircraft carrier Takemikazuchi were transferred to the Archangel.
However, shortly after the release of the information on the shady group 'Logos' being the true warmongers of human civilization, ZAFT issued orders to destroy the Archangel. Being pursued by a team under Commander Willard and ultimately the Minerva, its mainstay mobile suit the Freedom was destroyed by the Impulse Gundam, and its outer hull was damaged by the Minerva's Tannhäuser main cannon.
The Archangel managed to reach Orb, and was repaired at a secret Morgenroete facility before ZAFT's attack on Orb (codenamed "Operation Fury"). Soon after she was repaired, she engaged the Minerva once again, but with the support of Neo Roanoke and his Skygrasper unit.
During the invasion of Orb by ZAFT, the Archangel was forced to engage Minerva head on in order to defend Orb against ZAFT attacks. With both ships fairly evenly matched, Capt. Murrue Ramius decided to submerge the Archangel into the water to break free from Minerva's relentless pursuit (realizing that once the ship was underwater, the Archangel was virtually unchallenged in terms of firepower because all the beam weapons from Minerva cannot hit targets underwater). The Archangel then proceeded to fire the Valiant linear cannons (projectile based) against the Minerva, which was still hovering above the water's surface. Afterwards, the Archangel destroyed ZAFT support ships and submarines one by one with torpedoes, including Operation Fury's flagship, the Vosgulov class submarine St. Helens, and forced a total retreat of all ZAFT forces.
[edit] Formal commission on Orb's space fleet
After the Battle of Onogoro, the Archangel was assigned to Orb's 2nd Space Fleet under command of Kira Yamato, who was appointed as the commander of the Orb Space Fleet, and makes its way to the moon for an intelligence mission. After the mission is completed, the Archangel is joined by three Izumo class battleships, including the Kusanagi and headed for ZAFT's mobile fortress Messiah.
During the last battle of the Second Bloody Valentine War, The Battle of Messiah, the Archangel was able to severely damage the Minerva by disabling the majority of the Minerva's weaponry. Shortly afterwards, Athrun Zala disabled Minerva's engines with the Infinite Justice's Fatum-01 backpack.
[edit] LCAM-02XA Dominion
Earth Alliance/Blue Cosmos' flagship Dominion is commanded by Lt. Commander Natarle Badgiruel, formerly Archangel's XO). Relatively short-living, the Dominion was destroyed by the Archangel on the last day of the Bloody Valentine War, 26 September, at the Second Battle of Jachin Due.
The Dominion carried the GAT-X131 Calamity, piloted by Orga Sabnak, the GAT-X252 Forbidden, piloted by Shani Andras, the GAT-X370 Raider, piloted by Clotho Buer, and a squadron of GAT-01 Strike Daggers.
[edit] First action
The Dominion's first action is at the Battle of Mendel, where she also battled the Archangel. The Earth Alliance's objective was to capture either the ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam or ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam as well as to destroy the Archangel, but both objectives failed. Increasing disadvantage of their forces made the Earth Alliance retreat their forces. In this battle, the Dominion managed to retrieve a shuttle pod, released by ZAFT's ship, where Flay Allster was inside, holding data about the Neutron Jammer Canceller.
[edit] Battle of Boaz
During the Battle of Boaz, the Dominion is assigned to guard the nuclear missile-equipped TS-MA2 Moebiuses and their support units. In the battle, Boaz was destroyed.
[edit] Final action
During the Second Battle of Jachin Due, the Dominion was assigned to the large scale assault on the PLANTs. During this battle, the Dominion was destroyed by the Archangel.
[edit] Related development
- Izumo class battleship, Orb Union's ship which is the base design of Archangel class assault ships
- Girty Lue, Earth Alliance's ship which has similar features with, possibly derived from, Archangel class assault ships
- Currently the Archangel is equipped with areas to help the officers onboard relax, namely hot springs. It is the only warship in the series to have such an outlandish feature and regarded as only as an explanation for fanservice scenes.
[edit] See also (Similar mobile suit carriers)
[edit] Trivia
- The Archangel and Dominion are named after angelic ranks in Christian cosmology. If other Archangel-class vessels had been produced, they most likely would have been named after the other angelic ranks, such as the seraphim, cherubim, etc.
- Izumo and Archangel Class Ships ' Lohengrin positron cannon is named after Richard Wagner's opera of the same name, see Lohengrin (opera)). At the The Battle of Gulnahan Ravine, the same cannon is also deployed by the Earth Alliance against ZAFT.
- The Gottfried Beam Cannon is quite probably named after Gottfried von Strassburg, the Middle-Ages German writer of the courtly romance "Tristan". Ironically, ZAFT's equivalent to the Gottfried is also named "Tristan"
- The Official SEED Destiny Guide Book vol.3 has the designation of the Archangel listed as LCAM-01XA. It is unknown whether that was its original identification code or an ID code assigned to it later by Orb.
- The design aesthetics and combat role is largely similar to the pegasus class ships seen in the Universal Century timeline, and can be seen as a clear tribute to the earlier series. (Such tributes being highly common in gundam sequels)
[edit] References
- Archangel on Gundam Official
| Cosmic Era ship classes | |
|---|---|
| OMNI Enforcer | Agamemnon | Archangel | Arkansas | Des Moines | Drake | Fraser | Girty Lue | Hannibal | Nelson | Tarawa |
| ZAFT | Compton | Eternal | Gondwana | Lesseps | Laurasia | Minerva | Nazca | Petrie | Vosgulov |
| ORB Union | Aegis | Izumo | Kuraokami | Takemikazuchi |
| Miscellaneous | Acidalium | Cornelius | Marseille III | Silverwind | Tsiolkovsky |
