Introduction to the Universal Century Ⅱ Part 5
Mobile Worker Development at the Dark Colony
Mobile Worker Development at the Dark Colony
In U.C. 0071, Side 3, now under the control of the Zabi family and renamed the Autonomous Republic of Zeon, begins covert preparations for the outbreak of a war of independence against the Earth Federation. One of these preparations is the development of the mobile worker, a new next-generation weapon, which is conducted amid absolute secrecy.
The development of this new weapon takes place at the "Extra Banchi," also known as the Dark Colony. The project is supervised by Colonel Dozle Zabi of the Autonomous Republic of Zeon's Space Defense Force, and to deceive Federation Forces observers, it is camouflaged as an attempt to produce humanoid worker machines for resource extraction on the lunar surface. The prototype is called a "mobile worker," with the model number MW-01. The initial machine is the Mobile Worker MW-01 Model 01 Early Type.
The development of the mobile worker, which started as a humanoid worker machine, begins with ballistics and melee combat testing against the Earth Federation Forces' Guntank Early Type main battle tank (MBT). Of all the armament of the Federation Forces stationed throughout the colonies, the Guntank Early Type, with its large-caliber cannons and heavy armor, poses the greatest threat. From the beginning, countermeasures have been sought against it.
A shield has been developed for protection against the bombardment of the Guntank Early Type's two main guns. The developers of the mobile worker have also constructed it to allow for agile machine control, and given it melee capabilities so that it can attack enemy machines and render them immobile. The key player in this test is the pilot of the Mobile Worker MW-01 Model 01 Early Type, Warrant Officer Ortega, who will later be famed as a member of the "Black Tri-Stars." His accomplishments in the melee combat test against the MBT live up to Colonel Dozle's expectations.
After this success, the development of the mobile worker advances to the next stage. Under Colonel Dozle's command, the Dark Colony becomes a development base for secret weapons aimed at a war of independence, and substantial funding is devoted to its expansion. Along with the mobile weapons that will later become mobile suits, it also develops a warship (the Musai class) which is an armed version of the Arcana-class civilian transport ship.
The successor to the Model 01 Early Type is the Mobile Worker MW-01 Model 01 Late Type. This machine has a reinforced cockpit area, and weapon attachments have been added to its forearms in order to increase its offensive strength. Its test pilots are Captain Ramba Ral and Sergeant Mash.
Captain Ramba Ral, who will later battle the Federation Forces' Gundam, pilots a blue version of the Model 01 Late Type during melee combat testing. The ability that will later earn him the nickname "Blue Giant," thanks to his use of blue machines, is apparent from the beginning of the mobile worker's development. Even though this is only a test, he fights without regard for personal injury, accumulating much valuable data.
Sergeant Mash, who later becomes a lieutenant JG and a member of the Black Tri-Stars alongside Gaia and Ortega, will go on to achieve great results in the Battle of Loum—the battlefield debut of the mobile suit, which takes place in U.C. 0079. During the melee combat testing of the Model 01 Late Type, he likewise fights as if in actual combat, without regard for the risk of injury or even death. This anticipates his exploits in later years.
However, the Model 01 has one insurmountable and fatal weakness as a weapon. The overly huge fusion reactor that serves as its power source cannot fit inside its body, and this problem will become a bottleneck in the mobile worker's development.
This problem will be resolved by the Minovsky particle. This particle, and the cooperation of its discoverer Dr. Minovsky, become the key elements in the development of an innovative new power reactor. However, the dawning of that era is still a little in the future.
The use of a mobile weapon controlled by a human pilot, which can adapt to combat both under gravity and in space, is one of the secret plans devised to allow a small military force to oppose the overwhelming strength of the Earth Federation Forces. When combined with the tactic of battle conditions in which Minovsky particles prevent the use of radar, communications, and radio guidance, it will deal a devastating defeat to the Federation Forces at the beginning of hostilities.
When Minovsky particles are dispersed, enemies can only be detected and attacked within visual range using visible light. Radar, which uses electromagnetic waves outside the visual spectrum, is restricted, and guided missiles are useless. Under these conditions, mobile weapons which can inflict damage at close range have an advantage over warships. On this assumption, Zeon stakes everything on tactics based on the mobile suit that evolves from the mobile worker, as a counter to the vast strength of the Federation Forces who have never doubted the superiority of highly computerized warships and their missiles and beam cannons.
The power of the mobile weapon's attacks will be proven by the achievements of Lieutenant JG Char Aznable during the Battle of Loum, when he sinks five Federation Forces warships.
The development of this new weapon takes place at the "Extra Banchi," also known as the Dark Colony. The project is supervised by Colonel Dozle Zabi of the Autonomous Republic of Zeon's Space Defense Force, and to deceive Federation Forces observers, it is camouflaged as an attempt to produce humanoid worker machines for resource extraction on the lunar surface. The prototype is called a "mobile worker," with the model number MW-01. The initial machine is the Mobile Worker MW-01 Model 01 Early Type.
The development of the mobile worker, which started as a humanoid worker machine, begins with ballistics and melee combat testing against the Earth Federation Forces' Guntank Early Type main battle tank (MBT). Of all the armament of the Federation Forces stationed throughout the colonies, the Guntank Early Type, with its large-caliber cannons and heavy armor, poses the greatest threat. From the beginning, countermeasures have been sought against it.
A shield has been developed for protection against the bombardment of the Guntank Early Type's two main guns. The developers of the mobile worker have also constructed it to allow for agile machine control, and given it melee capabilities so that it can attack enemy machines and render them immobile. The key player in this test is the pilot of the Mobile Worker MW-01 Model 01 Early Type, Warrant Officer Ortega, who will later be famed as a member of the "Black Tri-Stars." His accomplishments in the melee combat test against the MBT live up to Colonel Dozle's expectations.
After this success, the development of the mobile worker advances to the next stage. Under Colonel Dozle's command, the Dark Colony becomes a development base for secret weapons aimed at a war of independence, and substantial funding is devoted to its expansion. Along with the mobile weapons that will later become mobile suits, it also develops a warship (the Musai class) which is an armed version of the Arcana-class civilian transport ship.
The successor to the Model 01 Early Type is the Mobile Worker MW-01 Model 01 Late Type. This machine has a reinforced cockpit area, and weapon attachments have been added to its forearms in order to increase its offensive strength. Its test pilots are Captain Ramba Ral and Sergeant Mash.
Captain Ramba Ral, who will later battle the Federation Forces' Gundam, pilots a blue version of the Model 01 Late Type during melee combat testing. The ability that will later earn him the nickname "Blue Giant," thanks to his use of blue machines, is apparent from the beginning of the mobile worker's development. Even though this is only a test, he fights without regard for personal injury, accumulating much valuable data.
Sergeant Mash, who later becomes a lieutenant JG and a member of the Black Tri-Stars alongside Gaia and Ortega, will go on to achieve great results in the Battle of Loum—the battlefield debut of the mobile suit, which takes place in U.C. 0079. During the melee combat testing of the Model 01 Late Type, he likewise fights as if in actual combat, without regard for the risk of injury or even death. This anticipates his exploits in later years.
However, the Model 01 has one insurmountable and fatal weakness as a weapon. The overly huge fusion reactor that serves as its power source cannot fit inside its body, and this problem will become a bottleneck in the mobile worker's development.
This problem will be resolved by the Minovsky particle. This particle, and the cooperation of its discoverer Dr. Minovsky, become the key elements in the development of an innovative new power reactor. However, the dawning of that era is still a little in the future.
The use of a mobile weapon controlled by a human pilot, which can adapt to combat both under gravity and in space, is one of the secret plans devised to allow a small military force to oppose the overwhelming strength of the Earth Federation Forces. When combined with the tactic of battle conditions in which Minovsky particles prevent the use of radar, communications, and radio guidance, it will deal a devastating defeat to the Federation Forces at the beginning of hostilities.
When Minovsky particles are dispersed, enemies can only be detected and attacked within visual range using visible light. Radar, which uses electromagnetic waves outside the visual spectrum, is restricted, and guided missiles are useless. Under these conditions, mobile weapons which can inflict damage at close range have an advantage over warships. On this assumption, Zeon stakes everything on tactics based on the mobile suit that evolves from the mobile worker, as a counter to the vast strength of the Federation Forces who have never doubted the superiority of highly computerized warships and their missiles and beam cannons.
The power of the mobile weapon's attacks will be proven by the achievements of Lieutenant JG Char Aznable during the Battle of Loum, when he sinks five Federation Forces warships.