The AMX-003S Gaza-C Type S was a general purpose transformable mobile suit mass produced by Neo Zeon. The “AMX” in the model code refers to it being an Axis Zeon mobile weapon. The “003” in the model code indicates that it was the third mobile weapon designed by Axis Zeon, and the “S” means it is an improved version.
History
After the defeat of the Principality of Zeon to the Earth Federation in the One Year War in UC 0080, some Zeon remnant forces chose to go into hiding within the Earth Sphere, while others fled the Earth Sphere. Large groups of Zeon forces escaped to the Zeon asteroid base Axis in the Asteroid Belt during and after the war.
The Zeon forces that were stationed at the base and the refugees that joined them became Axis Zeon. The Axis Zeon forces used the construction mobile suits Gaza-A and Gaza-B as the foundation for the combat mobile suit development program. The AMX-003 (MMT-1) Gaza-C was the first mass production combat mobile suit produced by Axis Zeon.
The Axis Zeon engineers aimed to develop a mobile suit that was cheap and easy to manufacture due to the lack of resources and technical expertise among the population on Axis. After the Gaza-C was first rolled out in UC 0086, Axis Zeon was able to manufacture over a hundred Gaza-C units by late UC 0087 when Axis Zeon had returned to the Earth Sphere and entered the Gryps Conflict.
The Gaza-C served as the backbone of the Axis Zeon forces through the Gryps Conflict. The AMX-003S Gaza-C Type S was an improved version produced by Neo Zeon that addressed several design flaws based on field data gathered. When the First Neo Zeon War broke out in UC 0088, Neo Zeon started replacing the Gaza-C with its successors as the backbone of the Zeon military, the AMX-006 Gaza-D, AMX-007 Gaza-E, and AMX-008 Ga-Zowmn.
AMX-003S Gaza-C Type S in mobile armour mode
Design
The AMX-003S Gaza-C Type S was an improved version of the AMX-003 (MMT-1) Gaza-C. Due to the lack of scientist and engineers after being ravaged by the One Year War, Axis Zeon engineers decided to develop a new combat mobile suit based off the Gaza-A and Gaza-B. The scarcity of resources and skilled personnel to manufacture mobile suits meant that the Gaza-C had to be cheap and easy to produce, and was able to use the parts made for its predecessors.
Cost savings resulted in several design flaws in the Gaza-C such as the durability of the transformation frame, and the fixed beam guns. These were addressed in the Gaza-C Type S with an improved body frame that could withstand the transformation between mobile suit and mobile armour modes. The beam guns were also replaced with rotating turrets to provide a greater angle of fire that was especially useful in mobile suit mode.
Like the Gaza C, the transformation system used in the Gaza-C Type S was a simplified version of what was used in Gaza-B. The versatility of a transforming frame was very appealing given its proven advantages in the battle field. As such, many mobile weapons developed during this period of time could switch between mobile suit and mobile armour modes. The Gaza-C Type S had legs that functioned as a pair of claws in mobile armour mode, allowing it to grapple enemy mobile weapons and then finishing the opponent off with its beam guns or beam cannon.
The Gaza-C Type S was built with Gundarium alloy. It was a reproduction of the Luna Titanium alloy used by RX-78-2 Gundam that Zeon developed on Axis by Anaheim Electronics.
A pair of rocket thrusters with a combined output of 100,059 kg provided main propulsion for Gaza-C Type S. This made it faster than the Gaza-C that only had 79,200 kg of total thruster output. Four sets of vernier thruster and apogee motors provided fine adjustments.
The Gaza-C Type S was equipped with a standard panoramic cockpit with linear seat. Instead of the cockpit in torso commonly seen in the Universal Century, its cockpit was located in the mobile suit’s head, above the main camera. This was done to simplify the transformation system by removing the need to account for the cockpit in the torso when transforming between the mobile suit and mobile armour modes.
Armaments
The AMX-003S Gaza-C Type S had the same armaments as the Gaza-C. Its standard weapons were two beam guns for the mobile armour mode and two beam sabres for the mobile suit mode. It could optionally be equipped with a knuckle buster that was effective in either modes.
Beam guns
The Gaza-C Type S used a pair of fire-linked beam guns mounted on the main body of the mobile suit as its main weapon. These had power output rated at 2.3 megawatts each. The beam guns used in the Gaza-C were fixed and was only useful in mobile armour mode. The Gaza-C Type S addressed this design flaw by mounting the guns on a rotating turret to allow the guns to swivel through a 180-degree firing arc.
The guns drew their rounds from the mobile suit’s reactor. Minovsky particles particles broke down matter at a molecular level, allowing the beam gun bolts to penetrate even the thickest armour. This meant that a single shot could destroy a mobile suit.
Beam sabres
The Gaza-C Type S had a pair of beam sabres that were stored in recharge racks in its shoulder binders when not in use.
The beam sabres used an I-field to contain Minovsky particles within the shape of a blade. Minovsky particles broke down matter at a molecular level. This meant that the beam sabre could cut through almost any material.
Minovsky particles were channelled into the sabre through an E-cap attached to its hilt. The E-cap recharged with Minvosky particles from the mobile suit’s reactor when the sabre was stored in the recharge racks of the shoulder binder.
Power output of each beam sabre was rated at 0.4 megawatts.
Knuckle buster
The knuckle buster was an optional armament made for the Gaza-C and the Gaza-C Type S. The powerful beam cannon’s output was rated at 6.7 megawatts. When the Gaza-C Type S was in mobile armour mode, the knuckle buster was mounted on its body to function as the mobile armour’s main cannon. The beam cannon was wired to a large sensor in the right chest of the Gaza-C Type S that aided the pilot in aiming.
The knuckle buster drew its rounds from energy capacitors (E-caps), clips of charged Minovsky particles. Minovksy particles broke down matter at a molecular level, allowing the beam rifle bolts to penetrate even the thickest armour. This meant that a single shot could destroy a mobile suit.
When in mobile armour mode, the Gaza-C Type S could deploy itself on a surface and function as an artillery turret, using the kuckle buster to snipe at enemy units.
AMX-003 Gaza-C in mobile armour mode from Gundam Sentinel
Known pilot
Behind the scenes
Hitoshi Fukichi was the original mechanical designer.