Clop-class cruiser – MechaBay | Mobile Suit Gundam

The Clop-class was a space cruiser class developed by the Earth Federation Forces in the early UC 0090s as a replacement for the aging Salamis Kai-class cruiser. It was introduced around UC 0093 during the Second Neo Zeon War and served as one of the Federation’s primary combat vessels for over half a century.

The class was a scaled-down version of the Ra Cailum-class battleship, inheriting many of its design concepts and technological features whilst being more economical to produce and maintain.

History

Development

Following the Gryps Conflict and First Neo Zeon War, the Earth Federation Forces recognised the need for new spacecraft specifically designed for mobile suit operations. The development of both the Ra Cailum-class and Clop-class began in the early UC 0090s as part of this modernisation programme.

The Clop-class was conceived as a more affordable alternative to the Ra Cailum-class, offering similar capabilities in a smaller, more economical package. The design philosophy emphasised mobile suit support whilst maintaining sufficient firepower for independent operations.

Second Neo Zeon War

The Clop-class made its combat debut during the Second Neo Zeon War in UC 0093. Multiple ships of the class were assigned to the Londo Bell task force, serving alongside the flagship Ra Cailum.

During the disarmament of the Neo Zeon forces, the lead ship Clop suffered heavy damage when its bridge was destroyed, killing the main crew along with Vice Minister Adenauer Paraya. Despite the damage, the ship managed to limp back to the Ra Cailum.

In the final battle over Axis, several Clop-class vessels made heroic sacrifices. The Ra Chutter was sunk whilst acting as a shield for the Ra Cailum. Different sources cite various ships as participating in this action, with the Ra Elm being recorded as the last ship shot down after the Ra Zyme in some accounts.

Post-War Service

The Clop-class continued to serve the Earth Federation for decades following the Second Neo Zeon War. However, their service was not without tragedy. On 15 June UC 0094, two Clop-class cruisers, the Unkai and Ra Dels, came under attack by Neo Zeon forces during a transport mission. The cargo they were transporting, the Sinanju Stein, was seized, and both ships were shot down by a single mobile suit. Nearly all of the 400+ crew members perished in what was regarded as the greatest armed conflict with Neo Zeon following Char’s Rebellion.

During the Laplace Incident in UC 0096, the Carrot was destroyed whilst pursuing the Garencieres as it headed for Industrial 7. Later, both the Carrot and Tenenbaum were destroyed by Full Frontal in the Sinanju whilst pursuing the Zeon remnant vessel.

Later Conflicts

The Clop-class remained in active service through major conflicts including the Crossbone Vanguard invasion of UC 0123 and the war with the Zanscare Empire that ended in UC 0153. By the UC 0150s, many ships had received modernisation upgrades, including the installation of beam shields at the bow and Minovsky Craft Systems that allowed atmospheric operation.

Design

The Clop-class was designed as a scaled-down version of the Ra Cailum-class battleship, incorporating similar technological features whilst being more cost-effective to produce. The overall design philosophy emphasised mobile suit support operations rather than pure naval firepower.

Like its larger counterpart, the Clop-class featured six engines and cooling fins beneath each engine block designed to improve fuel consumption. Six propellant tanks were mounted on each side of the ship above the engine blocks, providing extended operational range.

The central feature of the design was the mobile suit hangar and launch catapult that could accommodate between five to six mobile suits. Unlike many earlier Federation vessels, the Clop-class was purpose-built for mobile suit operations from the outset.

Armaments

The Clop-class mounted a formidable array of weaponry for a vessel of its size, balancing offensive capability with defensive systems.

Main armament

The primary weapons were a pair of 2-barrel mega particle cannons mounted on the port and starboard sides of midship. These provided the main offensive firepower and were capable of engaging enemy vessels at long range.

Missile systems

Six missile launchers were mounted in the forward section, with ordnance varying based on mission requirements. These could be loaded with anti-ship or anti-mobile suit missiles depending on the tactical situation. Additionally, two 8-tube missile launchers were mounted behind the bridge and between the engine blocks for aft defence.

Anti-aircraft defence

For protection against mobile suits and aircraft, the Clop-class mounted fourteen anti-aircraft guns placed strategically around the hull. Two 2-barrel anti-air machine guns were positioned on either side of the bridge, whilst twelve single-barrel anti-air machine guns were distributed along the midship sections.

Launch and recovery systems

The Clop-class featured a single launch catapult integrated into the central hangar design. This system allowed for rapid deployment of mobile suits whilst the ship’s hangar could accommodate between five to six units for maintenance and storage.

Variants

Damascus

The most notable variant was the Damascus, deployed in UC 0097 for the Phoenix Hunt operation. This ship featured significant modifications including a widened hangar bay, two additional propellant tanks, smaller cooling fins, and the removal of anti-aircraft guns on the bridge.

The Damascus was equipped with dual hangars (upper and lower sections) and served as the base of operations for Iago Haakana’s Shezarr team, which was tasked with hunting down the rogue RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 03 Phenex.

Space Ark-class

The Space Ark-class training ships that appeared in UC 0123 were development variants of the Clop-class, retooled for training purposes with modified defensive armaments and support facilities.

Ships and captains

The Clop-class comprised numerous vessels throughout its service life:

Clop (lead ship), captain unknown
Ra Chutter, captained by Lieutenant Commander Macias Testa
Ra Zyme, captained by Lieutenant Commander Macias Testa
Ra Kiem, captain unknown
Ra Elm, captain unknown
Ra Caym, captained by Lieutenant Commander Macias Testa
Ra Guillem, captain unknown
Ra Gills, captained by Lauro
Unkai, captained by Gary Gansel
Ra Dels, captain unknown
Carrot, captain unknown
Calfa, captained by Blanco Ducola
Tenenbaum, captain unknown
Ra Keyser, captain unknown
Damascus, captained by Abaev

Behind the scenes

The original Clop-class design was created by GAINAX for the Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack film. Later variants and modifications were designed by other mechanical designers for subsequent Gundam productions.

Despite being intended as a replacement for the Salamis Kai-class, the older cruiser design was never entirely decommissioned from active fleet service, likely due to its heavier armament compared to the Clop-class.

Clop-class