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Jaburo

Underground fortress headquarters of the Earth Federation Forces during the One Year War.
Jenxi Seow Published 11 Jun 2025 Updated 11 Jun 2025
Jaburo

Jaburo (ジャブロー) was a massive underground military complex located in the heart of the South American Amazon River basin that served as the headquarters of the Earth Federation Forces during the One Year War.

Constructed within an enormous subterranean cavern system, Jaburo was considered one of the most secure military installations in human history. The complex spanned an area of 42 square kilometres and housed approximately 450,000 military and civilian personnel, making it comparable in size and population to a small city.

History

Origins and construction

The construction of Jaburo began in UC 0077 as part of the Earth Federation’s Year 60 Armament Reinforcement Plan, which aimed to strengthen the Federation’s military capabilities in response to growing tensions in the space colonies. The project was overseen by the Jaburo Construction Office, with civilian contractors including Char Aznable, who worked as a pilot of mobile worker heavy construction vehicles during the construction of surface facilities.

The location was chosen for its strategic advantages: the natural cavern system provided exceptional protection against conventional attacks, whilst the Amazon location offered natural camouflage and made the facility extremely difficult to locate. The Federation deliberately kept the base’s exact location classified, though its general presence in South America was known to intelligence services.

By the time construction was completed, Jaburo had become the Federation’s primary terrestrial headquarters, housing the supreme command structure of the Earth Federation Forces.

The One Year War

When the Principality of Zeon declared war on the Earth Federation on 3 January UC 0079, Jaburo immediately became Zeon’s primary strategic target on Earth. The facility’s importance was underscored by Gihren Zabi’s famous declaration: “Whoever finds Jaburo will be made a Marshal.”

Operation British

In the opening weeks of the war, Zeon attempted to destroy Jaburo through Operation British, a colony drop operation targeting the South American continent. The Federation successfully intercepted the falling colony, diverting it from its intended target. Instead of hitting Jaburo, the colony broke up over the Pacific Ocean, with the largest fragment ultimately striking Sydney, Australia.

The failure of Operation British dealt a significant blow to Zeon’s war effort, as the Federation was able to utilise Jaburo’s intact facilities to rebuild their space fleet and begin mass production of their own mobile suits.

Failed assault plans

Following Operation British’s failure, Zeon realised that only a direct assault could neutralise Jaburo. Several elaborate plans were developed, including the Apsaras Project led by Ginias Sahalin. This project aimed to develop a mobile armor capable of atmospheric flight that could approach Jaburo and destroy it with a powerful mega particle cannon. However, the project collapsed when Federation forces discovered and destroyed the Apsaras before it could be deployed.

Battle of Jaburo

On 27 November UC 0079, Char Aznable discovered Jaburo’s location whilst pursuing the White Base. He observed the assault carrier entering a concealed entrance designed to accommodate space warships, finally revealing the position of the Federation’s most secret installation.

Three days later, on 30 November UC 0079, Char led a hastily organised assault on Jaburo. The attack consisted of a combined air, land, and underwater operation involving forces from Zeon’s remaining Earth-based units. The assault force included 18 Gaw airborne attack carriers carrying 54 mobile suits, supported by amphibious units from the Mad Angler submarine squadron.

Despite initial success in locating several entrances, the assault proved devastating for Zeon forces. Federation anti-aircraft defences were formidable, and only 28 of 46 deployed mobile suits reached the ground safely. The battle marked the first major deployment of the Federation’s mass-production RGM-79 GM mobile suits, along with new Gundam prototypes including the RX-78-6 Mudrock Gundam.

Char led an infiltration team using MSM-04 Acguy amphibious mobile suits to penetrate the underground base directly. Their mission was to destroy the GM production facilities with explosives and attack the White Base. However, the demolition attempt failed when White Base refugees discovered and disabled the bombs. Char’s forces were ultimately repelled after a fierce battle with the RX-78-2 Gundam piloted by Amuro Ray.

The operation was aborted after Zeon lost over 50% of their committed forces, with the assault failing to cause significant damage to Jaburo’s operations.

Post-war decline

After the One Year War ended on 1 January UC 0080, Jaburo’s strategic importance gradually diminished. The Federation’s focus shifted to space-based operations, and newer threats required different strategic responses.

Second Battle of Jaburo

On 11 May UC 0087, during the Gryps Conflict, the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG) launched Operation Apollo, an orbital drop assault on Jaburo. Led by Quattro Bajeena (Char Aznable), the AEUG sought to strike a decisive blow against the Titans by attacking what they believed was still a major Federation stronghold.

However, the Titans had anticipated the attack and evacuated most personnel whilst setting a trap. As AEUG forces descended into Jaburo, they discovered the facility was largely abandoned. The Titans had planted nuclear bombs 150 metres underground, intending to destroy both the base and the attacking AEUG forces.

The AEUG detected the trap and managed to evacuate most personnel aboard captured Garuda-class transport aircraft. When the nuclear weapons detonated, they destroyed Jaburo’s central facilities, effectively ending the base’s operational capability. Although not completely obliterated, the nuclear blast marked the end of Jaburo’s relevance as an Earth Federation military installation.

Legacy

Despite the destruction of its central facilities in UC 0087, portions of Jaburo remained functional for several years. By UC 0090, some sections were still operational, as documented during the events of MSV-R: The Return of Johnny Ridden.

A thousand years later, during the Regild Century era, Bellri Zenam and Luin Lee battled each other in Jaburo’s ruins, where fossilised remains of Z’Gok mobile suits from Zeon’s UC 0079 invasion could still be found.

Design

Jaburo was an engineering marvel that represented the pinnacle of military architecture in the Universal Century. The complex utilised a massive natural cavern system in the Amazon River basin, which provided both concealment and protection from conventional weapons.

Layout and structure

The underground complex spanned 42 square kilometres and was divided into four quadrants designated as Blocks A, B, C, and D. The facility included:

  • Command facilities: Supreme headquarters for Earth Federation Forces operations
  • Industrial complexes: Mobile suit factories, spaceship construction yards, and dry docks
  • Research facilities: Development laboratories for advanced weapons systems
  • Administrative offices: Government and military bureaucratic centres
  • Residential areas: Living quarters for military personnel and their families
  • Support infrastructure: An extensive network of roadways, tunnels, and canals

The complex was designed to be entirely self-sufficient, functioning as an underground city capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of inhabitants during extended sieges.

Security features

Jaburo’s defensive systems were among the most sophisticated of their era:

  • Concealed entrances: Numerous hidden and fortified entry points for various vehicle types
  • Anti-aircraft batteries: Camouflaged surface installations provided overlapping fields of fire
  • Monitoring posts: Extensive surveillance network covering the surrounding Amazon region
  • Natural barriers: The jungle environment provided additional concealment and defensive obstacles

The base’s location deep underground made it virtually impervious to conventional assault, whilst the Amazon’s difficult terrain created natural barriers against ground attacks.

Production capabilities

During the One Year War, Jaburo served as the Federation’s primary mobile suit production facility. The complex manufactured thousands of mobile suits, including:

  • Mass-production units such as the RGM-79 GM
  • Prototype Gundam units including experimental models
  • Support vehicles and aerospace craft
  • Advanced weapons systems and equipment

The production facilities were crucial to the Federation’s ability to field competitive mobile suit forces against Zeon’s technological advantages.

Strategic importance

Jaburo’s significance extended far beyond its role as a military headquarters. The facility represented the Federation’s commitment to defending Earth and served as a symbol of their technological and industrial capabilities.

Military command

As the Earth Federation Forces’ supreme headquarters, Jaburo coordinated:

  • Global military operations during the One Year War
  • Space fleet deployments and logistics
  • Intelligence gathering and analysis
  • Strategic planning and policy development

Industrial centre

The complex’s manufacturing capabilities were essential to the Federation war effort:

  • Mobile suit research and development
  • Mass production of military hardware
  • Spaceship construction and maintenance
  • Advanced weapons testing and deployment

Political significance

Beyond its military functions, Jaburo served important political purposes:

  • Demonstrating Federation technological superiority
  • Providing a secure command centre for wartime leadership
  • Symbolising Earth’s continued importance in space-age politics
  • Serving as a deterrent against colonial independence movements

Behind the scenes

The name Jaburo (ジャブロー) may be a corruption of Japurá (ジャプラ), a river within the Amazon basin. Alternatively, it could be named after the jabiru bird, which is native to regions from Mexico to Brazil.

In reality, constructing an underground base in the Amazon basin would be extremely impractical, as the earth consists primarily of soft clay and sand deposits without the thick bedrock layers depicted in Gundam. Perhaps recognising this issue, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin and Gundam Reconguista in G moved Jaburo’s location to the Guiana Highlands at Mount Roraima, where the geological conditions would be more suitable for such construction.

The JOSH-A base in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is similar to Jaburo, though not serving as the main headquarters. Like Jaburo, JOSH-A was also destroyed by its own forces as a last resort against their enemies.

Appearances

See also