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Public-class

Mass-produced assault ship developed by the Earth Federation.
Jenxi Seow Published 9 Dec 2014 Updated 9 Feb 2025
Public-class

The Public-class was a mass-produced assault ship developed by the Earth Federation Forces during the One Year War. It was designed as a “missile boat in space” to support the Federation’s main fleet of *Salamis*-class cruisers and Magellan-class battleships.

History

After suffering heavy losses to Principality of Zeon’s mobile suits during the One Week Battle in January UC 0079, the Earth Federation Forces needed a way to counter these new threats. The Public-class was developed as a simple gunboat to supplement their main fleet of Salamis and Magellan class ships.

The Public-class saw significant action during the Battle of Solomon in December UC 0079, where they successfully deployed beam diffusion missiles to create a particle curtain that allowed Federation forces to close in on the space fortress. They attempted similar tactics during the Battle of A Baoa Qu but met with less success.

Design

The Public-class was based on a shuttle design, featuring a simple and straightforward layout focused on hit-and-run attacks. It was equipped with four large rocket thrusters at the rear that provided excellent acceleration, though the ship suffered from poor maneuverability and weak armor protection.

Armaments

The Public-class carried two types of missiles as its primary armament, with additional missile launchers for defence.

Large missiles

The ship’s main armament consisted of two large missile launchers mounted on its hull. These could be loaded with either anti-ship missiles for attacking capital ships or beam diffusion missiles that created particle curtains to neutralize enemy beam weapons.

Six-tube missile launcher

A six-tube missile launcher was mounted on each side of the hull, primarily for defence against smaller, more agile targets like mobile suits.

Behind the scenes

Okawara Kunio was the original mechanical designer.

In the game Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space, the Public-class was equipped with four nose-mounted machine guns not present in other depictions.

Appearances

Anime

Games

  • Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: From Place Beyond the Blaze
  • Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space
  • Mobile Suit Gundam: Pilot’s Locus
  • Mobile Suit Gundam: Spirits of Zeon Dual Stars of Carnage
  • Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Side Story: Mirage of Zeon