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RGM-79C GM Type C

Mass production general purpose mobile suit developed by the Earth Federation Forces.
Jenxi Seow Published 22 Jun 2025 Updated 22 Jun 2025
RGM-79C GM Type C

The RGM-79C GM Type C was a mass production general purpose mobile suit developed by the Earth Federation Forces as an improved version of the RGM-79[E] GM Early Type.

The “R” in the model code meant it was a Federation model1 and the “GM” indicated that it was a mass production Gundam mobile suit. The “79” in the model number denoted it was developed from the RGM-79 GM line, and the “C” suffix indicated it was the third major production variant.

History

Appearing in the final portion of the One Year War, the RGM-79C GM Type C was an improved version of one of the Earth Federation Forces’ first mass production mobile suits, the RGM-79[E] GM Early Type. The Early Type, along with combat data obtained from the RX-78-2 Gundam’s “learning computer” system, served as the basis for the development of the GM Type C.

The Type C was rolled out in November UC 0079 and first deployed in December UC 0079, making it one of the last major mobile suit deployments of the One Year War. Though it was similar to the original Early Type in its armament and abilities, it featured greatly improved thruster acceleration and manoeuvrability.

The Type C remained the standard mass production frontline unit for the EFF until the introduction of the RMS-179 GM II several years later. After Operation Stardust, the Titans created a variant unit, the RGM-79CR GM Type CR, which was further modified into the RGM-79SR GM Sniper III.

The GM Type C was intended to serve as a reference template for the GM series, which had a number of wildly different designs and specifications due to being produced during wartime. The GM Type C prioritised productivity throughout its development process and became a highly stable and reliable unit.

Several GM Type Cs later appeared in service with Anaheim Electronics. These machines were owned by Anaheim Electronics for non-combat use and were painted in AEUG colours. Some were also modified to be commander units and they had legs with spare propellant tanks and thrusters attached, similar to those of the RGC-83 GM Cannon II. Anaheim used its GM Type Cs in support roles during operational tests of the FXA-08R-X1 Proto Mega Rider.

Design

The GM Type C was based on the RGM-79[E] GM Early Type but featured improved output and numerous other modifications, while also incorporating newly developed technology, with the aim of achieving the objectives set by Operation V.

The Type C’s head unit, while mostly following the basic structure of the standard GM, also incorporated mechanisms from the D Type and the G Type. Various devices and sensors were replaced with components that were easier to produce, contributing to improved productivity. Some secondary co-processor frames and monitoring equipment, as well as various subsystems, were simplified.

The arm design was based on the one used by the “Augusta series” of mobile suits, which boasted the best overall efficiency and achieved equivalent specifications in a smaller volume compared to those designs used by other mobile suits. This arm structure was considered to have great potential for fundamentally improving the “movability” of the mobile suit, as well as the practical advantage of having fewer parts and thus lower attrition rate.

The leg structure of the RGM-79C adopted a simple frame design covered by standard armour, eliminating any extraneous equipment. After the One Year War, the Federation faced the challenge of appropriately deploying ground forces. As such, this structure, which was based on a standardised version of the existing GM series legs, was adopted in favour of the leg structure of the RX-78NT-1 Gundam NT-1 “Alex”, which would have been costly and challenging to tune.

The cockpit design of the RGM-79C was almost the same as that of the RGM-79, but the seating structure and the arrangement of various control systems were improved for better comfort and operability. The cockpit block of the RGM-79 was structurally designed with reference to the Core Block of the RX-78 Gundam. This structure was also adopted in the RGM-79C, allowing the mobile suit to be specialised toward space or ground use by simply replacing the central block.

The GM Type C had an ultracompact Minovsky fusion reactor that generated an output of 1,250 kW. It had an array of rocket thrusters that generated 57,480 kg of total thrust, compared to the standard GM’s 55,500 kg total thrust.

Armaments

The GM Type C’s standard weapons were two 60 mm vulcan guns for close-range defence and a beam saber for melee combat.

60 mm vulcan guns

A pair of fire-linked 60 mm vulcan guns were mounted on either side of the GM Type C’s head. These rapid-fire weapons were used primarily against light-armoured support units. Sustained fire from the guns could damage mobile suits and were often used in close distance combat. They also served as missile defence.

Beam saber

The GM Type C carried one beam saber for melee combat. It was stored in the recharge rack in the backpack when not in use.

The beam saber 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 saber could cut through almost any material.

Power output of the beam saber was rated at 0.38 megawatts.

90 mm bullpup machine gun

The GM Type C could be equipped with a 90 mm bullpup machine gun for ranged combat. This weapon was clip-fed with 20 rounds per clip, and spare clips could be stored in the shield for quick reloading during combat.

Beam rifle

The GM Type C could be equipped with a beam rifle for enhanced ranged combat capability. The particle beam fired from a beam rifle could penetrate almost any armour that had not been treated with specific countermeasures.

An enhanced version of the Federation’s successfully BR-M-79C-1, the C-3 had an output of 1.5 MW and was introduced late in the One Year War. This model was shorter than the C-1 and featured a new sensor system. This targeting system allowed the weapon itself to acquire targets rather than relying exclusively on the GM’s head sensors like the C-1.

Hyper bazooka

For heavy firepower, the GM Type C could mount a hyper bazooka. This weapon provided significant destructive power against heavily armoured targets and fortifications.

Shield

The mobile suit could be equipped with a shield for defence. The shield was mounted on either forearm and provided protection against ballistic and beam attacks. It also served as storage for spare ammunition clips for the machine gun.

Known pilots

  • South Burning
  • Lynece Saintes
  • Cain Ragnard
  • Zalf Wakken
  • Hawk Reuser
  • Max Brauer

Variants

The GM Type C served as the basis for several specialised variants:

Behind the scenes

Katoki Hajime was the original mechanical designer for the Gundam 0083 version of the GM Type C.

The GM Type C was originally designed by Okawara Kunio as the “RGM-79 ‘GM’ [Later Type]” in the “Sentinel 0079” mecha design series featured in Model Graphix magazine. This design later served as the basis for the GM Type C featured in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.

Appearances

See also

Footnotes

  1. Federation in Japanese is renpou, hence the use of “R”. ↩