Sadalahn-class
Third-generation flagship battleship deployed by Neo Zeon during the First Neo Zeon War.
The Sadalahn-class was a limited production third-generation flagship battleship deployed by Neo Zeon during the First Neo Zeon War. The class served as the personal flagship of Haman Karn, replacing the Gwadan which had been destroyed near the end of the Gryps Conflict by the Titans.
History
Following the Gryps Conflict, which saw the defeat of the Titans by the AEUG, Haman Karn wasted no time in regrouping Neo Zeon forces to take control of the entire Earth Sphere. To achieve this ambitious goal, she planned to repeat the Principality of Zeon’s strategy by forming a land invasion force to seize control of the Earth Federation’s strongholds on Earth.
A new flagship capable of carrying Haman and the figurehead Mineva Lao Zabi to personally supervise the operation and later officiate at the ensuing ceremonies on Earth was commissioned. The Sadalahn-class was designed to meet these specific requirements while serving as a powerful symbol of Neo Zeon’s resurgent strength.
Construction and deployment
Although construction was not completed until after the start of the First Neo Zeon War, the Sadalahn was finished in time to participate in the early stages of the conflict. The vessel immediately became the flagship leading Neo Zeon’s invasion of Earth, demonstrating both its military capabilities and symbolic importance to the faction.
The ship participated in Neo Zeon’s Earth invasion and played a crucial role in the occupation of the Earth Federation capital city Dakar. The vessel’s atmospheric capabilities proved essential during these operations, allowing it to provide direct support for ground forces while maintaining command and control functions.
Final fate
The Sadalahn survived the climactic battle surrounding the collision of the asteroid Axis with Earth colony Core 3, although it was damaged and disabled in the process. Following the conclusion of the conflict, the vessel was captured along with many other Neo Zeon ships and crews by AEUG forces.
The ship was later successfully seized, recovered, and rebuilt by another Neo Zeon splinter group, though the exact details of this operation remain unclear. The rebuilt Sadalahn was eventually destroyed in combat with AEUG forces near the Olympus space colony at Side 2 in UC 0089.
Design
The Sadalahn-class represented the third generation of Neo Zeon flagship designs, following the first-generation Gwadan-class and second-generation Gwanban-class. Although smaller than the Gwanban-class, the Sadalahn was specifically designed for atmospheric operations, making it far more versatile than its predecessors.
The ship featured several innovative design elements that distinguished it from conventional battleships of its era. Most notably, the main bridge was located midship above the mobile suit deck, rather than in the traditional forward position. This unusual configuration was intended to improve protection for the command crew while maintaining effective oversight of mobile suit operations.
Atmospheric capabilities
The Sadalahn-class was equipped with both a ballute system and Minovsky Craft System, enabling it to enter and operate within Earth’s atmosphere. The ballute system provided protection during atmospheric entry, while the Minovsky Craft System allowed the vessel to maintain controlled flight within the atmosphere.
When Minovsky particles were released into the air, they spontaneously aligned into a three-dimensional cubic lattice. The repulsive and electrostatic forces between particles created resistance to compression, which the Minovsky Craft System exploited to push the vessel away from the planet’s surface, enabling atmospheric flight operations.
Command facilities
The ship featured sophisticated command and control systems designed to support fleet operations and coordinate ground invasions. A dummy bridge structure was located where the bridge would normally be positioned on conventional vessels, intended to confuse enemy targeting while protecting the actual command centre.
The vessel also incorporated holographic projection devices capable of projecting messages in space for entire fleets to witness. These systems served both tactical communication purposes and propaganda functions, allowing Haman Karn to address her forces and project Neo Zeon’s presence during operations.
Propulsion systems
The Sadalahn-class was propelled by a massive main thruster located in the centre of the vessel’s rear section. This was supplemented by eight large secondary thrusters arranged in two blocks of four on either side of the main engine. This configuration provided exceptional manoeuvrability and high thrust-to-weight ratio, essential for both space and atmospheric operations.
The arrangement of multiple thruster blocks also provided redundancy, ensuring that the vessel could maintain operational capability even if individual engine units were damaged during combat.
Armaments
The Sadalahn-class mounted one of the most comprehensive armament suites of any battleship of its era, designed to engage both capital ships and mobile suit formations effectively.
Primary armament
Six twin-barrel mega particle cannons served as the vessel’s main armament. Two were mounted midship, one was positioned on the bottom of the bow, and one was mounted inverted underneath the recovery deck behind the bridge. These four turrets could rotate 180 degrees and traverse vertically to engage targets above or below the ship.
The remaining two twin mega particle cannons were mounted on the port and starboard sides of the vessel, capable of rotating to fire above, below, or forward of the ship. This arrangement provided exceptional fire coverage and allowed the ship to engage multiple targets simultaneously.
Secondary armament
Two large mega particle cannons were mounted in retractable installations within the holographic projectors on each side of the ship. These weapons were protected by armored shutters and could rotate 360 degrees when deployed. However, they could not be used when the projectors were detached and stored.
Missile systems
The vessel mounted multiple missile launcher systems for both offensive and defensive operations. Sixteen missile launchers were arranged in a large multi-tube battery aligned in two rows of eight launch hatches. Additionally, six forward-facing anti-ship missile launchers were positioned on the ventral bow, with three tubes on each side.
Point defence
For defensive purposes against mobile suits and small craft, the Sadalahn-class mounted an extensive array of thirty-one anti-aircraft laser guns distributed across the hull. These included four on each side of the ventral bow, four surrounding each mobile suit launch catapult, six on the aft ventral hull, four on each secondary engine block, one directly behind the main bridge, and two forward of the main bridge.
The laser cannons were housed in domed turret mounts with short barrels, optimised for tracking and engaging fast-moving targets such as mobile suits and missiles.
Mobile suit operations
The Sadalahn-class was designed with mobile suit operations as a primary consideration, reflecting the tactical lessons learned during the One Year War and subsequent conflicts. The vessel could accommodate ten mobile suits, providing substantial strike capability for fleet operations.
Launch and recovery systems
Two launch catapults were mounted on the sides of the vessel, enabling rapid deployment of mobile suits during combat operations. For recovery operations, the ship featured a pair of aft-mounted mobile suit decks: one positioned behind the bridge and another beneath the main thruster assembly.
This configuration allowed for continuous mobile suit operations, with units being launched from the side catapults while others were recovered at the rear decks. The system provided excellent operational flexibility during extended combat operations.
Support systems
The mobile suit facilities included comprehensive maintenance and resupply capabilities, enabling the vessel to conduct extended independent operations. A Komusai shuttle was also carried beneath the bow, providing additional transport capability and serving as an emergency escape system.
Known ships
Sadalahn
The lead ship of the class served as Haman Karn’s personal flagship during the First Neo Zeon War. The vessel participated in major operations including the Earth invasion and the final battle around Axis.
Midalahn
The Midalahn represented a variant of the basic Sadalahn design, built by the Mars Zeon faction during their control of the planet Mars. The vessel incorporated some components from the Gwadan-class, likely due to limited shipbuilding resources available to the splinter group.
The Midalahn served as the flagship of the Mars Zeon fleet and operated in conjunction with the Sadalahn when the Mars Zeon forces supported the main Neo Zeon faction during the First Neo Zeon War.Mars Zeon](/mars-zeon) faction during their control of the planet Mars. The vessel incorporated some components from the Gwadan-class, likely due to limited shipbuilding resources available to the splinter group.
The Midalahn served as the flagship of the Mars Zeon fleet and operated in conjunction with the Sadalahn when the Mars Zeon forces supported the main Neo Zeon faction during the First Neo Zeon War.
Behind the scenes
Akitaka Mika was the original mechanical designer for the Sadalahn-class, with variant assistance from Fujioka Kenji for the Midalahn. The design was created for Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ as Neo Zeon’s new flagship to replace the destroyed Gwadan.
The class name “Sadalahn” is sometimes mistranslated as “Saladan” in certain English sources. The design incorporated several innovative features that distinguished it from previous Zeon flagships, including the midship bridge location and extensive atmospheric capability.
Appearances
See also
External links
- Sadalahn class on MAHQ
- Sadalahn-class on the Gundam Wiki