TGM-79C GM Canard
Training mobile suit employed by École Du Ciel academy.
The TGM-79C GM Canard was one of the primary training mobile suits employed by École Du Ciel academy along with the older and more standard TGM-79 GM Trainer and the newer TGM-79C GM Cannes. It was also implied that a handful of other institutions similar to École Du Ciel stocked them for training purposes.
Development
The GM Canard was developed as a training variant of the RGM-79 GM series, specifically designed to provide student pilots with hands-on experience operating mobile suits. Despite being a training mobile suit and even less suited to combat than the standard GM Trainer, the units fielded by École Du Ciel saw combat scenarios multiple times against Marie Albertia’s Pirates.
The mobile suit was designed for general training purposes, emphasising internal adaptability and high manoeuvrability, especially in space operations. The heavy armour it sports was specifically designed to take severe beatings from students who did not know what they were doing, ensuring the training units could withstand the inevitable accidents and mistakes made during the learning process.
Model number
The TGM-79C GM Canard model number can be broken down as follows: ‘T’ indicates it’s a training variant, ‘GM’ denotes it as a GM-series mobile suit, ‘79’ refers to the base RGM-79 GM design, ‘C’ likely indicates an improved or custom variant, and ‘Canard’ is French for “Duck”, reflecting the mobile suit’s ungainly nature compared to more advanced units.
Design features
The GM Canard can operate on the ground and in space, and its standard weaponry included a beam rifle, a beam saber and a shield. Its cockpit monitor supports both the standard 120° view of early Zeon mobile suits and the panoramic view incorporated into later machines, providing students with experience in both display systems.
The GM Canards could be remote-controlled by the TGM-79C GM Cannes using a system termed “Synchro Mode” that allows the instructor/pilot to take control of nearby GM Canards during an emergency. This safety feature was crucial for preventing accidents during training exercises and allowed instructors to intervene when students found themselves in dangerous situations.
The mobile suit’s advantages lay in its internal adaptability, fairly high manoeuvrability (especially in space), and the heavy armour designed to withstand training abuse. These features made it an ideal platform for teaching the fundamentals of mobile suit operation whilst ensuring student safety.
Armament
Beam saber
The GM Canard has a single beam saber stored in the right side of the backpack. The beam saber is a small device held in the mobile suit’s hands when operated and is powered by a rechargeable energy capacitor. It emits a blade of plasma contained by an I-Field and can cut through most armour not treated with anti-beam coating.
Beam rifle
The standard ranged armament of many mobile suits is the beam rifle. The particle beam fired from a beam rifle can penetrate almost any armour not treated with specific counter-measures. The GM Canard’s beam rifle provided students with experience using directed-energy weapons, though likely with reduced power output for safety during training exercises.
Shield
The GM Canard was equipped with a standard shield for defensive purposes. This equipment taught students the fundamentals of defensive combat techniques and the proper use of reactive armour systems.
Operational history
The GM Canard saw extensive use at the École Du Ciel training academy, where it served as the primary mobile suit for student pilots including Asuna Elmarit, Erisia Nocton, and Shinn Barnack. Despite its training designation, the GM Canard was pressed into actual combat service when École Du Ciel faced attacks from Marie Albertia’s Pirates.
The mobile suit’s operational record during these combat engagements proved that even training units could be effective in battle when properly utilised, though they remained at a significant disadvantage compared to dedicated combat mobile suits.
As Asuna’s first mobile suit, the GM Canard holds particular significance in the allegorical design theme that runs through Mobile Suit Gundam École du Ciel, representing the “ugly duckling” phase before Asuna’s transition to the graceful MSS-008 Le Cygne (The Swan).
Known pilots
- Asuna Elmarit - Student pilot at École Du Ciel academy
- Erisia Nocton - Student pilot who later became a Titans ace
- Shinn Barnack - Student pilot at École Du Ciel academy
Variants
No known variants of the TGM-79C GM Canard exist, though it was part of a family of training mobile suits that included the TGM-79 GM Trainer and TGM-79C GM Cannes.
Behind the scenes
The TGM-79C GM Canard was designed by Sayama Yoshinori for the Mobile Suit Gundam École du Ciel manga series written and illustrated by Mikimoto Haruhiko. The “Canard” designation serves a dual purpose, both identifying the mobile suit’s French naming convention (reflecting the Canadian location of École Du Ciel) and establishing the ugly duckling motif that would later contrast with Asuna’s eventual assignment to the Le Cygne.
The mobile suit represents the pragmatic approach to military training, emphasising durability and safety over performance, reflecting real-world considerations in training equipment design.
Appearances
Manga
- Mobile Suit Gundam École du Ciel (2001-2011)