MBF-M1 Astray

During the collaborative development of the GAT-X series, the Orb Union recognised its own need for a mobile suit force, preferably superior to anything the Earth Alliance could deploy, in order to maintain Orb's - heavily armed - neutrality.

Most of the advanced technologies the Earth Alliance was providing could be copied by Morgenroete Inc's engineers, aside from Phase Shift Armour, and they constructed three prototypes: the Red, Blue and Gold Frame Astrays. While the prototypes would prove excellent in combat, their shear speed proved too much for most Naturals to handle (exceptions like Lowe Guele, Red Frame pilot, aside). This was, obviously, unacceptable.

Thus was the M1 Astray born. A downgraded version of the standard Astray frame, the M1 also differed in its backpack: whereas the Astray prototypes only used it to store their beam sabers, the M1 had a flight pack as well, giving it some atmospheric flight capability. The M1 Astray's armaments were similar to those of its contemporaries, comprising two 75mm cannon in its head, a beam rifle, and two beam sabers.

Initially, it proved extremely difficult for Naturals to control the M1, until then-Strike Gundam pilot Kira Yamato helped develope a Natural-use operating system for the M1's pilot support computers. Even before this was completed, however, Orb had started mass-production of the M1, reasoning that it would be better to have the mobile suits built and ready to upgrade rather than try and play catch-up in production.

The M1 Astray's combat debute was during the Earth Alliance invasion of Orb, where it acquited itself well, proving superior one-on-one to the EA's Strike Daggers, although the Orb Defence Forces were eventually overwhelmed by superior numbers. A squadron of M1 Astrays were launched into space aboard the battleship Kusanagi, where they formed the bulk of the Three Ships Alliances' mobile suit forces.

Most of that squadron were killed in action during the Second Battle of Jachin Due, however this should not be taken as an indictment of the M1 Astray: the majority of those lost were taken out by a surprise attack from Rau Le Creuset's ZGMF-X13A Providence Gundam, and even had they known of its presence it is unlikely they could have defeated the Providence in combat.

After the conclusion of the Bloody Valentine War, the M1 Astray truely proved its worth: while the Earth Alliance went through no less than four mobile suit designs (Strike Dagger, 105 Dagger, Dagger L and Windam) and ZAFT soldiered on with painfully obsolete GuAIZs, Orb was able to upgrade the basic Astray frame to maintain parity (due to the extensive modularity built into the design) while the MVF-11C Murasame was being perfected.

When the Second Bloody Valentine War began, the M1 Astray had been partially replaced in frontline squadron service by the Murasame, and most of the remaining M1s fitted with the EF-24R 'Rotor Shrike' flight pack, improving its atmospheric mobility. The M1 continued to serve in frontline units until after Operation Fury, by which time the Murasame had finally been produced in sufficient numbers to fully replace it.

There were a number of variants on the basic M1 Astray constructed, made easier by its modular construction. The most notable was the MBF-M1A M1A Astray, a space-optimised version which saw a limited production run. Its main differences were an augmented array of manouvring thrusters, a better atmospheric seal, and a high-powered beam sniper rifle in place of the original's beam rifle. Also, both the Junk Guild and the Deep Space Survey and Development Organsiation developed unarmed non-combat variants, the MWF-JG71 Raysta and UT-1D DSSD Astray respectively.

Record 1398 - vehicle/ship class - Last update 28 Mar 2007, 23:15:48

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