Shelf Life

Hi, I'm Nemo! You might remember me from Zeta Gundam back in the 80s, but these days I mostly just sort of sit around, watching the time pass. It's not all bad though! In fact, the shelf life is pretty good! Let me introduce you to my friends and family!

[uccalendar]

July 26, UC 0079

In Europe, the EFGF have been pushed back to the coast of the English Channel in the north of France. Zeon's Captain Elmer Snell has been making a name for himself as a mobile suit pilot, widely feared by Federation soldiers in the region as "the White Ogre."

After the Federation's 44th Hybrid Regiment are dealt a serious defeat by Snell's unit, Lieutenant Herman Yandell leads a squadron of Type 61 tanks on a night raid to ambush Zeon forces on the battlefield. Yandell harbours a personal grudge against Snell, and although the tanks are able to eliminate the other mobile suits in the Zeon squad, eventually only Yandell and Snell's machines are left.

As the sun comes up, Yandell manages to get the drop on the White Ogre, destroying the Zaku with a pair of close-range shots – but as he celebrates his victory, a newly arrived Zeon patrol destroys Yandell's Type 61 with a missile, killing him in the explosion.

(MS IGLOO 2: The Gravity Front, episode 2)

[uccalendar]

July, UC 0079

The EFGF's Kojima Battalion is formed and deployed to Southeast Asia, to investigate reports of a hidden Zeon factory in the region. To better engage the Zeon forces, which have been dug in since March, the battalion is equipped with 12 RX-79(G) Gundam Ground Types.

The factory in question is the laboratory base of Zeon R&D's Major General Ginias Sahalin, who is conducting the Apsalus Project – developing a mobile armour that could attack and destroy Jaburo, making up for the failure of Operation British.

[uccalendar]

July 7, UC 0079

The EFF's V Project rolls out the RX-78-1 Prototype Gundam, a close-combat model and the first mobile suit armed with handheld beam weapons.

The Gundam is the crux of the entire V Project, the testbed for the EFF's primary mass-production mobile suit. Although the Gundam’s development is far from complete, the Federation can no longer tolerate Zeon’s occupation of Earth, which has drawn out into a months-long stalemate.

Taking advantage of a wealth of discarded parts from an abandoned design for the RX-78, the EFF add a final mobile suit to the V Project: RX-79, an entire production run of Gundams that will let the Federation face Zeon on more even ground.

[uccalendar]

July, UC 0079

After a long string of setbacks developing its exotic weapons, Zeonic finally finishes production of their MS-07B Gouf.

As word of the Federation's V Project continues to circulate through Zeon, the Principality approves the Gouf over the Dom as a potential replacement for the Zaku 2 J-type, thanks to its focus on melee combat.

However, that same focus holds the Gouf back: Zeon and the Federation have been in a stalemate for months, and with no sign of enemy mobile suits for the Gouf to fight, its deployment is delayed.

[uccalendar]

July, UC 0079

The EFF begin training mobile suit pilots at Jaburo and Luna 2 using Guncannon simulators.

While the Guncannon is armed with a machine gun at this time, engineers working in secret on the V Project have nearly completed compact, handheld beam weapons for their next prototype.

[uccalendar]

July, UC 0079

Zeon forces deploy the MS-06R-1A Zaku 2 High Mobility Type.

It is immediately popular among aces like the Black Tri-Stars, but it is deemed too difficult for new pilots to operate and too costly to mass-produce. Including the ten converted R-1s, 56 Zaku 2 R-1As are built, which become highly sought after among Zeon's mobile suit forces.

[uccalendar]

June, UC 0079

Colonel M'Quve and his colleagues finish drafting the United Maintenance Plan, which is immediately adopted by the Principality. The creation of universal mobile suit components begins, and production lines are altered to accommodate them.

In addition, Zeon's weapons manufacturers begin developing improved variants of their mobile suits that to adhere to the Plan from the design stage.

[uccalendar]

June, UC 0079

The Flanagan Institute is established in Baldur Bay, Side 6.

Sponsored by the Principality of Zeon, the institute begins to investigate the emergence of Newtypes, the theorized next stage in human evolution proposed by Zeon Deikun. Test subjects exhibit heightened reflexes, enhanced intuition, and even precognition – all traits the Principality could weaponize against the Federation.

[uccalendar]

June, UC 0079

At Jaburo, the EFF commission the first Pegasus-class assault carrier, SCV-70 White Base, which began life as SCV-27A before being completed under the V Project.

[uccalendar]

June, UC 0079

To counter the Federation's rumoured V Project, Zeon accelerates the development of new mobile suits, already long in-progress.

Although Zeonic began testing their YMS-07A Prototype Gouf as early as January, its troubled production allows Zimmad to beat them to the punch – after field testing a pair of YMS-09 Prototype Doms at California Base, they roll out the completed MS-09 Dom.

[uccalendar]

June, UC 0079

As word of Project V reaches the Principality, Zeonic further refines the Zaku 2 R-1 into the MS-06R-1A Zaku 2 High Mobility Type.

Ten R-1s are converted into R-1As, including the Zaku flown by Shin Matsunaga, which retains the outward appearance of an R1.

[uccalendar]

June, UC 0079

The Federation Forces roll out the former RX Project's RX-76 as the RB-79 Ball. Though still a humble space pod, the Ball proves to be a useful stopgap for the EFSF before true mobile suits become available.

[uccalendar]

June, UC 0079

Zeon forces complete the defensive line for Side 3, formed by the fortress A Baoa Qu, the Space Attack Force's headquarters Solomon, and the lunar city Granada, occupied by the Mobile Assault Force since the start of the war.

[uccalendar]

May, UC 0079

The V Project produces the RX-77-2 Guncannon, a mid-range support unit based on the earlier, long-range Guntank.

As the Federation's first fully humanoid weapon, it represents a considerable leap forward in their mobile suit designs. The Guncannon also features a strong enough reactor to power beam weapons.

[uccalendar]

May 11, UC 0079

Zeon deploys the MSM-03 Gogg for the first time. It is a fully amphibious design created by Zimmad to replace Zeonic's failed Zaku Marine Type. Produced at California Base, it is initially fielded to the Mediterranean and Gulf of Mexico.

The Gogg is the first Zeon mobile suit armed with beam weapons: the two mega particle cannons mounted in its large torso are cooled by seawater, solving an overheating problem faced by the Principality's weapons engineers for months.

[uccalendar]

May 9, UC 0079

In Arizona, Zeon's 67th Supply Depot is attacked by a squad of captured Zakus –the same Federation unit that destroyed the 128th Supply Point ten days before– just as testing of the YMT-05 Hildolfr is about to be conducted by the 603rd Technical Evaluation Unit.

The Hildolfr engages the Zakus and destroys the entire group, but its pilot is mortally wounded during the fighting. Following orders from Zeon command, the 603rd abandon the prototype.

(MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War, episode 2)

[uccalendar]

April 29, UC 0079

In Arizona, the Principality's 128th Supply Point comes under attack by a squad of captured Zaku 2s, piloted by Federation soldiers masquerading as fellow Zeon forces.

The supply point's lone Zaku 1 becomes the first mobile suit of the war to be destroyed by another mobile suit.

(MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War, episode 2)