In the fictional universe of
Gundam SEED , the (the "
White Base " of the series) was developed to support the mobile suits developed under the G Project. The ''Archangel'' class mobile assault ships are functionally equivalent to the current day
Aircraft Carrier ; their primary mission being to launch and recover mobile suits and mobile armors. However, based in part on the
Orb Union 's
''Izumo''-class Battleship design, she is also a very heavily armed battleship (more heavily armed than either the
''Nelson''-class Warship or
''Agamemnon''-class Carrier ).
''Archangel'' class mobile assault ship was developed to support the mobile suits developed under the
G Project . The G Project, which was initiated by
Earth Alliance with support of
Morgenroete. Inc , developed the base unit
GAT-X102 Duel , heavy assault unit
GAT-X103 Buster , stealth unit
GAT-X207 Blitz , high-powered commander unit
GAT-X303 Aegis and most famous of the five, the multi-mode
GAT-X105 Strike . For this intent, she is equipped with two linear catapults for supporting launches of mobile suits.
Her design is based on
Orb Union 's
''Izumo''-class Battleship . Some elements of ''Izumo''
's design which also used in the construction of the ''Archangel'' class assault ships, are ''Lohengrin'' positron blaster cannons and ''Gottfried Mk. 71'' dual beam cannons. She also equipped with the
Laminated Armor which provides protection against beam weaponry by dispersing them across the entire surface of the armor. It should be noted that the ''Lohengrin'' cannons have harmful effects to the Earth's atmosphere.
Two ''Archangel''-class ships were built during the war: ''Archangel'' and ''Dominion''. In addition, the ''Archangel'' class had a special tender vessel designed for it, called the Cornelius-class. The prototype for the Archangel's tender would later be acquired by the
Junk Guild and modified into the
ReHOME . That of the Dominion was at the Earth Alliance Lunar Base.
Later, after the
Bloody Valentine War ends, the ''Archangel'' was refitted with underwater operation capability, making her almost invincible underwater because most beam weapon (which is main armament of mobile suits and ships) don't work underwater while she can use her powerful ''Valiant Mk.8'' 110cm linear cannon which is projectile based
Railgun underwater. This is proven on several battle later, mainly when she annihilated
ZAFT 's submarine fleet and surface ships fleet at
ZAFT's Invasion Of Orb while forcing supporting
Minerva to retreat. In addition, this capability may also make Archangel difficult to detect.
The ''Archangel'' is a Trans-Atmospheric ship. She is able to enter and operate in an atmosphere and launch back to outer space with the help of mass driver. In earth's atmosphere, she can fly low. Later upgrades on ''Archangel'' after the
Bloody Valentine War ends, enable her to submerge underwater.
At the time it launched, the ''Archangel'' class ship was the largest warship in the
Cosmic Era universe. Armed with two large-bore "Gottfried Mk. 71" beam cannons in forward turrets, two "Valiant Mk. 8" 110cm linear cannons in aft mounts, 16 75mm "Igelstellung"
CIWS turrets, 24 multi-purpose missile launchers (missiles include Sledgehammer anti-ship missiles and Korinthos and Wombat heavy anti-aircraft missiles) and a 16-cell Helldart anti-aircraft missile launcher(located at the back of the bridge tower). However, the ''Archangel''
's most powerful weapon was her two ''Lohengrin'' bow-mounted
Positron Cannons .
The heavy defensive and offensive armament of the ''Archangel'' class combined with the ship's laminated armor made it almost impregnable to all but the most determined assault. ''Archangel'' class ships
' firepower even exceeds most warships on its era, making it difficult to be equalized as pure
Aircraft Carrier , as it features a hybrid of
Battleship and
Aircraft Carrier .
The true power of ''Archangel'' class was hidden in the ship's cavernous hangar bay: Room for up to eight
Mobile Suit s or
Mobile Armor s. Combined with the G-series prototypes, ''Archangel'' was intended to be very nearly invincible. In operations, she was intended to hold the
GAT-X102 Duel and
GAT-X103 Buster , Lieutenant
Mu La Flaga 's
TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero mobile armor, and two
TS-MA2 Moebius mobile armors back for defense while the
GAT-X105 Strike ,
GAT-X303 Aegis , and
GAT-X207 Blitz took the battle to the enemy.
To take note, the ''Dominion'' has similar appearance to ''Archangel'', except she has dark appearance. Other than that, she has improved sensor.
''Archangel'' for most of the time is commanded by
Murrue Ramius . Her impressive capability, mobile suit complements, and crews, made her survived all battles in both
Bloody Valentine War and
Second Bloody Valentine War . Although launched as
Earth Alliance ship, she later become part of
Three Ships Alliance (which later become
Terminal ). After the Battle of Onogoro, ''Archangel'' is formally commissioned to
Orb Union Space Fleet.
''Archangel'' 's first combat action is on 25 January CE 71, where
ZAFT was attacking
Heliopolis , where she was stationed. Due to the ZAFT's sudden attack, her original captain was killed.
Natarle Badgiruel , one of her officers, then managed to activate and launch ''Archangel'' and put her into action. Soon later, ''Archangel'''s command was transferred to Lieutenant (later Lt. Commander)
Murrue Ramius , after Lieutenant
Mu La Flaga rejected the captain role because he is inexperienced in ship's command, despite his higher rank.
With ZAFT stealing four of the five prototypes and destroying the two Moebius mobile armors, ''Archangel'' was left with only the
GAT-X105 Strike Gundam mobile suit and Lieutenant La Flaga's
Moebius Zero to defend herself. After the battleship linked up with Admiral Halburton's 8th Fleet, she took on-board two
FX-550 Skygrasper fighters, which were compatible with the Strike's
Striker Pack s. En route to the JOSH-A base in Alaska, ''Archangel'' lost the Strike and one Skygrasper in combat, and recaptured the Buster.
During
Battle Of JOSH-A , ''Archangel'' was saved from destruction by
Kira Yamato . The event made ''Archangel'' 's crew decided to desert the
Earth Alliance and joined
Orb Union later. In addition, it got the stolen
ZAFT mobile suit
ZGMF-X10A Freedom to its complement, piloted by former Strike pilot Kira Yamato.
At the
Battle Of Orb ,
Athrun Zala with his
ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam , joined ''Archangel''. Both
ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam and
ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam , later transferred to the
Eternal , after the ''Eternal'' joined her and Orbs's
Kusanagi , forming
Three Ship Alliance . At the war's last days, ''Archangel''
's mobile weapon complements were the repaired
Strike Gundam , piloted by Mu La Flaga and the Buster, piloted by
Dearka Elsman .
''Archangel'' severely damaged on the war's last day,
26 September , at the
Second Battle Of Jachin Due . During course of the battle, she destroyed the ''Dominion''.
After the war, ''Archangel'' was repaired, upgraded with submarine-esque capability, and hidden in a secret hanger at Orb. After a failed attack by ZAFT commandos in CE 73, ''Archangel'' left this facility. Its mobile suit complement at this point was the Freedom Gundam piloted by
Kira Yamato , the
MBF-02 Strike Rouge piloted by
Cagalli Yula Athha , and a new
MVF-M11C Murasame transformable mobile suit piloted by
Andrew Waltfeld .
Later that year, ''Archangel'' intervened in battles between the ZAFT battleship ''
Minerva '' and a joint
Earth Alliance /
Orb Union task force near the
Dardanelles and again off the coast of
Crete . After the second battle, six more
Murasame s from the Orb aircraft carrier ''
Takemikazuchi '' defected to ''Archangel''.
However, shortly after the release of the information on the shady group 'Logos' being the true warmongers of human civilization, ZAFT issued orders to destroy the Archangel. Being pursued by a team under Commander Willard and ultimately the Minerva , its mainstay mobile suit the Freedom was destroyed by the Impulse Gundam, and its outer hull was damaged by Minerva's Tannhäuser main cannon.
The ''Archangel'' did arrive at Orb, and was repaired at a secret Morgenroete facility before ZAFT's attack on Orb (codenamed "Operation Fury"). Soon after she was repaired, she engaged the ''Minerva'' once again, but with the support of
Neo Lorrnoke and his
Skygrasper unit.
During the invasion of Orb by ZAFT, Archangel was forced to engage Minerva head on in order to defend Orb against ZAFT attacks. With both ships fairly evenly matched, Capt. Murrue Ramius decided to submerge the ''Archangel'' into the water to break free from Minerva's relentless pursuit (realizing that once the ship was under water, the Archangel was virtually unchallenged in terms of firepower because all the beam weapons from Minerva cannot hit targets underwater). The Archangel then proceeded to fire the ''Valiant'' linear cannons (projectile based) against Minerva which was still hovering above the water's surface. Afterwards, the Archangel destroyed ZAFT support ships and submarines one by one with torpedoes, including Operation Fury's flagship, the
Vosgulov Class Submarine ''St. Helens'', and forced a total retreat of all ZAFT forces.
After the Battle of Onogoro, the ''Archangel'' is assigned to Orb's 2nd Space Fleet under command of
Kira Yamato , who was appointed as the commander of the Orb Space Fleet, and makes its way to the moon for an intelligence mission. After the mission is completed, the ''Archangel'' is joined by three
Izumo Class Battleship s, including the ''Kusanagi'' and head for ZAFT's mobile fortress
Messiah .
At the last battle of
Second Bloody Valentine War ,
The Battle Of Messiah , Archangel was able to severely damaged
The Minerva , by disabling the majority of ''Minerva''
's weaponry. Shortly afterwards,
Athrun Zala disabled ''Minerva''
's engines.
Earth Alliance /
Blue Cosmos Flagship , ''Dominion'' is commanded by Lt. Commander
Natarle Badgiruel (formerly ''Archangel''
's
XO ). Relatively short living, ''Dominion'' was destroyed by ''Archangel'' on the war's last day,
26 September , at the
Second Battle Of Jachin Due .
''Dominion'' carried the
GAT-X131 Calamity , piloted by Orga Sabnak, the
GAT-X252 Forbidden , piloted by Shani Andras, the
GAT-X370 Raider , piloted by Clotho Buer, and a squadron of
GAT-01 Strike Dagger s.
''Dominion'' first action is on
Battle Of Mendel , where she was also battle the ''Archangel''. The
Earth Alliance 's objective was to capture of either the
ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam or
ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam as well as the destruction of the ''Archangel'', in which all were fails. Increasing disadvantage of their forces, made
Earth Alliance retreated their forces. In this battle, ''Dominion'' managed to retrieve shuttle pod, released by
ZAFT 's ship, where
Flay Allster inside, hold data about
Neutron Jammer Canceller .
In
Battle Of Boaz , ''Dominion'' is assigned to guard nuclear missile - equipped
TS-MA2 Moebius es and their support units. In the battle,
Boaz was destroyed.
At the
Second Battle Of Jachin Due , ''Dominion'' was assigned to large scale assault on
PLANT . On this battle, ''Dominion'' was destroyed by ''Archangel''.
