Mecha

Mobile Suits
In U.C. 0073, the newly-independent "Principality of Zeon" developed its own new type of mobile weapon to wage war against the Earth Federation. This new weapon, a "mobile suit" (MS) was a humanoid-type fighting machine that could piloted from a cockpit inside the chest. Mobile suits were powered by a "Minovsky-Ionseco reactor" developed by a brilliant scientist named Dr. Minovsky. The "Minovsky particles" emitted from the reactor doused all radar readings; therefore, radars were practically useless in combat. The first mobile suit was the MS-01 "Mobile Suit". Following the MS-01 came the MS-02, MS-03, and MS-04, all of which were just tests to test different parts of the mobile suit. Finally, in U.C. 0075, the MS-05 "Zaku", the first comnbat-ready Mobile Suit, was developed. At first, only a few Zaku's are developed, and tested by the Zeons' MS Training Batallion. The Zeon brass is satisfied with their new weapon and decides to mass-produce it. As the Zeon get ready to declare war, the MS-06C "Zaku II", an improved Zaku, is developed.

Zeon developes many MS during the war. Finally, during the last weeks of the war, Zeon launches the "United Maintainance Plan", a plan that redesigns the Zeon's best mobile suit types with the same cockpits, weapons, and internal components, rendering them easier to pilot. The United Maintainance Plan also makes it easier to adapt to new MS. Most of the Zeon MS in Gundam 0080 are offspring of the United Maintainance Plan.