MBF-M1 M1 Astray
Code Name: M1 Astray
Unit Type: mass production general purpose mobile suit
Suit Organizational Type: Federation Type
Manufacturer: Morgenroete, Inc
Operators: Nocturne Alliance, Earth Federation, Order of the Light, Russian Federation, Intercolonial Unified Coalition
First Deployment: C.E. 71
Accommodation: pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso
Dimensions: head height 17.53 meters
Weight: max gross weight 53.5 metric tons
Construction: unknown
Powerplant: ultracompact energy battery, power output rating unknown
Propulsion:
Performance:
Equipment and Design Features: sensors, range unknown
Fixed Armaments: 2 x "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel CIWS, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x Type 70 beam saber, mounted behind left shoulder, hand-carried in use
Optional Fixed Armaments:
Optional Hand Armaments: Type 71 beam rifle
Technical and Historical Notes: The MBF-M1 M1 Astray is Orb's way of having the force necessary to keep their independence from the Earth Alliance and ZAFT, as well as their neutrality in the war. The M1 Astray is based on the prototype MBF-P01, MBF-P02 and MBF-P03 Gundam Astray units developed on Heliopolis, which in turn are based on stolen data from the Earth Alliance's initial five prototype Gundams. Whereas the three prototypes are later customized by their individual pilots, the M1 Astrays are simple mass production suits armed only with vulcan guns, a beam rifle and beam sabers. During the development of the M1 Astray at Orb's Morgenroete facility, lead researcher Erica Simmons is unable to create an operating system that will allow Naturals to pilot a mobile suit as well as Coordinators. However, with the arrival of the Earth Alliance battleship Archangel, Kira Yamato creates a custom OS for the M1 Astray based on the modified OS from his GAT-X105 Strike Gundam. With this new OS, Natural pilots are now able to fight on a level comparable to Coordinators. The M1 Astrays are first deployed during the Alliance's invasion of Orb, and the surviving units are transferred to space on the battleship Kusanagi. While the M1 Astrays perform well against ZAFT's aging ZGMF-1017 GINN and the Alliance's GAT-01 Strike Dagger, they fare poorly against ZAFT's final mass production model, the ZGMF-600 GuAIZ.