RGM-79 GM

The RGM-79 GM (aka GM, pronounced Jim) was the first mass-produced mobile suit of the Earth Federation. It first appears in Mobile Suit Gundam.

The RGM-79 GM is a mass-produced mobile suit based on the technology of the RX-78-2 Gundam. Its basic frame is easily adaptable to modifications into mission specific GM models, and has a fairly high level of mobility, for the time, both on Earth and in space. It has a maximum acceleration of 0.94 Gs in space, which is better than the Gundam's 0.93 Gs and roughly twice of the Zaku's acceleration. On the Earth's surface, the GM is also faster than the Zaku II with a top running speed of 102 km/h compared to the Zeon mobile suit's 88 km/h. The armor of the GM uses titanium alloy, a sturdy metal that could be refined more quickly and easily than the Gundam's Luna Titanium Alloy. Although titanium is less durable than luna titanium, it is also slightly lighter which reduces the GM's overall mass compared to the Gundam's and is still superior to the Zaku II's super-high tensile steel armor.

The GM was primarily armed with a beam spray gun, which was basically a downgrade in most aspects of the Gundam's powerful beam rifle. It did have the distinction of being the first mass-produced beam weapon - something the Zeon forces had yet to do. The beam spray gun had a shorter range than the beam rifles used by other Federation MS, but it could still destroy MS in one shot and was just as accurate and had a higher rate of fire and more ammo. The GM can also used 100mm and 90mm machine guns (the latter having less ammunition but a better armor penetration rate), or even the Gundam's beam rifle when required. The GMs can also used remakes of the Gundam's 380mm Hyper Bazooka for heavier firepower. For close quarters combat, the GM featured a single beam saber, although some models had the twin-saber backpack of the Gundam, and a shield for defense. Lastly, the GM had a pair of 60mm vulcan guns mounted in its head for intercepting enemy's missiles, small vehicles or to stop enemy MS from closing in. Early in production, the beam spray gun had yet to be completely mass-produced so most GMs were equipped with machine guns.

From the GM will start the RGM series, that will remain the mainstay of the Federation's mass production mobile suits until the end of the Federation itself.