ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam

Model number: ZGMF-X09A
Code name: Justice Gundam
Unit type: prototype assault mobile suit
Manufacturer: Integrated Design Bureau
Operator(s): ZAFT (Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty); Three Ships Alliance
First deployment: 17 May C.E. 71
Accommodation: pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso
Dimensions: head height 18.56 meters
Weight: max gross weight 75.4 metric tons
Armor materials: unknown
Powerplant: ultracompact nuclear fission reactor, power output rated at 8,826 kW
Propulsion: unknown
Equipment and design features: sensors, range unknown; Phase Shift (PS) armor; Neutron Jammer Canceler; Fatum-00 backpack/subflight lifter, can be separated from main body and remote-controlled for attack or use as sub-flight system
Fixed armaments: 2 x MA-M01 “Lacerta” beam saber, stored on hips, hand-carried in use; 4 x MMI-GAU1 “Sagittus” 20mm CIWS, mounted in head; 2 x RQM51 “Bassel” beam boomerang, mounted on shoulders, hand-carried in use; Fatum-00 backpack/sub-flight lifter: 2 x M9M9 “Cervus” turret machine gun; 2 x MA-4B “Fortis” beam cannon, mounted over shoulders in HiMAT (High Mobility Aerial Tactics) mode; 4 x GAU5 “Volucris” machine gun
Optional fixed armaments (docked with METEOR): 2 x 120cm high-energy beam cannon; 2 x 93.7cm high-energy beam cannon; 2 x MA-X200 beam sword; 77 x 60cm “Erinaceus” anti-ship missile launchers (22 per pod, 12 per arm unit, 9 on tail fin)
Optional hand armaments: MA-M20 “Lupus” beam rifle; shield, mounted on left forearm

After successfully stealing four of the Earth Alliance’s prototype Gundam mobile suits, ZAFT reverse engineered them and incorporated new technologies such as Phase Shift armor and beam sabers into their own mobile suits. With these new technologies, ZAFT also built several Gundams of their own under the direction of Supreme Council Chairman Patrick Zala. Unlike previous Gundam designs, these new units featured a dangerous new technology: the N-Jammer Canceler. ZAFT originally developed the N-Jammer to prevent the Alliance from using nuclear weapons, but this also meant that mobile suits had to be powered by short life batteries. By creating the N-Jammer Canceler, a mobile suit could use a nuclear fission reactor and function for a nearly unlimited amount of time, even with Phase Shift armor activated. Unfortunately, the N-Jammer Canceler technology proved to be a Pandora’s Box that fell into the wrong hands.

The ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam was one of the new Gundams built by ZAFT. The main feature of this mobile suit was the Fatum-00 backpack, which also doubled as a sub-flight system operable in space or on Earth. The Fatum-00 could also be operated via remote control and used as a separate attack unit in battle. The Justice Gundam’s main armaments were stored on the backpack, but a pair of vulcan guns, beam sabers and beam boomerangs were located on the main body. Armaments on the backpack included various machine guns and a pair of beam cannons for use in HiMAT (High Mobility Aerial Tactics) mode. In addition to these armaments, the Justice Gundam was capable of using something far more powerful: the METEOR support system. This mobile weapons platform was designed specifically for use by the Justice Gundam and ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam and was stored aboard the support ship Eternal. By using the METEOR, the Justice Gundam could deliver a blitzkrieg attack utilizing various cannons, missile launchers and with two long beam swords.

The Justice Gundam was deployed in May C.E. 71 by Athrun Zala under orders from his father, Patrick, to locate or destroy the stolen Freedom Gundam. However, after locating the Freedom Gundam, Athrun decided to switch sides and join his old friend and former enemy Kira Yamato. Athrun joined the battle against the Alliance at Orb, and after the collapse of the neutral nation he went into space with the Archangel and the Orb ship Kusanagi. There, Athrun was joined by Lacus Clyne and her supporters, who stole the Eternal and its two METEOR units. With the powerful METEOR, Athrun was able to prevent the PLANTs from being destroyed by nuclear missiles and also destroyed the GAT-X131 Calamity Gundam. At the war’s end, Athrun self-detonated the Justice Gundam within the massive laser cannon GENESIS to destroy it, but he was rescued by Cagalli Yula Athha’s MBF-02+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Rouge. Three years later, Athrun piloted the upgraded successor ZGMF-X19A ∞ Justice Gundam during the Second Bloody Valentine War.

Pilot: Athrun Zala
First appearance: Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
Original mechanical designer: Kunio Okawara

Rear view