Mobile Suit Production Numbers

[toysdream]

By request, a fairly comprehensive roundup. Just edited it to add some more stuff at the end.

Information regarding the production run of each type of mobile suit is fragmentary and contradictory, and the claims from different sources vary so widely - sometimes by a factor of ten or more - that it's impossible to reconcile them. The following is a summary of the various numbers that have been published over the years, and I'll leave it to the reader to decide which of them seem more or less credible.

Note, however, that evidence from the animation suggests that the number of mobile suits deployed in major battles is often much lower than you may suspect. During the Zeon assault on Jaburo during the One Year War, only 28 mobile suits make it to the ground intact. The Delaz Fleet launches an attack on the Federation naval review with roughly 40 mobile suits. Prior to the AEUG attack on Jaburo, its mobile suit force is said to number 80 units. The 85 mobile suits of Char's Neo Zeon fleet carry out simultaneous attacks on Axis and Luna II. In all of these examples, major bases and asteroid fortresses are attacked by forces of less than a hundred mobile suits, which suggests that the number in service may be relatively low.

In the following list, I've noted the source for each number.


Zaku Series
Perhaps the earliest claim regarding the production run of the Zaku series comes from Roman Album Extra 42, published in 1981. According to this book, "Production of the Zaku type continued until November of U.C. 0079, and between the early and improved types more than 2,000 units were manufactured." This figure includes both the MS-05 Zaku I and the MS-06 Zaku II series, as well as all their variations.

A much higher figure appeared in Gundam Century later the same year. According to this source, the combined production run of the MS-05 and MS-06 types exceeded 8,000 units.

More recent numbers have fallen in between these two extremes. B-CLUB issue 70 claims that the total production run of the MS-06 series was roughly 4,000 units (versus 3,800 for the GM series). The Master Grade kit manuals, meanwhile, say that the total production run of the MS-06 series was well over 3,000 units, or roughly 3,200 units as per the Perfect Grade MS-06F Zaku II kit manual. Since the Master Grade and Perfect Grade kit manuals put the production run of the MS-05 series at more than 800 units, this would mean a total of about 4,000 units for the entire Zaku family.

As for specific types...

MS-05A Zaku I: According to Gundam Century, 27 units of the original version of the MS-05 Zaku I were used to form the first mobile suit training corps. Later sources such as the Master Grade kit manuals have rephrased this to say that the entire production run was 27 units.

MS-05B Zaku I: According to the Master Grade kit manuals, 793 units of this model were produced, for a grand total of 820 Zaku I units. The Zeon Military File CD-ROM also puts the total production run of the MS-05 series at about 800 units, claiming that Zeon was producing roughly 100 units a month as of the end of U.C. 0076. The CD-ROM also comments that "With the successful development of the new MS-06 model in January of U.C. 0078, a type conversion away from the MS-05 began, and by the outbreak of war half of all units had completed the switch to the MS-06C. As of the Earth Landing Operations in February [U.C. 0079], the MS-05 had already been withdrawn from the front lines. Out of the total production run of 800 units, 112 currently remain in service with various units."

MS-06A Zaku II: 84 produced (Perfect Grade kit manual).

MS-06C Zaku II: 236 produced (Perfect Grade kit manual). The same source claims a total of 3,200 units for the entire MS-06 series, so these early types would account for just 10 percent of the total production run.

MS-06D Zaku Desert Type: According to the MSV series, 43 units each were produced of the single and double antenna types, followed by an additional 28 units of the single antenna type. This gives us a total of 114 units.

MS-06E Zaku Recon Type: almost 100 produced by converting existing C and F types (MSV series).

MS-06F Zaku II: 3,246 produced (Gundam Century). The same source claims a total of 8,000 units for the combined MS-05 and MS-06 series, so this would account for roughly 40 percent of total Zaku production.

MS-06K Zaku Cannon: The MSV series claimed that only 9 prototype units were produced, and all were deployed in North America. Recent video games, however, show a much larger number of machines fighting on other fronts.

MS-06M Zaku Marine Type: seven prototypes ultimately produced (MSV series).

MS-06R High Mobility Type Zaku II: The MSV series established the production run of the original R-1 type as 22 units, noting that roughly ten of these R-1 units were later upgraded to the R-1A type. Two MS-06RP test units were converted from existing F types, and four units of the R-2 type were later produced. According to the later Master Grade kit manuals, the production run of the R-1A type was 56 units, not including upgraded R-1 types. This gives us a total production run of 82 units for the R series, plus two test units converted from existing machines.

MS-06S Zaku II: about 100 produced (MSV series and Master Grade kit manuals).

MS-06V Zaku Tank and MS-06W Zaku Worker: According to the MSV series, these machines were created on the front lines by recycling parts from damaged Zakus.

MS-06Z Psycommu System Zaku: three produced (Gundam Century and MSV series). The MSN-01 is converted from one of these machines.


Gouf Series
According to the MSV series, more than three units of the YMS-07 Prototype Gouf were produced, and internal weapons were introduced as of the third unit.

The Zeon Military File CD-ROM claims that 32 units of the MS-07A type, and roughly 200 units of the MS-07B type, were produced.

According to the MSV series, a total of four MS-07H Gouf Flight Test Types were produced by converting three YMS-07A units and one YMS-07B unit. The fourth unit was eventually remodeled into the MS-07H-4.


MS-08 Series
YMS-08A: five produced (MSV series).

MS-08TX Efreet: eight produced (Cross Dimension 0079).


Dom Series
According to the MSV series, two units of the YMS-09 Prototype Dom were sent to Earth for testing, although a few references to "pre-production types" suggest that additional units may have been produced later on. This may also explain why the MS-09K Dom Cannon featured in recent video games resembles the Prototype Dom.

According to the MSV series, the second of the original prototypes was eventually converted to the YMS-09D Dom Tropical Test Type, and this machine was then tested by the Caracal Corps. As per the second MSV book, "The Caracal Corps was assigned four D type Doms, including spare parts. Two of these were pre-production type Doms which had been converted to D type specifications. Another 30 pre-production and mass production machines were subsequently chosen to become D types, and were converted for use as research machines for tropical combat mobile suits. However, only 20 units were completed before the surrender of the California Base, and barely ten of these had reached the front lines."

The Zeon Military File CD-ROM claims that roughly 600 units of the mass production type MS-09 Dom were deployed, including all variations. This figure appears to refer only to land warfare types, not the MS-09R Rick Dom, but it would include variants such as the MS-09F/TROP Dom Tropen and MS-09G Dowadge. As for the MS-09R Rick Dom, "Zimmad's production lines, which had been producing Zeonic's MS-06F, spent up until late August converting to the MS-R09. A production system was established in September, and presently produces about 200 machines a month."

MS-09G Dowadge: 88 produced (1/144 scale Dowadge kit manual).


Gelgoog Series
According to Gundam Century, "740 units were produced in just two months." The MSV series adjusted this to 738 units, of which 15 were configured as the MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon, although another 122 units' worth of Cannon parts were produced. The MSV series also claims that 25 YMS-14 pre-production units were created, and these are presumably included in the above total.

The Zeon Military File CD-ROM established a lower range for Gelgoog production numbers: "According to preliminary materials from the Principality Forces general headquarters, it is estimated that 180 Gelgoog units will be produced this year. [...] By April of next year, it is estimated that MS-14 production lines will be in full swing and about 800 units will have been deployed in combat, at which point the mobile suits of the Earth Attack Force will also be switched to the MS-14."

Most recently, as per the Master Grade MS-14B Gelgooog kit manual: "Including the pre-production types, 83 units of the so-called normal A type, 67 units of the B type, and 15 units of the C type were produced, and all were deployed in combat. However, these numbers are an average of several sources, and other documents record that 122 units' worth of C type component parts existed as of the end of the war."

These lower production numbers also seem consistent with the 1/144 scale MS-14J Regelgu kit manual, which states that only 67 Gelgoog units participated in the Battle of A Baoa Qu.


Gyan Series
YMS-15 Gyan: 3 produced (MSV Collection File).


Amphibious Mobile Suits
MSM-03 Gogg: about 300 produced, plus two pre-production MSM-03A units (Zeon Military File).

MSM-04 Acguy: about 60 produced (MSV series and Zeon Military File).

MSM-10 Zock: three produced (Mobile Suit Variation 2).


Mobile Armors
MAX-03 Adzam: two produced (Mobile Suit Variation 2).

MA-05 Bigro: 14 produced (MSV series and Zeon Military File), 12 deployed in combat (Gundam Century). Two units reclassified as YMA-06 test types for the development of next-generation mobile armors (Zeon Military File).

MA-08 Big Zam: one prototype completed (Mobile Suit Variation 2).

MAM-07 Grabro: three produced (Mobile Suit Variation 2).

MAN-03 Braw Bro: two produced (MSV series).

MAN-08 Elmeth: three produced (Mobile Suit Variation 2).


Gundam Series
According to Gundam Century and the MSV series, eight units of the RX-78 Gundam were produced. Later sources have usually echoed this claim, although the details of when and where these machines were configured into different versions are far too complicated to delve into here.

RX-78XX Gundam Pixie: three produced (Cross Dimension 0079).

RX-79[G] Gundam: more than 20 completed (Master Grade kit manual).


Guncannon Series
According to the Master Grade kit manuals, six units of the pre-production type RX-77-2 Guncannon were produced, three of which were tested at Side 7. Of course, lots more show up in recent video games.

RX-77-4 Guncannon II: several produced (MSV series). The cover art for the 1/144 scale Guncannon II model kit shows six of these machines marked with individual numbers, the highest of which is number eight.


Guncannon Series
Gundam Century says that eight prototype units of the RX-75 Guntank were produced. The MSV kit manuals claim that after the prototype was completed, seven pre-production units were produced, and units 2 through 4 were tested at Side 7. Mobile Suit Variation 3, however, says that only four units of the RX-75 Guntank were produced. Of course, recent video games have these things appearing everywhere.

RTX-44: four prototype units produced (Master Grade Guntank kit manual). The MG Guntank kit manual claims that one of these was converted into the first Guntank prototype, which had no Core Block System, and the other three were converted into the RTX-440 units seen in MS Igloo 2.

RMV-1 Guntank II: six produced (MSV series).


GM Series
According to the Master Grade RGM-79 GM kit manual, "42 units for ground use were produced at Jaburo as a first production machine. Then, after minor design changes, it is said that by the end of the war 288 units of the so-called second production machine had been produced at six production bases (including the California Base that was recaptured in December of that year)." The recent Ver. 2.0 kit manual adds that "However, some theorize that these production numbers do not include pre-production machines and custom types," and observes that the loss of data during the war and the possibility of unrecorded production sites make it impossible to determine a precise production total.

One alternative figure comes from B-CLUB issue 70, which says that more than 3,800 units of the GM series were produced during the One Year War, including all variations, and that almost half of them survived the war. The same article lists the total production run of the MS-06 series as 4,000 units, that of the RGM-86R GM III as roughly 800 units, and that of the RGM-89 Jegan series as fewer than 3,000 units.

According to the MSV series, fewer than 50 custom machines such as the GM Light Armor and GM Sniper Custom were created by converting existing GM units.

RGM-79[G] GM: more than 50 produced (Master Grade kit manual).

RGC-80 GM Cannon: 48 produced (MSV series), 58 produced (MSV Collection File).


Ball Series
According to Gundam Century, "More than 1,200 units were deployed in the battles of Solomon and A Baoa Qu." This claim is echoed in later sources such as the Master Grade kit manuals.


Core Fighter Series
Core Booster: 16 produced, six deployed in combat (Mobile Suit Variation 3).

G-Mecha: two produced, plus one unit's worth of spare parts (Mobile Suit Variation 3).


Titans
NRX-044 Asshimar: about 20 produced (B-CLUB issue 72).

RX-110 Gabthley: three assigned to Dogosse Gier (MS in Action datasheet).


AEUG and Karaba
MSZ-006A1 Zeta Plus: about 20 used by Karaba (Model Graphix, January 1989).

MSZ-006A2 Zeta Plus: six units converted from existing A1 types (Model Graphix, January 1989).

MSZ-006A3 Zeta Plus: one prototype produced (Model Graphix, January 1989).

MSZ-006B Zeta Plus: a few units converted from existing A1 types (Model Graphix, January 1989).

FA-010A FAZZ: According to an essay in the ZZ Gundam edition of Masterpiece of Huge Arms, written by Gundam Sentinel author Masaya Takahashi, 16 units were created as Full Armor testbeds. Three of these were assigned to Taskforce Alpha, and three more were dismantled to provide spare parts.


Neo Zeon
AMX-003 Gaza C: 250 produced, roughly 80 survived Gryps Conflict (1/144 scale Ga Zowmn kit manual).

AMS-119 Geara Doga: about 100 produced, 82 deployed in combat, ten configured as commander units (1/144 Geara Doga kit manual).


-- Mark

[Rawinder]

Wow, very informative, thanks for doing this! I was just wondering, is there any word anywhere on the number of RMS-106 Hizacks that were built? Or the RGM-79R/RMS-179 GM IIs?

[Destroy Gundam]

I wonder what happened to the remaining eight Geara Dogas.

[MrMarch]

This is some very good information. I've always wondered about some of the production numbers of mobile suits. Sadly, there does seem to be some serious discrepancy between numbers. But at the very least, the differing sets of numbers can provide a minimum/maximum count. And as you say, numbers given in the anime productions can help guide fans toward more accurate figures on the lower end of these sources.

Thanks a lot, Mark. Great work.

[DeltasTaii]

16 FAZZ! Wow. Just wow.

I wonder what happened to the remaining eight Geara Dogas.

There's no remaining eight. Out of the 100, 10 were command types. Also out of that 100, 82 were deployed for combat, including an unspecified number of command types. That leaves 18 of unspecified types sitting in storage somewhere. Some Geara Dogas appear in Unicorn and Formula era stories, but I don't know if there's any real insight as to what that means for their fate.

[Lans]

AEUG and Karaba
MSZ-006A1 Zeta Plus: about 20 used by Karaba (Model Graphix, January 1989).

MSZ-006A2 Zeta Plus: six units converted from existing A1 types (Model Graphix, January 1989).

MSZ-006A3 Zeta Plus: one prototype produced (Model Graphix, January 1989).

MSZ-006B Zeta Plus: a few units converted from existing A1 types (Model Graphix, January 1989).

That was awesome Mark. Small question; is there no mention about MSZ-006C1 Zeta Plus C-1? Or is the C-1 just an upgrade/ converted version from existing types?

[crashlegacy14]

what about the nemo, the marasai and barzam? kinda curious as how the zeta factions matched up numerically.

[toysdream]

I'm afraid there's no hard data on the Zeta Plus C1, or any of the Zeta Gundam machines people are asking about. The best we can do is make wild ballpark guesses.

-- Mark

[crashlegacy14]

darn. one can hope such information would eventually be released. no, a quick question regarding zeta as a whole. I know there was Karba and AUEG fighting the titians (and axis later on) but the titans seemed to have a lot of problems dealing with either faction, where they fighting on other fronts or just smaller then you're lead to believe in zeta?

[toysdream]

darn. one can hope such information would eventually be released.

I don't think that's likely. These days, for whatever reason, nobody who publishes Gundam reference material is willing to invent any new information; it's all just the same old material recycled over and over. I'd be very surprised if we ever see any new background info concerning the Zeta Gundam and Gundam ZZ era.

no, a quick question regarding zeta as a whole. I know there was Karba and AUEG fighting the titians (and axis later on) but the titans seemed to have a lot of problems dealing with either faction, where they fighting on other fronts or just smaller then you're lead to believe in zeta?

Definitely smaller. At the beginning of the story, the Titans are a tiny elite organization with just a handful of ships, so they have to bully the regular Federation Forces into doing most of the work. Over the course of the series, they manage to get more and more of the regular forces working for them - for example, during the first batch of Earth episodes, the people chasing the heroes are all from the Newtype Labs - but this cooperation seems to be pretty grudging. The hard core of the Titans is never really all that big, and most of the fighting we see in Zeta is small-scale guerilla warfare.

-- Mark

[crashlegacy14]

thanks for clearing that up for me, bit disheartening about reference info though.

[Gelgoog Jager]

MS-06K Zaku Cannon: The MSV series claimed that only 9 prototype units were produced, and all were deployed in North America. Recent video games, however, show a much larger number of machines fighting on other fronts.

I had forgotten to ask, but does the MG manual give us any updated info on the Zaku Cannon's production numbers or any other info?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/ ... annon1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/ ... annon2.jpg

[toysdream]

I had forgotten to ask, but does the MG manual give us any updated info on the Zaku Cannon's production numbers or any other info?

Not really. It repeats all the MSV-era info, then adds that since they were seen in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, there may have been additional units or other production sites. But they don't offer any hard facts or numbers.

-- Mark

[Gelgoog Jager]

Not really. It repeats all the MSV-era info, then adds that since they were seen in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, there may have been additional units or other production sites. But they don't offer any hard facts or numbers.

-- Mark

I thought California Base was the only production site on Earth. But if more units were built in space, those units might have been modified to be also capable of moving in outer space, which might explain why we see some Zaku Cannons in the Hario during Zeta.

Back to the MG manual, in the first image there's a date, October 0079, which mentions several amounts, incluiding MS x 10. Can you please tell us what are these amounts?

The amounts are:
x 12
x 7
x 11
x 1
MS x 10
x 1
x 19
x 21

[toysdream]

Back to the MG manual, in the first image there's a date, October 0079, which mentions several amounts, incluiding MS x 10. Can you please tell us what are these amounts?

That scan is actually too small to be legible. (You might want to see dalong.net for better manual scans.) This is actually recycled info from the old MSV books, describing a battle of Ian Graden's Zaku Cannon company in late October of U.C. 0079 with a tally of losses on both sides. If you want more details, perhaps this should go to a separate thread, because this one was originally meant to be for production numbers rather than random battles.

-- Mark