The Yamato-class is an Earth Federation Cosmo Navy warship class. Ships of the class were equipped with some of the most advanced experimental technology available on Earth at the time that each vessel was introduced, particularly in the area of Wave-motion Energy. The class is named for the space battleship Yamato that launched in early 2199. Years later, two other ships in the class, Musashi and Ginga, entered service.
Armaments and Technical Specifications[]
Starboard bow view of Yamato (foreground) and Ginga.
Unlike other ship classes in the UN Cosmo Navy fleet, the vessels of the Yamato class each have notably different characteristics. Ginga and Yamato both have the same dimensions, are both designed to roughly resemble ocean-going battleships from twentieth-century Earth, and are equipped with comparable shock cannon, anti-aircraft gun, and missile and torpedo capabilities. Each vessel can also carry and deploy fighters, and can use Wave-motion Shield and an ARGO system. The ships' respective first bridges and other facilities closely resemble one another, although Ginga's makes greater use of holographic projections.[11][6][12][13][7]
Notably, Ginga is equipped with the same Cosmo Reverse System that had once been built into the Yamato. Although, since being installed aboard the Ginga, the device disables any offensive weapon, it can generate a shield large enough to enclose other ships or to enhance their own shields via Wave-motion Resonance.[14][12] Yamato and Ginga are also distinguished by their reliance on artificial intelligence. Building on Yamato's ability to use an advanced robot to network with and monitor ship functions, Ginga is equipped with a command AI. Originally, the ship's first command AI was used as a terminal for the AI mainframe within the time fault. It continually learned and evolved, made recommendations for action, and could operate all ship functions following a human commander's orders. Under certain conditions, the AI could make decisions without human intervention of any sort.[12][13] After the destruction of the first command AI and the sacrifice of the time fault, a new unit was installed aboard the Ginga.[13][7] The new AI interferes less with the ship's operations.[15]
Although both being classified as warships, the original design philosophy of Yamato as a vessel of war and of Ginga as an exploration craft are reflected in the large observation domes and windows on Ginga's bridge tower and port and starboard flanks compared with its predecessor.[12]
History[]
Yamato takes off for the first time
The Yamato class has its earliest roots in Project Izumo, which proposed building and launching a spacecraft to ferry Earthling survivors of the Great Garmillas War from Earth and out of the Solar system before the planet's ecosystem completely collapsed. As the plan proceeded, an emissary of the distant planet Iscandar arrived with an invitation to take delivery of life-saving technology and instructions to create a wave motion engine that would power the ship for its intergalactic journey. Project Izumo was revised into the Program Yamato and the space battleship Yamato was completed a year later.[16][4][17] The inclusion of two innovations made by United Nations Cosmo Force scientist Shiro Sanada, the wave motion shield and the wave motion gun, saved the battleship on multiple occasions and inflicted devastating blows against the Greater Garmillan Empire and its regime.[18][19][20][21] However, the existence of a wave motion weapon infuriated Queen Stasha Iscandar, who seriously considered withdrawing her offer of help. A pledge by Yamato's commanding officer, Admiral Juzo Okita, to remove the wave motion gun components and to never again pursue similar weapons convinced the queen to change her mind.[22] Nearly ten months after launching, Yamato returned to Earth equipped with the Cosmo Reverse System and restored the planet to its healthy, living state.[14]
Between 2199 and 2202, the second Yamato-class ship, the Musashi, was built.[23]
Yamato and Ginga after their victory at the Decisive Battle off Mars.
Over the next three years, the leaders of the Earth Federation abandoned Okita's agreement with Stasha Iscandar, and proceeded to construct a diverse fleet of more advanced warships with wave motion weapons based on Yamato's design. As Yamato itself was upgraded and re-armed with a wave motion gun, Earth also began pursuing exploration beyond the solar system in a vessel that could more fully carry out such missions--the spaceship Ginga.[24][25][12] Yamato entered the war against the Gatlantis Empire even before its upgrades could be completed, and was eventually stolen by its former crew for a second voyage outside the Milky Way Galaxy that would provide key information for the fight.[26][16][27] Ginga first engaged with enemy forces at the end of the Battle of Saturn. The two battleships were leaders of the successful final counteroffensives against Gatlantis, and survived the war's end.[12][13][28][7]
Ginga during its reconstruction of the Moon
Following the end of the conflict, Ginga led the reconstruction effort throughout the solar system, being tasked with rebuilding the Moon and,[7] by 2207, planet Saturn.[29] Yamato became the flagship of the 65th Escort Corps, and was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Salezar system.[30] In late 2205, it came into conflict with Dezariam,[31] a group claiming to be Earthlings from the fourth millennium.[32] After its return from the brief war, the 65th was broken up, and Yamato was hidden away to undergo modifications. Secretly, General Commander-in-Chief Heikuro Todo intended to turn Yamato, Ginga,[33] and the other ships from the 65th Escort Corps into a special task force meant to fight against a coming Dezariam invasion.[29][32][34][35]
However, when Dezariam first attacked in October 2207, thanks in part to internal collaborators within the Earth Defense Force, Todo's plans were forced to change.[29][34] Ginga crashlanded on the Moon and was captured by Dezariam;[32][34] Yamato continued its mission alone, travelling toward the center of the galaxy to find out the truth about Dezariam.[36]
Ships of the Class[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Official Space Battleship Yamato 2199 website ship data
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Official Space Battleship Yamato 2202 website ship data on Ginga
- ↑ The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Toward a Sea of Stars"
- ↑ 1/500 Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Yamato Bandai set
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Clash! Yamato vs. Andromeda"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Earth, Yamato Is..."
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Official Space Battleship Yamato 2199 website ship data
- ↑ Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Chapter 3 Theater Pamphlet p. 13
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Yamato 2205 Mecha data
- ↑ "The Trap on All Sides"
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 "Heir to the Yamato, Her Name is Ginga"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "Escape from the Nightmare!"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Memories of the Blue Planet"
- ↑ "Begin the Secret Operation! Head for the New Yamato!"
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Messenger of Iscandar"
- ↑ "A Choice for the Future"
- ↑ "Escape from the Jupiter Sphere"
- ↑ "Wish Upon a Star"
- ↑ "Over the Black Light"
- ↑ "One Man's War"
- ↑ "The Distant Promised Land"
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Official art drawn by Makoto Kobayashi for the Japanese blu-ray release of Yamato 2202 chapter 5
- ↑ "Tension – Reach the Embassy on the Moon"
- ↑ "Departure to the Unknown!"
- ↑ "AD 2202 - Revive, Space Battleship Yamato"
- ↑ "Zurvival's Fierce Assault - Find Teresa"
- ↑ "Yamato, Attack the Comet Empire!"
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 "Begin the Secret Operation! Head for the New Yamato!"
- ↑ "Galactic War is About to Begin! Assemble the Yamato Fleet!!"
- ↑ "Save Iscandar! Rebellion of the Young Heroes!!"
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 "Shocking! The Dezarium's Dark Millennium of History!"
- ↑ starblazers-yamato.net CHARACTERS Be Forever Yamato: REBEL 3199 chapter 2 entry for Osamu Yamanami
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 "The Silent Invasion! Ginga, Take Up Your Arms!"
- ↑ "Fire the Starting Gun! The New Battleship Yamato Comes to Life!"
- ↑ "Alphon Infiltrates! Get Back Sasha!"
Japanese language information[]
ヤマト型 Yamato-gata