RGM-79 Powered GM is a prototype test machine from Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (1991, U.C. 0083). The Earth Federation built it on the RGM-79C GM Type C as a testbed for the Gundam Development Project, and two units were sent to Torrington Base for field trials, one of them flown by Lt. Dick Allen.
What it does in the story
Both Torrington machines were used to gather data: in a mock battle that doubled as a collection mission, the Powered GM showed mobility far beyond the Zaku II F2 types flown by pilot trainees, without pushing its thrusters to the limit. When Anavel Gato's Delaz Fleet raided Torrington Base, the test machines were pulled into the defence and destroyed in the fighting.
What makes it different
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Its backpack came out of the GP01 programme.
The test unit carried an early development version of the large backpack built for the RX-78GP01 Gundam Zephyranthes. With the knee units, that change lifted thrust by 30 percent over the GM Type C.
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The knees hold shock absorbers with their own power supply.
A pair of new-model shock absorber units with integrated auxiliary power sits on the knees, which is what lets the machine take a long fall and land intact. Dick Allen makes that point about the legs in the OVA, calling out that they handle long drops without trouble.
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It never received a model number of its own.
Because the machine was a testbed, the Federation kept the RGM-79 designation instead of issuing a new one. That is why the number repeats the original GM's rather than marking a separate production type.
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Its shield was rebuilt in titanium-ceramic composite.
The FADEGEL RGM-M-Sh-007 is the same size as the earlier RGM-M-Sh-003 but changes material and makes the mount latch movable, so the shield can sit high or low on the forearm or be carried in the manipulator.
How big is it?
- Overall height: 18.5 m, head height 18.0 m, per the machine's official spec listing
- 1/144: roughly 12.8 cm
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Frequently asked questions
1. Is the Powered GM the same machine as the GM Type C?
No. It was built on the RGM-79C GM Type C but modified for testing, with the early GP01 backpack and the knee shock absorber units. The base design is shared; the test equipment is not.
2. Why does the Powered GM share the RGM-79 number with the original GM?
It was a testbed rather than a new production model, so no fresh model number was issued and the RGM-79 designation carried over. Because the Torrington units were lost and the project was later struck from Federation records, the details of its modifications went with them.
3. What weapons can the Powered GM carry?
Its standard set is the 90mm bullpup machine gun and the RGM-M-Sh-007 shield, plus two head-mounted 60mm vulcan guns and a single beam saber in the left side of the backpack. The 90mm GM Rifle and the HB-L-07 hyper bazooka are optional.
4. Did the Powered GM ever see real combat?
It was assigned to Torrington Base as a training and data-collection unit, and both machines there were caught in the Delaz Fleet's raid. Before that, its only recorded action was the mock battle against trainee-piloted Zaku II F2 types.
Background sources: RGM-79 Powered GM — Gundam Wiki · ジム (ガンダムシリーズ) — 日本語版 Wikipedia
