Minerva class battleship

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Minerva class battleship
Image:Minerva (Gundam).JPG
Fast Facts
Ship Type	battleship
Class:	Minerva
Launched:	Cosmic Era 73
Ships of Class:	Minerva
General Characteristics
Displacement:	Unknown
Length:	350 meters
Beam:	Approx. 80 meters
Wingspan:	Approx. 270 meters
Draft:	Approx. 16 meters
Propulsion:	thermonuclear pulse thruster x 14
Armor:	laminated armor, unknown thickness
Armament:	QZX-1 "Tannhäuser" positron blaster cannon x 1 XM47 "Tristan" dual beam cannon x 2 M10 "Isolde" triple 420 mm naval rifle x 1 40 mm mutli-barrel CIWS x 12 "Wolfram" M-25 torpedo launcher "Neidhart"/"Parsifal" heavy missile launcher x 16 "Dispar" intercept missile launcher x 16 Anti-beam depth charge launcher x 2
Mobile Suit Complement:	(C.E. 73) (Spacebound) ZGMF-X56S Impulse ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior x2 ZGMF-1001 ZAKU Phantom x1 ZGMF-601R GuAIZ R x3 (C.E. 73) (Earthbound) ZGMF-X56S Impulse ZGMF-X23S Saviour ZGMF-X2000 GOUF Ignited ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior x1 ZGMF-1001 ZAKU Phantom x1 (C.E. 74) ZGMF-X56S Impulse ZGMF-X42S Destiny ZGMF-X666S Legend
Linear Catapults:	Three

In the fictional Gundam universe (Cosmic Era) series Gundam SEED Destiny, the Minerva class battleships are naval space vessels used by ZAFT forces. The lead ship, Minerva, is armed with two twin-barrel XM47 "Tristan" beam cannons, one three-gun M10 "Isolde" 420 mm (16.54 in) projectile cannon turret, numerous missile launchers and a single QZX-1 "Tannhäuser" positron beam cannon. The ship has carrying space for at least 11 mobile suits including the ZGMF-X56S Impulse Gundam. Visually, Minerva resembles a combination of the Archangel and Eternal from the Bloody Valentine War. It is actually designed to resemble the space whale, Evidence 01, which was recovered by George Glenn. The first ship of the class, Minerva, carries the hull classification code LHM-BB01, designating it as both a transatmospheric mobile assault ship (like Archangel) and a battleship, the first battleship commissioned by ZAFT during the postwar era. Minerva is commanded by Talia Gladys, a veteran ZAFT ship commander who was decorated in the Bloody Valentine War for meritorious conduct. Talia Gladys, Athrun Zala, Heine Westenfluss (deceased), and later Shinn Asuka and Rey Za Burrel are members of ZAFT's elite FAITH detachment.

The lead ship, meant to carry the stolen Gundam units, is launched prematurely on October 2, Cosmic Era 73, with the ZGMF-X56S Impulse Gundam, two ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warriors (one painted in Lunamaria Hawke's personal red colors), one ZGMF-1001 ZAKU Phantom (painted in Rey Za Burrel's personal white colors) and two ZGMF-601R GuAIZ Rs. The GuAIZ Rs are destroyed in her first engagement and one of the ZAKU Warriors in her second. When Minerva reaches Earth, one of the ZAKU Warriors is replaced by the prototype ZGMF-X23S Saviour Gundam and one of the GuAIZ Rs is later replaced by a ZGMF-X2000 GOUF Ignited. After Heine's death in the Battle of Dardanelles and Athrun's alleged defection, Minerva's pilots as of the invasion of ORB in Operation Fury are Shinn Asuka, Rey Za Burrel and Lunamaria Hawke.

Minerva is heavily damaged during the battle near Space Mobile Fortress Messiah by the Archangel and Athrun Zala's Infinite Justice. Even though most of the crew survived, the captain Talia Gladys would die inside Messiah alongside ZAFT Supreme Council Chairman and lover Gilbert Dullindal, and ace pilot Rey Za Burrel.

The Minerva is named for the Roman Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare, who was also known to the Greeks as Athena. The ship's main weapons ("Tannhäuser", "Wolfram", "Tristan" and "Isolde") are named after characters from Richard Wagner's operas.

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