Technology & Combat Characteristics
As part of its military reconstruction following the One Year War, the Earth Federation Forces began its Gundam Development Project in collaboration with Anaheim Electronics, the goal was to produce new experimental Gundam-type mobile suits. The intended fourth unit in this GP series was the RX-78GP04G Gundam "Gerbera". Its design sought to replicate the high-speed mobile suit assault tactic successfully established by the Principality of Zeon late in the war, in which a single mobile suit was able to penetrate the enemy forces and deal heavy damage as exemplified by the MS-18E Kämpfer.
However, the role of the "Gerbera" was found to have many overlapping elements with its brother unit, the RX-78GP01 Gundam "Zephyranthes" which was upgrade-able for space combat, so its development was cancelled. As a result, Anaheim Electronics was left with a half-completed "Gerbera". The division within Anaheim Electronics that produced the "Gerbera" was created from the Zeonic Company (which still had strong loyalty to Zeon) and was approached by the Delaz Fleet. The division then revised the design of the "Gerbera" to hide its origin, and produced the AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra.
The Gerbera Tetra features a simple armament, consisting of four 110mm machine guns, two mounted in each forearm, two beam sabers for melee combat, and a beam machine gun, a beam weapon with a much higher rate of firepower than standard beam rifles. The Gerbera Tetra can be equipped with an optional stürm booster on its back, which despite increasing the overall mass, dramatically increases the suit's speed and flight range.
History
In U.C. 0083, the Delaz Fleet launched Operation Stardust, an uprising against the Federation. Anaheim Electronics, while supporting the Federation, also offered to support Aiguille Delaz. Vice-President O'Sullivan then gave the completed Gerbera Tetra to Lieutenant Colonel Cima Garahau as a political gesture. During the last stages of Operation Stardust, Cima was killed and the Gerbera Tetra destroyed when Federation pilot Kou Uraki impaled it on the end of the beam cannon of his RX-78GP03 Gundam "Dendrobium", and blasted the suit in half.