Technology & Combat Characteristics
Unlike the GAT-01 Strike Dagger, which is hastily built for Naturals, the GAT-01D Long Dagger is a versatile, high-performance mobile suit created for Earth Alliance's Coordinators and the Socius series of Combat Coordinators. It inherited the concept of the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam and was developed simultaneously with the Strike Dagger. It has the simple structure of the GAT-X100 series (which Duel Gundam is a part of) while sharing more than 50% of its components with the Strike Dagger, resulting in excellent producibility. Its operating system is specified for Coordinators and Combat Coordinators, so it is difficult for Naturals to operate the unit. The Long Dagger's superior performance over the Strike Dagger is in part due to various OS-centered improvements.
The Long Dagger retains the armaments of the Strike Dagger, but has twice the CIWS and beam sabers, and is known to use Duel Gundam's 57mm high-energy beam rifle and shield as alternate handheld weapons. Like the Strike Dagger, the Long Dagger cannot mount any Striker Packs. Instead, it has a set of add-on equipment similar to the Duel's Assault Shroud, called the Fortestra. The Fortestra provides the Long Dagger with extra armor, a linear cannon on the right shoulder, and a 8-tube missile pod on its left shoulder. Although the Fortestra has additional thrusters to offset the added weight, the mobile suit's maneuverability is still hindered when under gravity. Thankfully, the Fortestra is ejectable and will release an intense flash capable of blinding the enemy during the process. When not equipped with Fortestra, the Long Dagger is as agile as the MBF-P03 Gundam Astray Blue Frame.
An early weakness of the Long Dagger is inadequate EMP shielding similar to that of the early Strike Dagger, which is likely rectified after the Battle of Porta Panama. Production of the Long Dagger ceased when its Natural-use OS counterpart, the GAT-01D1 Duel Dagger, was successful developed. Interestingly, the Long Dagger was originally called "Duel Dagger", and the name change occurred as some in the military were against the idea of naming a mobile suit after a unit that was captured by the enemy.
History
With the GAT-01 Strike Dagger's production being delayed by ZAFT's theft of the G Weapons, the Earth Alliance decided to develop the GAT-01D Long Dagger in parallel to fill the gap in its mobile suit force. Two Long Daggers were later stolen by rogue Combat Coordinators, Eleven and Seven Socius, after testings were completed. They wanted to prove to the Earth Alliance that Combat Coordinators are still useful and not a threat. They challenged Gai Murakumo, who is rumoured to be the best MS pilot in the Earth Sphere, to a fight and won as Gai was unaware that he was fighting against two opponents. Taking the head of Gai's MBF-P03 Gundam Astray Blue Frame as a prize, they managed to contact an Alliance base but was told that attacking Gai meant nothing. They were then ordered to attack Gibraltar Base. Before they could attack the base, they were intercepted by Gai and his MBF-P03secondL Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L. Eleven and Seven accepted Gai's request for a rematch and were defeated. However, Gai chose to spare Eleven and Seven, and convinced them to reconsider their goals in life.
Another known Long Dagger, painted in his trademark white colors, was piloted by Jean Carry (a.k.a. "Glimmering Cursed Star J") in the Battle of Porta Panama. He briefly fought Yzak Jule and his Duel Gundam, but eventually Jean's Long Dagger was disabled by ZAFT's Gungnir EMP weapon. Jean however survived the massacre conducted by ZAFT and afterwards defected to the Three Ships Alliance, where he piloted an MBF-M1 M1 Astray at the end of the war.
