Technology & Combat Characteristics
The GN-XIII is a GN Drive Tau-equipped mobile suit and a descendant of the GNX-603T GN-X utilized by the UN Forces against the Celestial Being. The GN-XIII is based on the GNX-607T GN-XII, the GN-X's successor, and since older models of the GN-X series can be upgraded into newer models by switching out parts, this implied that some of the GN-XIII units are retrofitted GN-XII units. Deployed in AD 2312 as the mainstay mobile suit of the Earth Sphere Federation Forces and the autonomous peacekeeping force A-Laws, the GN-XIII is a general-purpose machine like its predecessors and still relies on overwhelming the enemy through superior numbers even as it is mainly deployed for peacekeeping purposes. With the use of GN Drive Tau-type mobile suits currently monopolized by the Earth Sphere Federation government, the GN-XIII is considered an overwhelmingly powerful machine for most opponents, though an exception is the reborn Celestial Being and its new Gundams, but the GN-XIII still has an edge in terms of numbers.
While inheriting the basic body structure of its predecessors, the GN-XIII has a more refined design, with the GN Particle Generators on its chest and waist, which are for controlling GN Particles, being further miniaturized compared to those of the GN-XII. The continual reduction in size of these devices throughout the generations of the GN-X series is due to mobile suit pilots becoming more familiar with operating GN Drive Tau-type machines that require GN Particles control. Unlike its predecessors, the GN-XIII discarded the specifications for installing the original GN Drive as the performance of the GN Drive Tau has improved to be comparable to that of the original GN Drive previously utilized by the Celestial Being's third generation Gundams. Meanwhile, the reborn Celestial Being has enhanced the output of its original GN Drive to a higher level for its new Gundams. This removal of toxic effect is related to changes to the particles' compression rate. Besides the different colors, the ESF Type and A-Laws Type have identical basic performance. To handle various operations, the GN-XIII has a variety of optional weapons such as the GN Field Hand Grenade, the NGN Bazooka, and its predecessors' GN Beam Rifle. However, an amphibious assault variant of the GN-XIII, the GNX-612T/AA Superbia GN-X, is later developed. According to some sources, the GN-XIII also served as the base unit for the development of A-Laws' GNX-704T Ahead. Even then, some GN-XIII remains in operation with the ESF Forces, and the Colony Public Corporation bought some units (with armament restrictions) for its own use.
History
AD 2312, four years after the UN Forces defeated the Celestial Being, the newly formed Earth Sphere Federation Forces deployed the GN-XIII as its mainstay mobile suit. The machine also served the same role for the autonomous peacekeeping force known as A-Laws. Together, the two forces are said to have around 1000 GN-X IIIs. However, the GN-XIII's deployment numbers were still insufficient, and so older mobile suits were still operated by the ESF Forces.
The A-Laws usually deployed its GN-XIII A-Laws Types alongside a smaller number of GNX-704T Aheads to battle the anti-government group, Katharon, and later, the reborn Celestial Being. The Earth Sphere Federation government eventually placed the ESF Forces under the command of A-Laws to better prevent terrorist attacks by anti-government forces, but members of the ESF Forces who opposed the ruthless methods of the A-Laws came together and form a coup d'état faction. Using the GN-XIII ESF Types, the coup faction battled alongside Katharon and the reborn Celestial Being to defeat the A-Laws.
By AD 2314, many of the GN-XIIIs had been upgraded into the new GNX-803T GN-XIVs. The Colony Public Corporation also possessed several GN-XIIIs, which they bought from the ESF Forces. The corporation deployed three GN-XIIIs to assassinate Marina Ismail, but they were defeated due to the interventions of the CBNGN-003 Union Flag Celestial Being Version. During the final battle against the alien lifeform, ELS, several GN-XIII ESF Types fought alongside the GN-XIVs and other older mobile suits such as the MSJ-06II-E Tieren Space Type.