Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Mobile Suit Embedded Tactical Enforcer, or METEOR, is an armed module originally designed to support the nuclear-powered ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam and ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam. It is heavily armed with several missile launchers distributed throughout its body, a small pair of beam cannons at the sides, a larger pair of beam cannons in front and a pair of beam swords also at the front. With these armaments, the METEOR has the firepower of a warship or even a mobile fortress, and Justice and Freedom can use their "Multi Lock-on System" to target these weaponry at multiple enemy units and attack them all at once.
The METEOR has a pair of powerful engines derived from those used by ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type for high speed movements. It also has its own internal battery, but is designed to draw energy from Justice and Freedom when docked with either units. When not used by Justice and Freedom, the METEORs are attached to the hull of the FFMH-Y101 Eternal, a warship designed to support both Gundams, and can be used as movable gun turrets in this form. Two other METEOR units are later retrofitted with nuclear reactors and Neutron Jammer Cancellers for use by non-nuclear powered MS.
History
A total of eight METEOR units were presumably built by ZAFT, but only six have been accounted for: METEORs 01, 02, 05, 06, 07, and 08.
METEORs 01 and 02 were first used during the First Alliance-PLANT War by the Eternal as a part of the Three Ships Alliance. One unit was used by the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam and eventually destroyed in battle by the ZGMF-X13A Providence Gundam, while the other was used by the ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam to penetrate Jachin Due and then abandoned.
ZAFT also created a variant of the METEOR, the Verne 35A/MPFM Multipurpose Flight Module, which lacks the METEOR's heavy armaments but can be used as a booster for a variety of mobile suits and shuttles. However, it can be equipped with missile launchers when needed, as demonstrated when Jean Carry's MBF-M1 Astray equipped with the 35A/MPFM module attacked the ZGMF-YX21R Proto-Saviour.
In the manga Gundam SEED Destiny Astray, METEORs 05 and 06 are shown to be in Junk Guild's possession and refitted with nuclear reactors and Neutron Jammer Cancellers so that Serpent Tail's battery-powered MBF-P03secondL Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L and ZGMF-1001 Elijah's ZAKU Phantom can use them to protect GENESIS Alpha from an Earth Alliance attack. After the battle, the two METEORs were returned to Junk Guild.
During the Second Alliance-PLANT War, the Eternal was shown to have two new newly built METEOR units, and they were identified as "METEOR 07" and "METEOR 08" on radar. The ZGMF-X19A ∞ Justice Gundam and ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam used these two METEOR units to destroy Station One, the first relay station of the Requiem superweapon, now under ZAFT control. Later, the Strike Freedom used its METEOR to critically damage ZAFT's Messiah mobile space fortress.
In the manga Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge where the final battle of the war was depicted differently, the ∞ Justice and its METEOR headed towards Requiem and fought against the ZGMF-X42S Destiny Gundam. During the fight, the METEOR was damaged and subsequently abandoned by the ∞ Justice as it continued its battle against the Destiny.
In C.E. 75, METEORs 07 and 08 were deployed during the final battle of the Foundation Conflict. METEOR 07 was used by Yzak Joule and his ZGMF-1027M Duel Blitz Gundam to first intercept Hari Jagannath's rogue ZAFT fleet and then to attack the Foundation's flagship, the BCI-183 Gullveig. METEOR 08 was initially used by Dearka Elsman and his ZGMF-103HD Lightning Buster Gundam to assist Yzak in intercepting the rogue ZAFT fleet, it was then passed to Lunamaria Hawke and her ZGMF-56E2/α Force Impulse Gundam Spec II for an assault on the Requiem.
