File-03 Orb Mobile Suit Development Overview

Wing Project
Like everyone else in the Earth Sphere the United Emirate of Orb would look into the development of mobile suits after the successful use of the ZAFT GINN during the CE69 Blockade. Unlike the later Earth Alliance who would have several problems with mobile suit development Orb would sport a leg up in that they allow Coordinators in the country along with the superior technology of the nation. This would be started by the organization of the Mobile Suit Warehouse and Development Group (MSWAD) by Emir Uzumi Nara Attha and his top military advisors whose mission would be the development of a mobile suit for the use of the Orb Defense Forces. While Orb was the home of Morgenroete Incorporated the Emir knew if he had Morgenroete develop this new mobile suit it wouldn’t be kept a secret. Instead he organized the MSWAD and staffed with some of the top military and civilian engineers to develop a prototype mobile suit for Orb.

In late CE69 MSWAD would roll out the MSWAD-00 Zero Frame the first prototype mobile suit for Orb but this prototype was only really a proof of concept model therefore they would begin the Wing Project with a goal of developing a true military mobile suit. A few months the first prototype of the project would be finished and would be sent off for space trails. However sadly the prototype along with the entire development team would be destroyed when the shuttle exploded soon after launching from the Mass Driver.

This would set Orb’s Mobile Suit Development back months, and Brian Carter after resigning from ZAFT and returning home would try to restart the project. However by the time he did so the Seirans would make a deal with the Alliance and later the Sahakus would start the Astray Project out from this deal. The Wing Project would then be closed down due to this and all MS Development would be moved to Heliopolis Colony to better hide the project from others.

Prototypes
The main proof of concept model for the later Wing Project and every other Orb mobile suit after it. It would be the sole part of the Wing Project to remain after the loss of the Wing prototype and development team. In late CE70 it would be moved to the MSWAD’s new facility at Heliopolis where it would be used as a prototype for the ORB-00A Vanguard.
 * MSWAD-01 Zero Frame
 * Rollout: July 26, CE69
 * Tested: July 28-August 10, CE69

The first ever Orb Mobile Suit prototype however when the Prototypes was to go through Space Trails, it along with the entire development team were killed when the transport would be destroyed only minutes before being launched into space. After this the entire project would be shut down.
 * MSW-X1A Wing Prototype
 * Rollout: November 9, CE69
 * Tested: November 14, CE69, started but never finished

When Major Carter was trying to restart the Wing Project the team would try to rebuild a second prototype, but it was only in the planning stages and in a simulation when the entire project was shut down in favor of the Astray Project.
 * MSW-X2A Wing Prototype
 * Rollout: N/A
 * Tested: N/A

Astray Project
The Second Mobile Suit Development Project for Orb and the one that would give Orb their first mobile suits. It would be started by the Sahaku family when they learned about the Seiran’s deal with the Earth Alliance to help them produce Mobile Suits. Using the data coming from this new Mobile Suit project the Astray Project was born.

Prototypes
The Gold Frame was to test out new type of Hand-Plugs that could operate other weapons from other nations. It also tested Orb’s and Morgenroete Version of the Coordinator OS System. It would be taken by Orb Nobleman Rondo Gina Sahaku who used it to escape Heliopolis. After this Gina would use it as his personal machine till his death when it was handed over to his sister Rondo Mina Sahaku.
 * MBF-P01 Gold Frame
 * Rollout: January 25, CE71
 * Tested: N/A (To be tested after the G-Project was finished)

The Red Frame while similar to its sister units, was used to test Orb’s latest prototype Natural OS System, as well as the beginning of a dedicated close combat OS system. Like the Blue Frame it would be found by Junk Guild Tech Lowe Guele and after the attack of the Blood Dawn Mercenaries Lowe would take the Red Frame as his personal mobile suit. He would use it for much of his career in the Junk Guild.
 * MBF-P02 Red Frame
 * Rollout: January 25, CE71
 * Tested: N/A (To be tested after the G-Project was finished)

Similar in appearance with the other Frame Prototypes, the Blue Frame would have been tested various optional equipment and weapons. Like the Red Frame, the Blue Frame would be found by Junk Guild Tech Lowe Guele who later hand it over to Serpent Tail Mercenary pilot Gai Murakumo. Gai would use it for many years and would constantly change its load out making it perform better than any other machine.
 * MBF-P03 Blue Frame
 * Rollout: January 25, CE71
 * Tested: N/A (To be tested after the G-Project was finished)

While very similar in appearance to the other Frame Prototypes Units, the Green Frame would test a new Tactical AI Backed OS System. Later it would test a new close combat system. However unlike the first three Frame Prototypes it would not be found by anyone till months after the Battle of Heliopolis by a scavenger who would sell it on the Black Market where it would be picked up by veteran Orb pilot Barry Ho who take it to Junk Tech Lowe Guele the man who found two of the previous three Frame Prototypes, who would repair the machine before handing it over to East Asian Rebel Trojan Noiret.
 * MBF-P04 Green Frame
 * Rollout: January 25, CE71
 * Tested: N/A (To be tested after the G-Project was finished)

Very similar in appearance to its sister units, the only difference is not only the color like the other units, but a whole new backpack unit which is centered around a prototype Lightwave Particle Thruster Unit that Morgenroete developed based on some readings they got from both the MSWAD developed LW/PT-X1 Lightwave Particle Thruster and the PLANT developed LWX1 Lightwave Pulse Thruster. This is the second Orb Mobile Suit to be equipped with such device the first one being the ORB-00A Vanguard G-Weapon. However unlike it sister units it would be found by the Altairan Self-Defense Force Third after they arrived to start retrieval operations for the various lifeboats of the former Colony. It would be brought back to the Republic where it would be studied by a team drawn from Orb's own MSWAD and MarsSec Advanced Weapons and Equipment Bureau which lead to the development of the mass produced LW/PT-P1 Lightwave Particle Pulse Thruster. It would then be assigned to Altair test pilot and mobile suit pilot Yuu Kamija who would become one of the major trainers of Orb's new mobile suit division.
 * MBF-P05 Silver Frame
 * Rollout: January 25, CE71
 * Tested: N/A (To be tested after the G-Project was finished)

Unlike the other five prototype frames, the Mirage Frame was not complete by the time of the Battle of Heliopolis and was officially lost afterwards.
 * MBF-P06 Mirage Frame
 * Rollout: January 25, CE71
 * Tested: N/A (To be tested after the G-Project was finished)

Pre-Production Types
The Pre-Production Astray Zero or better known as the Zeroes were produced on the Mainland using the data from the Prototype Frame Astrays, many of these were test-piloted by Coordinators under the banner of the Mobile Suit Testing and Evolution Unit. Following the testing it would be produced in limited numbers in an effort to start equipping the Orb Defense Forces with a dedicated mobile suit. Later replaced by the production type M1 Astrays.
 * MBF-M0 Astray Zeroes
 * Rollout: January 14, CE71
 * Tested: January 16-23, CE71
 * First Deployment: January 25, CE71

These units where produced before the main M1 Astrays were produced on the Mainland after the successful testing of the Astray Alphas. These were built to work in space and a personal project of the Sahaku family.
 * MBF-M1A Space Astrays
 * Rollout: January 27, CE71
 * Tested: January 29-February 7, CE71
 * First Deployment: February 19, CE71

Only three of these machines were produced and were only built to serve as test-units for Orb’s Natural OS Project. However it would take months to even produce a system that allowed the machines to move at all. Thankfully with the arrival of the Earth Alliance’s Battleship Archangel and its compliment of Mobile Suits provided the Team with the means to finally create a suitable Natural use OS. Once it was finished the Astray Beta Prototypes would be disassembled and later destroyed when Morgenroete Facilities were destroyed on the orders of Lord Emir Uzumi Nara Attha after the conclusion of the Battle of Orb.
 * MBF-M0B Astray Zero Betas
 * Rollout: January 19, CE71
 * Tested: January 22, CE71-March 24, CE71
 * Fate: Disassembled and destroyed during the Battle of Orb

Production Type Mobile Suits
The final mass produced product of the Astray Project and would become the main mobile suit of choice of the Orb Defense Force after its introduction.
 * MBF-M1 Astrays (M1 Astrays)
 * Rollout:
 * First Deployment:
 * Variants
 * MBF-M1C Astray Cannon Type
 * MBF-M1S Astray Commander Type
 * MBF-M1U Astray Marine Type
 * MBF-M1F Astray Flight Type
 * MBF-M1E Astray Scout Type
 * MBF-M1K Astray Close Combat Type
 * MBF-M1H Astray Shrike (Flight Type II)

NOTE: The limited produced counterpart to the Vanguard Gundam that is developed for the use of teams of elite pilots like Omega Squad and Valkyrie Team. While not as powerful as the new Vanguard Raiser Gundam it is still quite superior over the regular M1 Astray.
 * MBF-M2V Astray Vanguards
 * Rollout:
 * First Deployment:
 * Variants:
 * MBF-M2K Astray Vanguards Kai