ZAFT

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	ZAFT
Organization Type	Military organization 9 35
Affiliation	PLANT 35 47
Occupation/Role	Defense of PLANT and its Coordinator population; space and terrestrial military operations 18 35 47
Headquarters	Military headquarters in April City, PLANT’s capital 21 35
Notable Leaders	Patrick Zala; Gilbert Durandal 35 59 68
Status	Remains active after the war; Mei Hock is identified as a ZAFT commander in Cosmic Era 75 72
First Appearance	Mentioned in Akira’s study of military organizations 3

Organization and Command

Governing Bodies and Factions

Body / Faction	Role and Position
PLANT Supreme Council	Issues military directives and authorizes diplomatic initiatives, including negotiations with the East Asian Republic 40 45.
Supreme Military Committee	Oversees senior appointments and major development projects, including the Starry Sky assault-command vessel 42.
Military Headquarters	Assigns commands, approves deployments, and grants promotions and decorations 12 21 45 46.
Military Intelligence Bureau	Receives and escalates high-priority intelligence, including Akira’s reconnaissance of the G Series Gundams 26.
Zala Faction	Hard-line faction strengthened by the nuclear threat and Junius Seven’s destruction. Patrick Zala emphasizes military security and loyalty to PLANT 15 18 35.
Clyne Faction	Advocates diplomacy and warns against the humanitarian consequences of radical policies. Its members are later persecuted after Siegel Clyne’s death 18 42.
Tad Elman’s faction	Includes Yuri Amalfi and cooperates with Zala’s faction despite political differences 35.

Notable Personnel

• Patrick Zala — Chairman and hard-line military leader. Entrusts Akira with major operations and later orders Genesis activated against the Earth Alliance fleet 18 35 47.
• Gilbert Durandal — PLANT chairman during the Second Alliance–PLANT War. Manipulates the Armory One raid, directs the anti-LOGOS campaign, and rallies ZAFT against Mei Hock 59 63 68.
• Mei Hock / Akira Hawke — Academy prodigy, Silver Wing commander, and eventual major general. His protection of soldiers earns exceptional loyalty; he later opposes Durandal while seeking to spare ordinary ZAFT personnel 10 38 46 68.
• Yuri Amalfi — Supreme Council Defense Committee officer and influential moderate with authority over military decisions and deployments. Sponsors Mei’s advancement and secretly asks him to protect Lacus 35 42.
• Rau Le Creuset — Commander whose forces possess four captured G Series mobile suits. Pursues his own agenda and cooperates with Akira only when their interests align 31 45.
• Andrew Waltfeld — African desert commander whose operations deliberately avoid unnecessary deaths. Later organizes resistance forces supporting Akira against Durandal 33 63.
• Talia Gladys — Captain of the Minerva. Supports the Armory One pursuit and subsequent operations against the Archangel and Orb 59 63 65.
• Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman — Veteran pilots who eventually support Akira during the battle against Durandal’s forces 68 69.
• Shinn Asuka and Rey Za Burrel — Elite pilots associated with the Impulse, Destiny, and Legend Gundams. Remain under Durandal’s command despite doubts about his intentions 59 65 68.
• Natarle Badgiruel — Former Earth Alliance captain recruited as Mei’s executive officer. Councilman Amalfi is asked to formalize her ZAFT status 47.

Academy, Uniforms, and Honors

• Entrance examinations: Test physical fitness, gravity tolerance, engineering knowledge, simulated mobile-suit combat, firearms, unarmed combat, and personal motivation 9.
• Advanced training: Includes terrain-based exercises, squad command, engagements against elite instructors, and graduation battles 10.
• Red Uniform Elite: A graduation distinction earned by Akira at sixteen. Heine holds the same designation; Lunamaria and Shiho later become elite red-uniform squad leaders 10 12 42.
• White Uniform: Worn by Akira upon becoming ZAFT’s youngest White Uniform captain 12.
• Green Uniform Elites: Three veteran pilots serve in the original Silver Wing Special Task Team 12.
• Nebula Medal: ZAFT’s highest honor, awarded to Akira for his contributions at Gibraltar and Jachin Due 21.
• Starry Sky Medal: Awarded to Mei alongside his promotion to colonel following the Victoria Port and Panama victories 42.

Notable Units and Fleets

Silver Wing

Formation	Command and Composition	Purpose / Development
Silver Wing Special Task Team	Captain Akira Hock; vice-captain Heine Westenfluss; three veteran MS pilots; two maintenance soldiers; one tactical staff officer; one medic 12.	Operates a modified Laurasia-class Silver Wing with enhanced stealth and electronic warfare, carrying five latest-model Ginns 12.
Silver Wing Independent Flotilla	Established under Akira with substantial autonomy 21.	Authorized after the Gibraltar and Jachin Due achievements 21.
Nazca-class Silver Wing	New flagship assigned to Akira; Li Bing, Shiho, Lunamaria, and Meyrin transfer into his command 26.	Replaces the Laurasia-class ship with greater speed, maneuverability, firepower, and MS capacity 26.
Starry Sky assault squadron	Four warships and 25 mobile suits, centered on the custom Starry Sky 42.	Created to break the Earth Alliance blockade. Heine commands MS forces; Lunamaria and Shiho lead squads; Li Bing serves as chief helmsman; Meirin handles communications 42.
Silver Wing Guard	Soldiers saved by Akira who voluntarily organize around him 38.	Reflects personal loyalty earned through battlefield rescue and humane treatment, rather than a headquarters-created formation 38.

Other Formations

• Seventh Fleet — Coordinates with the Boaz garrison and Silver Wing forces during the fortress’s defense 45.
• Seventh Mobile Squad — Receives Hawke when he secretly rejoins ZAFT as the ordinary pilot “Gray Raven” 57.
• Minerva and its MS team — Pursue the Armory One thieves and participate in Operation Falling Angel and the assault on Orb 59 63 64.
• Black Knight Squad — Five ACCORD-capable pilots deployed by Durandal with the flagship Gullveig. Their psychic interference can disrupt or control opposing mobile suits 68.

Documented Fleet Strength

Deployment / Period	Warships	Mobile Suits	Notes
CE 71 fleet overview	120 across three main fleets	Not specified	Primarily Laurasia-class ships, with fewer Nazca-class vessels; Ginn Customs form the main MS force 42.
Boaz after replenishment	67	459 listed; 441 combat-ready	Includes 38 GuAIZ units and ten Zakus; the Justicar is listed separately 46.
Jachin Due defense line	150 across three space fleets	750	Ring formation protecting the fortress and PLANT satellite cluster 47.

Military Capabilities

Mobile-Suit Warfare

• Ginn and Ginn Custom — Mainstay units used in academy exercises, covert insertions, fleet engagements, and fortress defense 10 19 42 46.
• DINN — Deployed at terrestrial strongholds and used for mobile, long-range containment at Jachin Due 40 47.
• BuCUE — Used by Andrew Waltfeld’s forces for desert operations against the Archangel 32 33.
• GuAIZ — Elite mobile suit with superior offensive and defensive capabilities to the Ginn. Akira’s commander-use machine receives upgrades informed by captured G Series intelligence 26.
• Captured G Series units — Rau’s force operates the Aegis, Duel, Buster, and Blitz after their seizure at Heliopolis 28 31.
• Justicar Gundam — Purpose-built X-series machine jointly manufactured by the Rhein Design Bureau and Armory One development team. Combines DRAGOON control, improved protection, and ground-combat adaptability 37.
• METEOR — ZAFT-developed support armament for Freedom and Justice, carrying warship-class beam cannons and 77 anti-ship missiles 47.
• Later-generation machines — Include the Zaku, Impulse, Destiny, and Legend, deployed during the renewed war 59 65.

Naval Warfare

• Laurasia class — Conventional capital ships forming much of ZAFT’s fleet 42.
• Nazca class — High-speed warships suited to rapid assaults and MS support. Akira’s Silver Wing carries two large beam main guns, four secondary guns, and multiple launch bays 26.
• Starry Sky — Custom command, assault, support, and deployment vessel. Uses three deuterium nuclear reactors, heavy Phase Shift composite armor, high-speed electromagnetic catapults, and fleet-wide command links 42 45.
• Combined-arms tactics — Coordinate fortress artillery, warships, and MS formations through ambushes, crossfire, flanking attacks, and strikes on enemy logistics 45 46.

Intelligence and Electronic Warfare

• Clandestine networks: Provide reconnaissance cover and covert information channels during Silver Wing’s operations in Orb 15.
• Technical intelligence: Akira supplies photographs, power-core specifications, and weapons data on the G Series and Archangel 26.
• EMP attacks: Disable Panama’s radar, communications, defenses, and most mobile suits before the ground assault 41.
• Covert deployment: Operation Sower inserts concealed Ginn teams through stealth transports and reentry pods, with orders to remain silent until activated 19.

Strategic Weapons

• Neutron Jammers — Repel an Earth Alliance attack before their large-scale deployment in Operation Uranus. The resulting interference cripples nuclear-power use and disrupts communications, warning networks, and command systems across Earth 18 19.
• Genesis — Activated on Patrick Zala’s orders against the Alliance fleet during the nuclear assault on PLANT 47.
• Messiah — Durandal’s late-war defensive center. Its firing trajectories are leaked by Yzak, allowing Mei’s combined fleet to evade the opening barrage 68.

Bases and Installations

Installation	Significance
April City headquarters	Administrative and military command center; site of briefings, promotions, and decoration ceremonies 21 35.
Jachin Due	Central fortress and major staging hub guarding the PLANT homeland 19 20 47.
Boaz Fortress	Outer defensive link between Jachin Due and PLANT; ultimately destroyed by a nuclear strike after ZAFT withdraws 45 46.
Gibraltar Base	Captured with assistance from covert forces placed during Operation Uranus; supports subsequent North African fighting 21 22.
Gate of Endymion	Strategic stronghold captured by the Silver Wing flotilla 23.
Nova Fortress	L3 supply-transit fortress captured after Akira exploits its rear ecological zone 23.
African desert base	Andrew Waltfeld’s operational base against the Archangel and Desert Dawn 32 33.
Victoria Port / Base	Major southern terrestrial military port and staging site for the Alaska campaign; later captured by the Atlantic Federation 35 40 42.
Armory One	L4 colony housing military research, mobile-suit development, maintenance, and storage facilities 57 59.

History and Major Operations

First Alliance–PLANT War

The destruction of Junius Seven strengthens Patrick Zala’s hardliners and pushes PLANT toward more radical security measures. Akira gains influence while balancing contact with the Zala and Clyne factions, recommending military advantage as a means toward a political settlement rather than indiscriminate retaliation 18.

Event	ZAFT’s Actions and Outcome
Early patrol and escort missions	Akira protects civilians and accepts enemy surrender when possible. His rescue of the transport Hope earns the name “Wings of the Angel” 11.
Operation Uranus — April 1, CE 70	Hundreds of Neutron Jammers establish near-global interference. The Sower insertion reaches 89.3% completion, losing two mobile suits but no personnel 19.
First Battle of Jachin Due	Repels Operation Spear of Odin after two days. The fortress survives, but outer defenses and ZAFT forces suffer heavily 20.
Gibraltar, Suez, and Alamein	Captures Gibraltar, then fights costly ground campaigns against numerically superior Alliance forces 21 22.
Endymion and Nova	Silver Wing captures both strongholds through coordinated attacks on command, power, and life-support vulnerabilities 23.
Heliopolis raid	Seizes four G Series mobile suits; the Strike remains with the Archangel 28 31.
Desert campaign	Waltfeld’s forces fail to stop the Archangel. He destroys Desert Dawn’s supplies without taking lives and withdraws from the Tarbeidia ambush rather than escalate losses 32 33.
Alaska campaign	Akira exposes the Cyclops trap and evacuates ZAFT before the base is destroyed, preventing the intended annihilation of its gathered forces 38 39 40.
Panama — May 5, CE 71	Uses EMP weapons, accepts surrender, destroys the mass driver, and withdraws. Recovers 78 enemy mobile suits and over 120 core components without major casualties 41 42.
Loss of Victoria Port	The Atlantic Federation captures the facility intact, restoring its supply route to the Moon 42.
First Boaz defense	Akira defeats a larger attacking force by disrupting carriers, supply ships, and MS coordination 45.
Boaz withdrawal	An attrition campaign inflicts heavy losses before ZAFT escapes the nuclear destruction of the fortress, preserving its core fighting force 46.
Jachin Due nuclear assault	ZAFT and the Three Ships Alliance intercept Peacemaker nuclear attacks. Zala orders Genesis fired against the Alliance fleet 47.

Renewed War Under Durandal

The Junius Treaty produces a temporary cessation of fighting, but mistrust between Naturals and Coordinators persists. On October 2, CE 73, the Armory One theft turns diplomatic talks with Orb into a military crisis; Durandal has deliberately leaked information to lure the attackers and present PLANT as the victim 59.

Event	ZAFT’s Actions and Outcome
Armory One incident	Akira, Shinn, and Rey repel the thieves. The Minerva joins the pursuit, which encounters a prepared ambush 59.
Anti-LOGOS campaign	Durandal declares that anyone obstructing ZAFT’s campaign will be treated as an enemy 63.
Operation Falling Angel	Attempts to destroy the Archangel. Shinn defeats Kira’s Freedom Gundam, becoming a celebrated ZAFT pilot 63.
Heaven’s Base and Orb	Defeats Heaven’s Base, then demands Orb surrender Djibril. The subsequent invasion is halted by Akira’s forces and Kira; Talia orders withdrawal after learning Djibril has escaped Earth 64 65.
Jachin Due–Messiah confrontation	Durandal brands Mei a traitor and deploys the Black Knights. Yzak, Dearka, Agnes, and other disaffected personnel support Mei or avoid fighting him, while loyalists continue resisting 68 69.

Postwar

In CE 75, Mei persuades Durandal and Aura Maha Khaiber to abandon imposed genetic “perfection” in favor of affordable anti-aging and life-extension research. PLANT joins the East Asian Republic and Orb in an equal-partnership regulatory agency intended to preserve peace 72.

Mei also proposes a Pioneer Fleet for people still burdened by wartime hatred. The repaired Gullveig leads an exploration force including the Starry Sky, Archangel, and Eternal, while Kira, Athrun, and Shinn are entrusted with protecting Earth’s peace 72.

External Relationships

• Earth Alliance / Atlantic Federation — Principal wartime opponent. The conflict includes nuclear threats, the Cyclops trap, competition over mass drivers, and repeated attacks on PLANT’s defenses 19 39 42 47.
• East Asian Republic — Initially wary of ZAFT’s strength, later becomes a diplomatic partner after leaving the Earth Alliance. PLANT offers to return Kaohsiung and negotiates nonaggression and trade agreements 16 40 41.
• Orb — Neutral state subjected to intelligence operations, demands for military technology, and eventual invasion under Durandal 15 58 64.
• Three Ships Alliance — Independent coalition that protects PLANT from nuclear attack despite conflict with ZAFT leadership. Silver Wing’s unauthorized assistance to it is concealed through Rau’s intervention 45 47.
• LOGOS — Target of Durandal’s declared campaign; his broad definition of obstruction extends the conflict to forces refusing ZAFT’s authority 63 64.