Garuda class transport plane Gundam

The Garuda-class mobile suit (MS) transport plane is a massive airplane designed to carry a large number of mobile suits, accompanying support Base Jabber and Dodai Kai subflight vehicles, and if need be can used to carry hundreds of personnel. The Garuda class bears a passing resemblance to Zeon's Gaw Atmospheric Attack Carrier, which is its likely descendant considering how the Earth Federation was in the habit of studying and improving various technologies employed by the Principality of Zeon during the One Year War.

At 317 meters in length the Garuda class was longer than the Salamis-class cruiser, though not nearly as well armed with only 10 laser guns and several missile launchers. Likely its mass is the reason for its speed, needing several days to cross the North American continent and Pacific ocean. However despite it relatively light armament and slow speed, attacking a Garuda is difficult unless thoroughly prepared. That is because of the twenty mobile suits it carries and subflight craft that allows the Garuda to launch its own aerial defense force. The Garuda class lacks VTOL capabilities, requiring the need to build up speed in order to take-off, and a corresponding decrease to land. However the Garuda can use either a runway on land or the ocean.