Inconsistencies on Cosmic Era ships

[Erisie]

According to MAHQ, the Mobile Suit Gundam Ship & Aircraft Encyclopedia (2nd Edition) artbook, plus a number of online and printed sources, ZAFT's Laurasia and Nazca-class are equipped with Vertical Launch Systems (in layman's terms, multiple missile launchers). When you analyze the lineart, however, said VLS are nowhere to be found in the Laurasia-class. The Nazcas, meanwhile, have neither the VLS nor the CIWS they're supposedly equipped with.

(lineart comes from the Cosmic Era Mechanic & World artbook, edited by me. Automated translation, which I tried to copy-edit into something legible).

The Japanese Wikipedia article on the Cosmic Era's vehicles has the official weapon stats. HOWEVER, there's a footnote in the article. The key part reads:

「体のどの部分なのか定かでないため、存在自体が疑わしく誤植の可能性が高い。」

"Since it is not clear on which part of the hull it is located, its very existence is doubtful, with a high possibility of this being a typographical error."

I would've thought that the circles on the sides of the Nazca-class might be the VLS, but those look more like airlocks for MS than any sort of weapon.

Another inconsistency is the huge size difference between the Laurasia's railgun turrets. According to the specs, they are all supposed to be of the same caliber (450mm), yet the centerline turret looks considerably larger.

[Dark Duel]

I can't speak for the Laurasia-class personally, but on the Nazca-class there is a small rectangular box aft of the superstructure on the central section - I always assumed that was the VLS. As for the CIWS, I have no idea.

[MythSearcher]

I always find it strange to have VLS in spaceships.
I mean, what's the difference of a VLS and a torpedo launch tube when you simply don't have a direction as up? (Or, in Atomic Rocket terms, the main thrusters side is down)

For the guns, same calibre, different length?

[Erisie]

I always find it strange to have VLS in spaceships.
I mean, what's the difference of a VLS and a torpedo launch tube when you simply don't have a direction as up? (Or, in Atomic Rocket terms, the main thrusters side is down)

Unlike a torpedo tube which only holds a single self-propelled projectile at a time, a Vertical Launch System carries several missiles in its cells.

As for semantics, it's probably a holdover term from the wet navy. The Battlestar Galactica remake did it all the time: Apollo was Commander Air Group, despite being in space. Even the term "torpedo" is the name of a fish genus.

[BrentD15]

To be honest, the Cosmic Era is just full of inconsistencies and contrivances.

[Zeonista]

After increasing the image focus on the indicated Laurasia-class ship, and checking the colored lineart, I think the missile launchers are mounted under the railgun turrets. If so, they look like old UC-style individual missile launchers. Was something not cleared with the mecha design staff?

As for the Nazca-class, the official lineart looks rather bare, as if it was an intial rough design that was submitted for display.

[Deacon Blues]

For what it's worth, the Gundam Perfect File doesn't list these dubious weapons as a part of the armaments for the ships. There is nothing in the Ship & Aircraft Encyclopedia specs for the Nazca-class saying anything about a VLS. If I had to guess about the VLS, I'd say they're the four opening on either side of the wings right below the two cannons. As for the 6 CIWS, I'd say those are the three pods on either side right below the row of 4.

Where exactly are your sources for this? The Cosmic Era book doesn't have those weird specs in them either.

[Erisie]

Where exactly are your sources for this? The Cosmic Era book doesn't have those weird specs in them either.

The Japanese Wikipedia and our very own profiles on Mecha and Anime Headquarters.

EDIT: Japanese Wikipedia cites two books as sources:

『僕たちの好きなガンダムSEED 全モビルスーツ&メカニック徹底解析編』 (Gundam SEED All Mobile Suit & Mechanic Analysis Edition, Takarajima, September 2007, ISBN 978-4796661072)

『パーフェクト・アーカイブ・シリーズ3 機動戦士ガンダムSEED』 (Perfect Archive Series 3 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Takeshobo, March 2006, ISBN 978-4812426593)

[Deacon Blues]

Considering they don't really jive with current publications, I think it's safe to say both MAHQ and the Wiki (which shouldn't be taken as the be all end all anyways) are outdated.