Why did the Republic expect the Gungan Grand Army to be of significant help at Mon Calamari?

Question

Granted, the GAR has no available forces close enough to Mon Calamari to provide reinforcements on time, and that is why the GGA were called upon for help - they were the nearest army trained for amphibious warfare available to turn the tide at the Battle of Mon Calamari.

However, the GGA did not fare well against the Trade Federation's armies 10 years ago. Now, they may be fighting in their element but they are also facing the entire Separatist Alliance and a fellow amphibious species, the Quarren.

The Republic did not seem to perceive the GGA as merely a means to stalling for time until further reinforcements arrive - they were all the help that could come. Considering the points raised above, why did it seem that the Republic believed the GGA adequate for the job of turning the tide and winning the day?

Answer 1

First, the Gungan army was far from incompetent in combat, despite how they may have been portrayed in the Phantom Menace. I do not have direct evidence from the novelisation, but it can be clearly seen in Episode I that the Gungans are facing massively overwhelming numbers - alone, and while they certainly would have lost were the Droid Control Ship not destroyed, they imparted significant losses to the Droid Army.

That brings me to the next point. The Gungans were reinforcing the remaining Mon Calamari forces. They were not fighting alone, and they also had the assistance of three Jedi (Kit Fisto, Anakin Skywalker, and Ahsoka Tano). Separatist forces, though winning at the time the Gungans arrived, had no doubt suffered significant losses themselves and, from this clip, it sounds like forces were spread somewhat thin.

Also, adding a consideration from your post - The Gungans were particularly well suited to amphibious warfare, as compared to the land battle they fought against the Trade Federation ten years prior.