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After reading the movie's novelization and it's other paperback novel, Man, Machines and Monsters, one image caught my eye, specifically this one, this image is in the Man, Machines and Monsters book, so I would think it is canon.

This image is interesting, as it directly contradicts what the PPDC believed in during the Kaiju War, that each Jaeger is designed to combat different types of Kaiju. Every Jaeger is unique in the same way that each Kaiju is unique (in terms of abilities, skills and features). This would mean that the PPDC would only build one type of Jaeger at a time to combat new Kajiu threats, like Coyote Tango and it's back mounted Mortar cannons and now Horizon Brave and it's shoulder mounted Cryo Cannons.

This raises yet another question, If the belief is to be followed stringently as it is seen in the movie and the novelization, why would the PPDC build more than one Jaeger of a specific class/set/specification at any given point in time?

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    The first thing I asked myself when I saw that image was "Is that top crane too low to get over the Jaegers?" But then again my day job is all about cranes.
    – Peter M
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 11:32
  • I would think that the Jaeger in the back has less work done on it when compared to the Jaeger in the foreground, like a production line, especially given the time of the war when Kaiju attacks were isolated events.
    – GipsyD
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 12:29
  • @PeterM Details!
    – GipsyD
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 12:33
  • Economically speaking, it would make no sense to build just one of each jaeger. The up front design and development costs would be enormous, so it would not make sense to invest all those resources to build a single unit when they could use the same design and manufacturing facilities to construct multiple units, especially considering these machines had a very high likelihood of being damaged or destroyed. However, there could be variations between each unit in terms of the final fit out, such as weapons and control systems.
    – user22478
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 20:50

2 Answers 2

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First, while the Jaegers in the image (see below) are very similar, they are not identical. Compare the finished left arm of the one in front with the finished right arm of the one in back, and the hip sections of the two robot; there are subtle differences.

Second, while these two Jaegers have similar exteriors, their weapon systems may be very different. One could spray fire and the other bullets, for all we can see. There may be good reasons to base several Jaegers on variations of the same hull design with different weapon systems, as well as having radically different Jaeger designs.

Why would the PPDC build more than one Jaeger of a specific (or similar) design at any given point in time? Maybe they did that at first, before it became obvious how different the Kaiju were - it is, after all, standard military thinking to mass-produce weapons; and then, this image might be from that period. Or maybe they would decide that having one extra of particularly successful design made sense in case the first broke down.

enter image description here

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  • I feel that the Horizon Brave page supports your conjecture of early models being similar as it states that it is among the first to be constructed.
    – Peter M
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 11:37
  • The way I see you explanation is same, same but different, but still the same :D
    – GipsyD
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 12:31
  • Like I said, I would argue that the Jaeger in the background has less work done on it when compared to the Jaeger in the foreground, like a production line scaled up.
    – GipsyD
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 12:33
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It would make sense to have a backup unit in case there is an attack while the main unit is being repaired.

Since we routinely see Jaegers getting damaged, I'd wager the possibility of them needing lengthy repairs would be anticipated.

Fight in which a Jaeger is getting damaged:

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  • You don't need to include edit headings as we can tell from the edit history. Also if you just leave the YouTube link up it one boxes into the answer.
    – TheLethalCarrot ♦
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 13:30
  • @TheLethalCarrot Thanks for the edit. It is a nice feature that youtube videos behave that way. It would be kinda nice if it was documented in the formatting help though, since this differs from the formatting of links, pictures, etc. Or maybe I'm getting blind and just didn't see it.
    – Kakturus
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 14:03
  • I don't believe it is documented anywhere having had a quick look through the help centre. It's just one of those things I know.
    – TheLethalCarrot ♦
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 14:10

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