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Pacific Rim

The Pan Pacific Defense Corps (abbreviated PPDC) is an organization created by the United Nations. The Defense Corps represents an international alliance of twenty-one countries across the Pacific Rim, bound together by the shared goal of containing, combating, and eliminating the Kaiju.

History[]

Following the first four Kaiju attacks in San Francisco, Manila, Cabo and Sydney, a conference was called in Seoul, South Korea, on September 15, 2014.[1] The meeting granted Dr. Jasper Schoenfeld an opportunity to present his idea for the Jaegers, prompting the United Nations to set aside their differences and work together to make Schoenfeld's idea a reality.[2]

The Pan Pacific Defense Corps was founded sometime in late 2014. The organization would act as the primary beneficiary of the United Nations, who would fund Schoenfeld and Dr. Caitlin Lightcap's efforts to create the first six Jaegers with the Jaeger Program.[1]

Although they would encounter problems properly implementing the Pons Systems and calculating the required manpower to pilot a Jaeger, they would eventually succeed with the two-pilot system and subsequently convince the Defense Corps to offer their continued support to the program.[1] Once construction of the Jaegers was authorized, each Jaeger mark was built on an annual basis. Their explicit purpose was the defense of various countries and cities bordering the coastlines of the Pacific Ocean from Kaiju attacks.

The following year, on November 25, 2015, the first of over eight Shatterdomes and headquarters of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps was established in Hong Kong, China.[3] Within the Shatterdome, Strike Groups were assigned to defend their given city or country's coastline with three or more Jaeger teams.

Although not explicitly a Pacific-adjacent nation, the UK was involved with the Defense Corps by virtue of commonwealth ties with Australia and Canada. They also operated a critical oceanic monitoring hub and extensive K-Science research facility on the British-controlled Pitcairn Islands.[4]

Propaganda[]

During the Kaiju War, the Defense Corps promoted their cause, asking for the support of the public through propaganda. They provided those who volunteered for their cause with jobs in the construction of Jaegers and a chance to enlist in the Jaeger Academy.[2][1]

The Defense Corps also advocated rationing to the populace of the Pacific in order to maintain financial stability. Their methods of promotion also included prompting Rangers to make public appearances, raising them to the status of worldwide celebrities. The mass merchandising of both the Kaiju and the Jaegers through action figures and apparel acted as a boon to the Defense Corps, while at the same time trivializing their circumstances.

For the next ten years, the Jaeger Program would rise to a seemingly permanent status of success and victory against the Kaiju. However, they would cease production of the Jaegers in 2019 with the Mark-5 series.[5]

Downfall[]

Unaware of the growing strength and intelligence of the the Kaiju, the Defense Corps were unable to anticipate the sudden string of victories won by the Kaiju in the years following the Anchorage attack in February 2020. The alarming spike in Kaiju attacks led to the destruction of over twenty-six Jaegers by 2025.[2]

The United Nations began working on a colossal coastal wall that would cut the Pacific off from the rest of the world and worked to construct these defenses for the Atlantic.[6][7] The Jaeger Program was gradually phased out; seven Shatterdomes were shut down and any surviving Rangers were retired from active combat duty by late 2024.

The funds once used to support the Jaeger program were instead funneled toward the Anti-Kaiju Wall, as the United Nations were confident that the wall would be a more effective defense against the Kaiju than the Jaegers ever were.[2]

However, their belief in the safety of the Anti-Kaiju Wall was proven wrong when a section of the wall in Sydney was breached by the Category IV Kaiju Mutavore during its attack on the city.[2] The destruction of the wall prompted the PPDC to immediately reactivate the Australian Jaeger Striker Eureka and its pilots, who engaged Mutavore in close combat and ultimately killed the Kaiju with little trouble. However, the Kaiju's effortless destruction of the Anti-Kaiju Wall would spark worldwide protests against the United Nations and the decision to abandon the Jaeger Program in favor of the wall.

The four remaining Jaegers (Cherno Alpha, Crimson Typhoon, Striker Eureka and Gipsy Danger) were relocated to the Hong Kong Shatterdome where they and their pilots continued to defend China's coastline, operating with only eight months of funding granted to them by the United Nations. Marshal Stacker Pentecost commenced an operation independent of the United Nations known as Operation Pitfall, a final assault against the Breach to end the Kaiju threat once and for all.[2]

The mission was successful when the combined efforts of the final two Jaegers, Striker Eureka and Gipsy Danger, proved to be enough to defeat the three Kaiju sent to intercept them and destroy the Breach using Gipsy Danger's nuclear reactor, finally ending the Kaiju War in humanity's favor.[2]

Structure[]

A massive organization, the structure and organization of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps was similar to that of most militaries. The Marshal was the military head of the PPDC and was in charge of all operations concerning Jaeger deployments and liaison with the United Nations. The Secretary-General was the civilian head of the PPDC and was in charge of administrative affairs.

At least two personnel based positions were classified under the rank of Officer and Ranger.[8] Over twelve positions were created under the rank of officer, providing individuals of various expertise to aid in the study of Kaiju biology and behavior, while others, like J-Tech, centralized its focus on combat and supportive positions required to rear academy hopefuls trying become Jaeger pilots and the safeguard of the populace in cities attacked by the Kaiju. Trainees were required to undergo a long and incredibly rigorous semester of training before being potentially recruited as Rangers.[8]

Divisions and Positions[]

Jaeger Academy[]

K-Science[]

  • K-Watch
  • Kaiju Bio-Harvester
  • Hazmat Officer
  • Cryptozoologists

J-Tech[]

  • Weapons Specialist
  • Jaeger Engineer
  • Battle Programmer
  • Neural Bridge Operator

Strike Group personnel[]

Notable Members[]

Officials[]

K-Science Officers[]

J-Tech/LOCCENT Officers[]

Rangers[]

Brawler Yukon[]

Romeo Blue[]

Tacit Ronin[]

Cherno Alpha[]

Coyote Tango[]

Gipsy Danger[]

Chrome Brutus[]

Crimson Typhoon[]

Hydra Corinthian[]

Nova Hyperion[]

Striker Eureka[]

Trivia[]

  • The website "panpacificdefense.com" acts as viral marketing for the movie by allowing anyone to sign up for the Corps, take a quiz to discover their job, search a map for info on Kaijus and Jaegers, and play games as training.
  • According to Travis Beacham, the Defense Corps has its own ranking system. However, pilots who've been recruited their respective militaries can be and are still referred to by their given rank (e.g., "Sgt. Hansen").[9]
  • Pacific Rim director Guillermo Del Toro was uneasy about the overt militarization of the film and decided that instead of traditional military ranks, the PPDC personnel would have 'Old Western-style' designations such as 'Marshal' and 'Ranger'.

Gallery[]

Emblems[]

War Propaganda[]

Recruitment Propaganda[]

Shatterdome Hazard Signs[]

Kaiju Preparedness[]

Promotional[]

Behind the Scenes[]

Misc.[]

Kaiju Blue Sanitation[]

Jaeger Team Uniforms[]

Shatterdome Uniforms[]

Jaeger Academy Uniforms[]

Concept Art[]

External Links[]

References[]

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