After learning of the existence of large, aggressive humanoid aliens, a United Earth Government was formed and development began on the mecha by the Robotech Defense Force to combat the alien threat by using Robotechnology obtained from the SDF-1 alien ship.

The Robotech Defense Force was the unified combatant command primarily responsible for the defense of the planet Earth from the Zentraedi invasion of 2009, during the First Robotech War of 2009-2011.

Because of Robotech's unaltered reuse of footage from The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, distinctive signage reading " Robotech Defense Force " or " RDF " never appears in the show, instead reading " UN Spacy " ( the fictional military force depicted in Macross ; the term " Spacy " is an extrapolation of the terms ' Army ' and Navy ' - though some Japanese sources also use the term ' Space Army ' and some English-language sources use the term ' Space Navy ,' suggesting that the term is a contraction ).

In latter-day references, " Robotech Defense Force " has been replaced with " United Nations Defense Force ", but that term is not used in any official references published before the mid-2000s.

The Robotech Defense Force's primary air and light infantry mecha during the war with the Zentraedi was the VF-1 Valkyrie Veritech fighter.

The United Earth Government took precedence among many facets of life, mainly economic and military, and operations pertaining to military preparation and technological advancement of humanity and new military branches were formed, most notably the Robotech Defense Force ( RDF ).

Amidst an urban battle between the Robotech Defense Forces and the Zentradi in the streets of Macross City, The SDF-1 attempted to lift off.

The Robotech Defense forces, led by Rick Hunter, Max Sterling and Miriya Parina Sterling launch a counter attack against the rebel fighters while the SDF-1, under the command of Admiral Henry J. Gloval and with the assistance of his bridge crew, are able to launch the SDF-1 a short distance into the air.

The Robotech Defense forces throw everything they have at Khyron's ship, but they are unable to stop it.

At the same time, and, unaware of this development, the Robotech Expeditionary Force – which comprised most of the Robotech Defense Force and loyal Zentraedi forces, led by Admiral Rick Hunter and Admiral Lisa Hayes with the SDF-3 Pioneer as their flagship – departed from Earth in December 2022 to confront the Robotech Masters in their home star system.

The leader of the ASC was Supreme Commander Anatole Leonard, a powerful military commander who rose to power in opposition to the Robotech Defense Force ( RDF ).

In " rebooting " the Robotech storyline, Harmony Gold has apparently opted to abandon the traditional notion of rivalry between the Robotech Defense Force ( RDF ) and the Army of the Southern Cross in favor of a " United Earth Forces " ( UEF ) model.

Although he is not initially open to the idea, the constant danger to the ship and the city it carries compels Rick to sign up with the Robotech Defense Force, and soon becomes an ace veritech fighter pilot, despite the fact that he is only 19 years old.

* The Robotech Expeditionary Force will defeat the Invid at Reflex Point, marking the end of the Third Robotech War ( Robotech animation series ).

In 2022, all of the remaining Zentraedi on Earth join the Robotech Expeditionary Force ( REF ) on a mission into deep space to find the Robotech Masters and prevent another war on Earth.

After the events of The Macross Saga the Robotech Expeditionary Force is formed and leaves Earth to hunt for the Robotech Masters ; returning during the 2030s and 2040s to battle the Invid.

When the Robotech Expeditionary Force ( REF ) left Earth in December 2022, most of those who opposed these developments chose to go with the REF.

Fortunately, the Robotech Expeditionary Force ( REF ) had long been self sufficient with the help of other recently established extraterrestrial settlements, and was only minimally hampered by the loss of Earth.

Max and Rick would become lifelong friends and would later serve together with the Robotech Expeditionary Force.

In December 2022, Max and Miriya joined their friends Rick and Lisa Hayes-Hunter aboard the SDF-3 as part of the Robotech Expeditionary Force ( REF ).

As a result, abbreviations have changed ; for instance, in Palladium Books ' Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles RPG, references that would formerly have been made to the RDF or Robotech Expeditional Force ( REF ) are now made to the UEDF or UEEF.

* Macross ( 1982 – 1983 ) ( adapted outside Japan as the first part of Robotech ): The alien Zentradi arrive at Earth on February 7 ( February 9 in Robotech ), triggering the devastating Space War I or First Robotech War.

* Rand ( Robotech ), character from the fictional Third Robotech War

* Tirol ( fictional planet ), the homeworld of the Robotech Masters in the anime series Robotech

* SDF-4 Izumo ( also identified as the Liberator ), is the fourth Super Dimensional Fortress in the fictional Robotech universe.

In Macross ( and Robotech ), Minmay is the love interest of the main character Hikaru Ichijyo ( Rick Hunter in Robotech ) and becomes an idol singer and movie star on board the spacecraft SDF-1 Macross.

In Robotech ( the 1985 American adaptation of Macross ), the VF-1 is most commonly referred to as the " Veritech Fighter ", with " Veritech " being short for Variable Engineering and Robotic Integration TECHnology, but the fighter's official popular name " Valkyrie " is used in a few infrequent references.

In GERWALK ( Ground Effective Reinforcement of Winged Armament with Locomotive Knee-joint ) mode ( called " Guardian Mode " in Robotech ), the VF-1 looks like the nose and wings of a fighter plane stuck on " chicken walker " legs with two arms.

In Battroid mode ( called " Battloid Mode " in Robotech ), the VF-1 looks like a fighter airplane folded up to resemble a 12. 7-meter-tall ( 42-foot-tall ) humanoid.

In June 2044 ( at the Battle of Reflex Point ), the Robotech Expeditionary Force's primary ships include the SDF-3 Pioneer, the SDF-4 Izumo, five Shimakaze-Class battlecruisers, 40 + Ikazuchi-class carriers, 200 + Garfish light cruisers, and several thousand VFA-6 Alpha and VFB-9 Beta veritech fighters.

The Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles comic series and the movie Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles introduced the Shimakaze class ( a battlecruiser slightly larger than the Tristar class ), the Crusade-class dropship, and the Ark Angel-class colony ships.

The canonical vision of Robotech includes the three sections of the original series, the feature film Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles ( 2006 ), and the Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles comics that were released to provide a sanctioned backstory to the 2006 film.

With the disruption of the Japanese centers of Robotech research and the military and economic infrastructure of North America nearly destroyed, the defensive capabilities of the surviving United Earth Forces ( UEF ), including the elite Army of the Southern Cross, swiftly degraded from advanced mecha and starships to late 20th century ( i. e. pre-SDF-1 ) technology.

* Carl Macek and Tommy Yune, " The First Robotech War ," The Art of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles ( Stone Bridge Press, LLC, 2007 ), 12-14.

* Carl Macek and Tommy Yune, " The Second Robotech War ," The Art of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles ( Stone Bridge Press, LLC, 2007 ), 15-18.

However, instead of facing the Robotech Masters, they become involved in a long-running battle with both a faction of the Invid led by a male leader known as the Regent, who leads half of the Invid Race.

The end of the First Robotech War led to the first and by far the longest period of peace of the Robotech Wars era, lasting almost 18 years from Dolza's defeat in 2011 to the invasion of the Robotech Masters in February 2029.

In the war's most important battles, the TASC ( including Lieutenant Marie Crystal ) and the 15th ATAC ( led by First Lieutenant Dana Sterling ) inflicted much of the Terran forces ' damage upon the Robotech Masters fleet ( including one of the six motherships shot down by the 15th ).

Although an ownership dispute led to Evangeline moving to First Comics to be continued for two more years, Comico landed a major license in Robotech.

In December 2022, the Robotech Expeditionary Force ( REF ), led by the newly completed SDF-3, departed from Earth on a mission into deep space to find the Robotech Masters ' homeworld.

The surviving humans and Zentraedi must now work together to rebuild Earth from the ashes left by the First Robotech War.

Earth, for the first time in 13 years is now free and the Third Robotech War is over.

Dolza, now with a look of terror on his face, is last seen watching a video of Minmay singing " We Will Win " before the planetoid homebase explodes, with enough force to destroy the rest of the Zentraedi fleet, ending the First Robotech War.

By the end of 2031, the back of Earth's civilization had been broken and its remnants were now a pale shadow of the strong and united world that had existed in the years before the First Robotech War.

The retreat of the Invid ended the Third Robotech War, though it also marked the start of the Shadow Chronicles, the fourth Robotech war between the REF and their former allies, the Haydonites who betrayed and manipulated the REF during the war with the Invid and whom now, with the Invid gone, launch their own attack to destroy the REF and Earth.

It is during the second Robotech Saga that Dana, now an adult with blonde hair ( which she wears in a globe-shape with a black hairpin on the left side ) becomes the main character and the catalyst for much of the action that takes place in the Second Robotech War.

In 2029, just before the arrival of the Robotech Masters in Earth orbit, Dana, now 17 years old, graduates from the United Earth Forces Military academy along with childhood friend Bowie Grant and is placed with the 15th tactical armored squadron of the Army of the Southern Cross, an elite military unit within the United Earth Forces ( UEF ).

The arrival of the Invid was a certainty now and their chances of winning were non-existent as the United Earth Forces and the Robotech Masters had exhausted themselves.

Dana, now age 32, as she appears in Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles.

In December 2022, Rick, now at age 32 and a Major General of the fleet, prepares to join now-Admiral Lisa Hayes on the SDF-3, flagship of the Robotech Expeditionary Force, which is about to depart after eight years under construction.

Rick, now age 54, looks and acts considerably different from the young man in the first Robotech saga. With Lisa facing a long recovery, Rick is promoted to Admiral of the REF.

Rick, now at the age of 54, looks and acts considerably different from the young man in the original Robotech series.

In December 2022, Lisa, now at age 37 and an Admiral of the fleet, takes command of the SDF-3, flagship of the Robotech Expeditionary Force ( REF ) to which is about to depart after eight years under construction.

In the Wildstorm comic Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles, set in 2043, Lisa is still the Admiral of the fleet and, despite now being 58, is expecting her first child, something which Lisa has wanted for three decades ; since she first saw how happy and proud Max Sterling and Miriya Parina Sterling were after the birth of their daughter Dana Sterling in 2012.

To achieve this end, he first seeks to take oust Rick Hunter, now an Admiral, from power, first attempting to ruin his wedding to Lisa Hayes, then undercutting his every command when the Robotech Expeditionary Force begins its attempt to liberate Tirol from the clutches of the evil alien Invid.