Laser cannon

Luke gunner 01 — Luke Skywalker defends Echo Base using a turret-mounted laser cannon.

_target, maximum firepower.Maximilian Veers

A laser cannon was the standard weapon for use by most starships and other vehicles. The amount of destruction a laser cannon could do depended on its wattage. Cannons on the famous X-Wing ranged from 126 terawatts to 500 terawatts. Turbo laser cannons on Imperial Star Destroyers were upwards of 3,000 terawatts. It existed in a myriad of forms, from the huge versions used by starships, through medium-sized turret-mounted variants, to the much smaller personal cannons sometimes carried by infantry. Although they were capable of causing a considerable amount of damage, they were no match to some of the more advanced beam weapons such as electromagnetic plasma cannons, turbolasers and superlasers.

Description

ATAT-hlc — Chin-mounted heavy laser cannons class-II on an AT-AT.

Laser cannons were the most commonly-used starship weapon throughout the galaxy. They ranged from low-power weapons that were mounted on independent vessels such as freighters to military-grade versions found on capital ships. Laser cannons were more powerful versions of blasters, and followed similar design principles.^[2]

Laser cannons were fed power from a power generator or main reactor. Blaster gas was stored in supercooled and puncture-proof chambers. The blaster gas was energized by a powerful charge in the laser cannon's laser actuator, and the prismatic crystal in the actuator produced the high-energy beam of charged particles. The beam was then fed through the laser barrel lined with galven coils and circuitry to maintain its cohesion before being released from the laser tip.^[2]

The weapons were generally light with a high rate of fire. They were most effective against starfighters and other light vessels. However, laser cannons could not penetrate high-power deflector shields or damage thick armor plating. Laser cannons generated a vast amount of waste heat during the energy conversion process, requiring an extensive and sophisticated cooling system that protected the weapon's internal components.^[2]

The energy beams produced by laser cannons were configured to be visible on the light spectrum as pilots often preferred visual sighting during combat. The cannons were connected to combat computers which worked in conjunction with turret servos to make minor adjustments that ensured accuracy during operation.^[2]

Laser cannons were originally used by starships to blast debris, such as asteroids, out of their way. These cannons were both incredibly destructive and very accurate.

History

Snowspeeder 2 — Two heavy laser cannons point forward on the T-47 airspeeder

Starships, such as the Executor-class Super Star Destroyer, Viscount-class Star Defender and the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate, began using laser cannons as anti-starfighter defenses. These weapons were later engineered to fire beams with sufficient accuracy and power to intercept enemy missiles from long range: the point-defense cannon, mounted on Zann Consortium Crusader-class corvettes, was an example.

Eventually, laser cannon technology was so refined that ground-based vehicles such as the AT-AT could use them. Even some infantry, such as B-2 battle droids, could be equipped with laser cannons rather than personal blasters. D'harhan, a cyborg bounty hunter, sported a laser cannon that had been surgically attached to his body, replacing his head.^[3] Around 4 ABY, Holowan Laboratories created the IG-88 assassin droid series that featured a repeating laser cannon mounted along each arm.