heavy ion cannon

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Affiliation:
  Rebel Alliance

• Manufacturer:
  Kuat Drive Yards

• 

From the Movies

When the Empire suddenly arrived in the Hoth system, the besieged Rebels needed to buy time for their evacuating transports. They used an immense heavy ion cannon to provide covering fire for the escaping vessels. Powerful blasts from the heavy ion cannon momentarily disabled an Imperial Star Destroyer during the early moments of the Battle of Hoth.

From the Expanded Universe

Anti-orbital ion cannons were once deemed militarily useless and an engineering impossibility until perfected by Kuat Drive Yards in the form of the KDY v-150 Planet Defender. The massive cannon, when used in conjunction with planetary shields, proves an effective deterrent against orbital siege activities.

The ion cannon has a very long reach, able to target vessels in orbital and superorbital space. It draws power from a dedicated reactor typically sunken into the ground 40 meters beneath the emplacement. The KDY v-150 is strictly a fixed emplacement weapon, usually mounted on a rotating base and covered by a semi-circular reinforced permacite shell. The cannons are modular, and can be erected in a matter of hours.

Behind the Scenes

The ion cannon design was developed by artist Ralph McQuarrie for The Empire Strikes Back. His original production paintings had the ion cannon control room located within the cliff face surrounding the cannon. The interior lighting was kept very dim to allow maximum visibility of the Rebels' radar screens.