Lightwave Barrier

A lightwave barrier is an energy field which blocks both physical and energy weapons. This technology was developed by the Eurasian Federation to protect its asteroid fortress Artemis. This barrier became known as the "Umbrella of Artemis". Later, a mobile suit-scale version, known as "Armure Lumiere", was developed for Eurasia's CAT1-X Hyperion series mobile suits. This system could be used to form a triangular arm-mounted beam shield or a complete 360-degree barrier, although the latter could be maintained for only 5 minutes - an issue remedied by Canard Pars, pilot of Hyperion Unit One, when he equipped his Hyperion with a nuclear reactor and N-Jammer Canceller. The "Armure Lumiere" also allowed the Hyperion Gundams' specialized "Zavasta Stigmate" beam submachine gun or "Forfanterie" beam cannons to fire through its barrier. Lightwave barriers can, however, be pierced by physical blades with anti-beam coating, or by another lightwave shield shaped to have a sufficiently pointed tip.

In CE 73, ZAFT began deploying beam shields, which seem to function in the same manner as lightwave shields. The ZGMF-X42S Destiny, and ZGMF-X666S Legend all utilize this technology, as do the Clyne Faction's ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice, ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom, and ZGMF-XX09T DOM Trooper. However, it is not known if these beam shields share the weakness of the lightwave barriers.