Positron Blaster Cannons (陽電子破城砲 Yōdenshi Hajō-hō?) are highly powerful energy weapons used in the Cosmic Era, introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
Technical Information[]
A positron cannon fires beams of positrons, the antimatter equivalent of electrons. When such a beam comes into contact with an object, the positrons and electrons annihilate each other, which in turn causes the target to break apart on a molecular level. A side effect of this process is a burst of highly lethal gamma radiation, which causes further damage. Due to this fact, these cannons are usually used only in space, since use of them inside Earth's atmosphere would cause great damage to the surrounding area. Later generation positron cannons are able to be used without the side-effects of radioactive pollution.
Positronic Interference[]
Positronic interference is a side effect of firing a positron blaster cannon within Earth's atmosphere that can be used to launch a large vessel into space without use of a Mass Driver. If positron blasters are fired while a ship is in flight, they can produce a cone of positrons that literally disintegrate the atmosphere in front of the ship, eliminating air resistance and allowing it to achieve greater velocity without the risk of burning up in the earth's atmosphere.
By C.E.75, Positron Interference is also used to allow smaller craft like mobile suits to exit into Earth orbit by having larger Positron Cannon-equipped ships create the effect for the smaller craft to use.
Users[]
Usually, positron cannons are mounted as the main guns of some large warships. Among such ships are the Earth Alliance's Archangel-class assault ships, the Orb Union's Izumo-class battleships, ZAFT's battleship Minerva and the Junk Guild's Re.H.O.M.E.. These guns are usually given names, with the Earth Alliance and Orb calling their cannons "Lohengrin", while the Minerva's gun is named "Tannhäuser".
Besides ships, at least one Earth Alliance fortification on the Arabian Peninsula has been equipped with a stationary "Lohengrin" cannon. Also the MBF-P03 Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L can be equipped with a miniaturized "Lohengrin", which is the size of a large mobile suit bazooka. However to use it the suit needs access to a nuclear reactor and a Neutron Jammer Canceller which it doesn't possess.
History[]
It is unknown which party created the positron blaster cannons first, although it is known that the first ships using these weapons were the ships of Orb and the Earth Alliance. Orb installed such cannons on their Izumo-class ships, while the EA first used them on the Archangel-class and the Cornelius-class. All three ship classes use the same configuration of two "Lohengrin" cannons. During the First Alliance-PLANT War, only Orb and the EA made use of positron cannons with ZAFT, due to unknown means, hadn't created their own version yet. It was also during this war that the Archangel used the effect of the positronic interference to escape the invasion of Orb through the EA and head into space.[1]
The EA also installed a "Lohengrin" cannon near the Gulnahan Ravine, which was part of the powerful Lohengrin Gate, a bridgehead to maintain control of Eurasia.[2] The cannon was protected by the prototype Mobile Armor, the YMAG-X7F Gells-Ghe and a small army of GAT-02L2 Dagger Ls. Although at first being capable of destroying all ZAFT forces which try to destroy the gate, it was eventually destroyed by the Minerva and its mobile suits.[3]
In C.E. 73, the newest ZAFT battleship LHM-BB01 Minerva was the first ZAFT vessel to use a positron cannon. Called "Tannhäuser", the Minerva mounted a single cannon which is used among others to shatter the massive fragment of Junius Seven during the "Break The World" Incident.[4] During the Battle of Dardanelles, while fighting against the joint Orb/EA forces, the cannon was destroyed by the ZGMF-X10A Freedom to prevent it from firing on the enemy fleet, causing great damage to the ship.[5]
The mercenary group Serpent Tail somehow acquired a "Lohengrin" cannon which is the size of a large bazooka and can be installed on MBF-P03 Astray Blue Frame 2nd L. However due to the high energy requirements of the cannon it is rarely used although Gai Murakumo used the cannon to destroy the prototype EA mobile armor TSX-MA717/ZD Pergrande by bringing its nuclear reactor near the N-Jammer Canceller of the mobile armor, allowing the Blue Frame to use its cannon.
Notes & Trivia[]
Appearances[]
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
- PHASE-02, Its Name: Gundam
- First Appearance
- PHASE-04, Silent Run
- PHASE-05, Phase Shift Down
- PHASE-09, The Fading Light
- Mentioned only
- PHASE-13, Stars Falling in Space
- Mentioned only
- PHASE-21, Beyond the Clouds of Sand
- Mentioned only
- PHASE-40, Into the Dawn Skies
- PHASE-41, Trembling World
- PHASE-43, What Stands in the Way
- PHASE-48, Day of Wrath
- PHASE-49, The Final Light
- PHASE-50, To a Future that Never Ends
- PHASE-02, Its Name: Gundam
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- PHASE-12, Blood in the Water
- PHASE-17, The Soldier's Life
- Movies
References[]
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-40, Into the Dawn Skies
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-17, The Soldier's Life
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-18, Attack the Lohengrin!
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-07, Land of Confusion
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-22, Sword of the Blue Skies
Cosmic Era technology | |
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Standard Technology Ablative Gel | Elecar | Flare Motor | Haro | Mass Driver | Meteor Breaker | Mobile Phone | Space Colony | Space Suit | Transmitter Tag | ZAFT Dry Dock | |
Medical Technology Artificial Womb | Cloning | Cradle | Gamma Glipheptin | G.G. Unit | Stabilizing Pill | |
Mobile Weapon Technology Armure Lumiere | Assault Shroud | Deuterion Beam Energy Transfer System | METEOR | Multi Lock-on System | Mobile Suit Booster | Operating Systems | Voiture Lumiere | |
Mobile Suit Weapons Aerial Battle-use Composite Weapon "Adler" | Anti-ship Sword | Beam Rifle | Beam Saber | CIWS | Core Splendor System | DRAGOON system | Gerbera Straight | Lohengrin Launcher | M68 "Cattus" 500mm Recoilless Rifle | M69 "Barrus Kai" Heavy Ion Cannon | Wired Gunbarrel | |
Defensive Technology Anti-Beam Coating | Anti-Beam Depth Charge | Beam Shield | Femto Technology Armor | Laminated Armor | Lightwave Barrier | Phase Shift armor | Positron Reflector | Trans-Phase armor | Variable Phase Shift armor | "Yata-no-Kagami" Anti-beam Defensive Reflection System | |
Striker Packs Technology α Force Silhouette | β Sword Silhouette | γ Blast Silhouette | AQM/E-X01 Aile Striker | AQM/E-X02 Sword Striker | AQM/E-X03 Launcher Striker | AQM/E-X04 Gunbarrel Striker | AQM/E-X09S Noir Striker | AQM/E-A4E1 Jet Striker | AQM/E-M11 Doppelhorn Striker | AQM/E-YM1 Multiple Assault Striker | EX-A1 Gunner Wizard | EX-K Slash Wizard | EX-M Blaze Wizard | EW454F Ootori Striker | Flight Unit | G-Flight | Mk438/B Multi Striker | P202QX IWSP | P204QX Lightning Striker | |
Mirage Colloid Technology After-image Creation | Geschmeidig Panzer | "Maga no Ikutachi" Energy Absorption Claws | Mirage Colloid Stealth System | Quantum Computer Virus Transmission System | |
Conventional Weapons Anti-Aircraft Gun | Automatic Pistol | Combat Knife | Dual Turret | EA Rifle | Folding Knife | Gatling Gun Turret | Linear Artillery Turret | NODIESOP.CO M83A2 | Orb Pistol | Orb Rifle | "Pillbox" Anti-Air Turret | POSEIDON CO pistol | Positron Blaster Cannon | Quadruple Anti-Aircraft Beam Cannon | Railgun Turret | Rocket Launcher | Semi Automatic Handgun | Sniper Rilfe | Surface-to-air Missile Launcher Emplacement | Time Bomb | ZAFT Handgun | ZAFT Rifle | |
Superweapons Cyclops System | GENESIS Alpha | GENESIS | Gungnir | Hyper-Deuterion Engine | Neo-GENESIS | Neutron Jammer | Neutron Jammer Canceller | Neutron Stampeder | Nibelung | Nuclear Missile | Requiem |