- "Wait! The disc on the bottom of it has started to glow! What's it goi-"
- ― Aurelian ground unit
The Shock Cannon was an energy-based superweapon developed by Leasath, which was utilized during the Aurelian War. It was the secondary non-conventional weapon of the airborne fortress Gleipnir, but was used rarely during battles involving the aerial warship, with it instead favoring the Shock Wave Ballistic Missile. A stand-alone version of the cannon was also equipped to the military complex Archelon Fortress as a last line of defense, but never saw use.
Design[]
The Shock Cannon was a meson-based air-to-ground superweapon powered by a cyclotron-type particle accelerator. The energy was delivered through a disc-shaped device and was designed to operate under the same fuel-air explosive principle as the Shock Wave Ballistic Missile, so as to avoid damage to the structure or aircraft utilizing the device. The non-indicative name of "cannon", reflecting its great power, was used by Leasath personnel as a term of convenience, despite it not being an artillery emplacement or laser weapon.[1]
Prior to firing, the cannon spreads a cloud of explosive gas that is ignited by a directed meson discharge to the firing disc from the cyclotron accelerator, which is unable to produce enough energy to act as a weapon by itself. Unlike the SWBM, the weapon's energetic output could be modified to allow it to operate in adverse weather, making it more versatile than its missile-based counterpart. However, the immense amount of energy required to fire the cannon prevented it from being used simultaneously with the Gleipnir's optical camouflage,[1] leaving a loophole for attacks. Additionally, the cannon required a significant amount of time to charge, giving a window to attack both the Gleipnir's cannon and the one mounted on Archelon Fortress.
History[]
The Shock Cannon was developed by Leasath during or after the conclusion of the Leasath Civil War, being installed on the Gleipnir as one of its primary close range weapons. A second model based on the same type of disc-shaped device was installed on the command building of Archelon Fortress, which was capable of faster recharging, likely because of an internal power source within the base itself.[2]
Aurelian War[]
During the Aurelian War, the Shock Cannon was infrequently used by the Gleipnir, which instead favored SWBM attacks against the Aurelian military, leading its existence to be known only by small numbers of troops.[2]
During the battle of Santa Elva, the Gleipnir utilized the cannon and its optical camouflage to quickly destroy Aurelian ground troops advancing on the city. However, after the warship's camouflage was destroyed by Gryphus 1, the Gleipnir stopped using the Shock Cannon and began to battle the Aurelian Air Force squadrons, using the SWBM rather than the Shock Cannon. After all SWBM ports were destroyed, the critically damaged Gleipnir's captain ordered the nose be raised to fire the Shock Cannon directly at Santa Elva in order to level the city. However, Gryphus 1 destroyed the cannon before it could fire, preventing the cannon from being fired. The Gleipnir crashed into the Lenal River following the destruction of the cannon.
Gallery[]
-
Shock Cannon facility at the top of the Archelon Fortress -
Trivia[]
- Due to End of Deception I being considered non-canon, the Shock Cannon mounted on Archelon Fortress never saw use during the Aurelian War.
- The Spiridus, another airborne fortress which is featured in Ace Combat: Joint Assault, features many similarities with the Gleipnir. It uses a railgun named Balaur, which can be considered a direct analog to the Shock Cannon. A stand-alone version of the Balaur was also built in Romania, similar to the Shock Cannon mounted on Archelon Fortress.
- Due to utilizing mesons, a subatomic particle, in its fuel-air explosive design, the Shock Cannon can, by definition, be considered a nuclear weapon.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 ACES WEB: ACE COMBAT X: Weapons - "Shock Cannon"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception