MAC Cannons

The MAC, Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, was conceptualized in the mid 20th centruy, but until the development of fusion reactors, there was never a power supply sufficiently energetic to power them.

In 2101, orbital mounted MAC cannons (as they are called, redundancy aside) were made standard defensive of all colonies.

A few years later, the technology was sufficiently compressed as to be practical aboard star ships.

The MAC cannon fires high caliber hollow point slugs made of depleted uranium and filled with explosives. Upon impact, the slug penetrates the hull of a ship, almost invariablly, and then detonates inside, causing massive damage. Previously, the problem with MAC cannons was the massive power requirement to generate a magnetic field strong enough to launch a slug at the required velocity for ship to ship combat. Often ships would be left underpowered and defenseless while their systems recharged after firing the MAC.

The advent of the Galifre Drive solved this problem. MAC cannons could now be practically fired mid battle. The massive amounts of energy made available by the Galifre also made another invention possible.

The Super Heavy Lateral MAC cannon was developed shortly after the Galifre was. Lateral MAC's are gigantis, kilometer long guns that run down the spine of heavy capital ships, such as the Ecthelion. Lateral MAC's fire with such power and intensity that, at full strength, a MAC will impact with more force than a nuclear bomb.

In space this is problematic because of newtons third law, an object in motion will say in motion, and a high power, explosive object in motion is not something that you want sailing off into the cosmos. Special attention is paid to make sure that there is always a firing solution before firing a Lateral MAC.