Spike cannon

A pair of heavy spike cannons mounted on the Barukaza Workshop Chopper.

Spike cannons, also known as spiker autocannons,^[1]^[2] are a class of heavy mounted weapon typically used by the Covenant and its remnants. As their name suggests, spike cannons employ the use of spike projectiles as their primary munitions.^[3] Due to its ubiquitous use on the Jiralhanae Chopper, the spike cannon is nicknamed Kong Cannon, Bike Cannon, and Bike Blaster.^[4]

Overview[edit]

Design details[edit]

While there are multiple variants of spike cannons, they generally fire superheated spike projectiles larger than those loaded in handheld spike weaponry, albeit at a slower rate of fire.^[4]^[5] Spike cannons are mounted on ground vehicles as well as aircraft and controlled by either the vehicle's operator or additional gunners.^[6]^[3] When the Jiralhanae first repurposed Lighter Than Some's invention into the Choppers, they were equipped with spike rifles,^[7] but later—more refined—models of the Chopper employed forward-firing and self-loading twin-paired heavy spike cannons, which fire large 35mm caliber spike projectiles.^[8]^[9]^[10] Despite the weapons being self-loading cannons that fire large calibre projectiles, in his publication Machines, Materiel and Munitions from the Human-Covenant Conflict, 2525 - Present, Dr Robert McLees suggested "autocannon" may be a misnomer for the spike cannons.^[8] Regardless, the weapon displays a degree of modularity: while the cannon can be upgraded with stabilizers for increased damage and accuracy,^[11] the spike projectiles themselves can also be upgraded to explosive shrapnel rounds,^[12] converting the cannon to its "shrapnel cannon” variant.^[1]^[3] Although spike cannons tend to fire at a lower rate of fire when compared to plasma cannons and needle cannons, their spike projectiles remain very effective against infantry and light armored vehicles.^[2]^[13]