Z-8060 particle cannon

Particle cannons are weapons used by the Forerunner Prometheans during the Human-Promethean War.

Description
Forerunner particle cannons are enormous floating weapons platforms used by the Forerunners as anti-air defences. They are spherical in shape, surrounded by three curving "arms" spaced at equidistant points around the main gun assembly. Particle cannons project a beam of energy similar to a Sentinel beam to disintegrate any target in range. They are slow to turn, however, and are vulnerable to ground-based attacks. A well-placed hit from a small MAC cannon in the central beam port will destroy the device.

A number of these weapons were encountered on Requiem in use by the Prometheans as anti-air defences; one of the cannons obliterated a squad of Pelicans in a single hit. Two cannons were destroyed by a Mammoth siegework platform deployed to the surface by the UNSC Infinity, with the Master Chief providing targeting for the Mammoth. These cannons were controlled from a central core via an AI, before it was deactivated by Cortana; causing the remaining two to fire on each other.

A larger variant was used as a ship-to-ship weapon on the Forerunner flagship Mantle's Approach. Unlike their planetside counterpart, this version is powered by an external energy core. John-117 used this vulnerability to neutralize the Mantle's point-defense capacity with his F-41 Broadsword, allowing the to attack the ship.

Trivia
The particle cannon's overall design bears a great deal of resemblance to that of the Onyx Sentinel.

List of appearances

 * Halo 4