V-150 Planet Defender

The v-150 Planet Defender, also known as the v-150 ion cannon, was a model of planetary ion cannon designed to disable capital ships. Often deployed in conjunction with planetary shields, its purpose was to defend planets while the shields reached full power. It could disrupt Star Destroyers with a single ion bolt; however, its stationary nature made it vulnerable to attack, and its blast shield had to retract in order to utilize the cannon. It was equipped with an independent power generator buried roughly 40 meters below the weapon emplacement.

As the Battle of Hoth began to unfold, the Alliance to Restore the Republic used a v-150 installed on the ice planet Hoth to allow their transports to slip past Imperial Star Destroyers. Coordinated by Commander Toryn Farr, the cannon did its job well and disabled at least one Destroyer, the Tyrant, allowing the first of the Rebel transports, the Quantum Storm, to escape into hyperspace.

Text and facts from the “V-150 Planet Defender” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.