Translation:Craft weapon particle beam txt/en
UFOpaedia Entry
Proposal
TO: Base Commander, PHALANX, Atlantic Operations Command
FROM: Cdr. Paul Navarre, R&D: Engineering Division, PHALANX, Atlantic Operations Command
DATE: %02i %s %i
SUB: Proposal: Particle Beam Weapon
Commander, the UFO we recovered was equipped with a very interesting type of weapon that we'd like to research right away. It seems to fire some kind of high-velocity particle beam; if we can master this technology, or at least adapt it for use on our own aircraft, we could make air engagements with armed alien craft significantly more survivable for our craft and pilots.
--Cdr. Navarre
Result
TO: Base Commander, PHALANX, Atlantic Operations Command
FROM: Cdr. Paul Navarre, R&D: Engineering Division, PHALANX, Atlantic Operations Command
DATE: %02i %s %i
SUB: Re: Particle Beam Weapon
Our report on the alien PBW (Particle Beam Weapon) is ready for your review, Commander.
The general idea of particle-beam weaponry is to hit a target object with a stream of accelerated particles moving at near-light velocities, therefore carrying tremendous kinetic energy. The alien weapon is an elegantly simple application of this concept. It is essentially nothing more than a big particle accelerator and a set of focusing equipment, consisting of a high-powered magnetic containment and pinch system.
My team could've built a particle accelerator to nearly the same standards, but the focusing array shows us just how far ahead the aliens really are. The accelerator is little more than a high-energy synchrotron, speeding particles round and round in a circle until they've achieved sufficient velocity. The particles are then diverted via a magnetic field into the focusing array, where they are magnetically constricted -- 'pinched' -- into a coherent beam. The level of magnetic control the aliens achieve here is far greater than anything we've managed before. The pinch system is intelligently controlled by the UFO's targeting computer, directing the beam to its target with dead-on accuracy.
When active, the weapon is powered directly from the UFO's electrical system, constantly tracking one target of choice. Once the target has been destroyed, the computer will immediately lock on to the next hostile contact in the chain, if any.
Defending against this weapon is going to be a challenge, Commander. There is very little that can be done against a particle beam travelling at near the speed of light, carrying enough energy to knock anything we can field right out of the sky. Additional armour for our aircraft will protect against glancing blows, but in the case of a direct hit, it may as well not be there. It seems the only realistic defence against this weapon is to cause it to miss. We should recover and investigate an intact alien ECM unit as soon as we can.
It will be a similar challenge for us to fit the PBW to our own craft. We've rigged up brackets that we can mount to any medium-sized hardpoint, but we can't generate enough power to suit this weapon just from in-flight electricity. If we want to use the PBW in combat, we're going to have to run it off its own antimatter-powered electrical system. This may require more research into antimatter storage and control, and it means that ammunition will certainly be limited.
On a brighter note, we've confirmed that all the weapon's components are within our ability to replicate, and their specs have been loaded into our Workshop machinery. We should be able to begin production straight away.
--Cdr. Navarre
Research Tree Data
(This information for reference only; do not translate or include in-game.)
Prerequisites: 1 Particle beam weapon UFO Theory
Opens: Enables production -- Particle Beam Weapon
See also Vehicles & UFOs