Neutral Beam Cannon

Neutral Beam Cannons (NBCs, N-Beams, Neutron Beam Cannons, Proton Beam Cannons), are electrically neutral particle cannons. NBCs are prevalent in modern orbital warfare.

NBCs function the same way as Electron Beam Cannons, where a charged plasma cloud is accelerated to relativistic speeds. However, depending on the type, the cloud is then made neutrally charged by passing through a field or a gas before exiting the barrel of the weapon. Because the beam is neutralized, it retains cohesion for much longer, making it capable of reaching up to one light minute away on average without noticeable dispersion.

NBCs that strip away a proton to neutralize the beam are known as Neutron Beam Cannons since they project a line of neutrons. Similarly, NBCs that add an electron to a proton to neutralize the beam are known as Proton Beam Cannons since they project a proton and electron pair. Hydrogen or Helium plasma are typically used as the driving gas for NBCs, with more exotic weapons using heavier elements.

Because the particles projected by NBCs are much heavier than EBCs, the weapon system requires much more energy and charge up time before reaching relativistic speeds. However, the heavier weight translates directly into more kinetic damage when impacting a surface.

Neutral Beam Cannons are primarily used as the main armament for capital class starships. Their low time to target and extreme range makes it a highly capable weapon in all situations. Their only drawback is low firerate and high energy draw.

NBCs are typically mounted along the spine of a ship due to the large amount of accelerators required to push the beam to relativistic speeds. Smaller NBCs have been mounted in turrets for versatility but lack the range and punch of their spinal mounted variants.

Apart from its main role as an anti-ship weapon, NBCs can also be used in an anti-missile/anti-fighter role, albeit less effectively than their faster firing EBC cousins. NBCs can trade beam speed for firerate, with preset solutions at 50%, 30%, and 10% the speed of light.

Due to their neutral charge, NBC beams cannot be deflected or diffused by electromagnetic active defenses. Experiments with gravitic and null active defenses have shown promise, but are both in the prototype stage and extremely expensive to use in terms of energy. The best way to mitigate NBCs as of now is to not get hit or absorb it with a plasteel armor cap.

Neutral beam weapons were considered and even experimented with as early as 1989 with Los Alamos National Laboratory's BEAR project. However, there was no real requirement for high energy particle beam weaponry until the late Stellar Age, where intercolonial tensions were at a breaking point.

As the Jovian and Saturnian rivalries heated up to a point where missiles were exchanged, these weapons would take weeks, months, and sometimes even years to reach their target. In that time, the defender could easily come up with a solution.

Early particle weapons such as the Electron Beam Cannon were rushed into full production, offering moderate success at long range combat. To truly engage at a stellar range, however, a relativistic weapon with enough cohesion to reach out to light minutes were required.

Neutral Beam Cannons in the form of Proton Beam Cannons were introduced 15 years after the first mass production model EBC. These hydrogen plasma particle cannons could accelerate a beam at 30% the speed of light with enough cohesion to damage a target a light minute away. Due to limitations with focusing, acceleration, and targeting, this range could only be achieved against non-maneuvering targets.

Second generation NBCs could reach up to 99% the speed of light with reasonable efficiency, but mass deployment was interrupted by The First Virtual War.

Earth and Luna exchanged NBC fire between orbital and ground installations during the opening act of The First Virtual War, devastating most of the existing orbital infrastructure and destroying all ground based settlements on the side of Luna facing Earth.

Modern NBCs are efficient and miniaturized, and are typically installed as arrays on the spine of a ship. Beam cohesion and beam time have been greatly increased, allowing for a no escape zone of up to 10 light seconds, a guaranteed effective range of 1 light minute, and cohesion up to at least 10 light minutes.