Peace Through Superior Firepower pt 1

I figured the next few models I'd make would introduce you to some of the weapons the North American Colonial Marines put to use against the enemies of freedom on the Moon and the Near Earth Sphere.

The first weapon on display is the Fafnir Personal Microwave Cannon,

designed in 2129 by Spellheim Technologies, a European subsidiary of American firm General Fusion International. First adopted for use in combat by North American Strategic Command, and by the time the North American Colonial Marines was formed as the branch of the North American military in charge of combat in space, the Fafnir was already in place as one of their signature weapons.

Similar in function to Active Denial Systems used by the US military in the early 21st century, the Fafnir works by directing electromagnetic radiation towards a target. However,

unlike the ADS system of the past, the Fafnir allows its operator to alter aspects of its waves (frequency, amplitude) between activiations. This has the advantage of making the Fafnir a much more versatile weapon, filling such roles as electronics disablement,crowd control, lethal take down, or even long range detection. However the disadvantage of this feature is that the weapon has an extensive learning curve, forcing operators to have a working knowledge of wave science to effectively take advantage of the system's full flexibility. This has made it it, (along with the Odessa Canister

Rifle) the most training intensive squad weapon used by the NACM.

The current version of the Fafnir, the Mk VII is capable of disabling a squad of troops at a range of several kilometers. Even the most advanced bio-suits are vulnerable to the payload of electromagnetic radiation the Fafnir is capable of delivering. Exposure can cause involuntary movements, disabled optics, or even primary system failures. If the biomechanical functions of the suit are damaged, the effects could easily be fatal. A well place first strike from a

Fafnir can end a fight before it begins, the subsequent engagement of a disabled opponent is little more than coup de grace. The weapon is considered to be less effective at close range, though skilled operators are able to weild it like a shotgun, with wide basts of lethal microwave radiation causing intense burns and extreme soft tissue damage even through thick armor.

Before firing, the Fafnir Mk VII requires the operator to toggle the underslung priming lever, this activates the weapon. This feature

was included for safety purposes, as the early models were involved in several tragic negligent discharge incidents. After the lever is flipped, the operator has has 30 seconds to fire the weapon, or the system deactivates. This lever must be used between each shot fired. This is considered by veterans to be an unnessicary feature, and in heavy combat situations, many operators will modify the weapon to fire without the lever needing to be activated, though this is firmly against North American military policy.