DF.9

"Be careful not to shoot our own turrets!"

- Luke Skywalker

The DF.9 anti-infantry laser battery was a tall, cylindrical turret that was utilized for defense against enemy foot soldiers. The DF.9 was manufactured by Golan Arms, and was designed for use as a fixed weapon emplacement or for mounting on a tank, such as Arakyd Industries' XR-85 tank droid.

History


It was originally developed for use by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and was later adopted by both the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War. Three models of the weapon were designed: the SP.9, a cannon placed on a repulsorlift chassis, the DF.9/B, a turret mounted on an armored, four-meter tall tower, and the Twin DF.9 anti-infantry battery, which is a fixed turret with two laser cannons instead of one.

Golan Arms originally developed the anti-infantry laser battery for the suppression of native populations on low-tech worlds. The fixed version, which found its way into Alliance arsenals, required a crew of three to operate efficiently, but it could be manned by a single gunner in an emergency. The crew, which generally consisted of a gunner, a power technician, and a targeting computer specialist, manned the gun from within the tower, which could support armor and proton shield generators for protection. The gunner typically sat in a small tube on top of the turret, with his or her head exposed for maximum visibility. However, this also made the gunner exposed to sniper fire.

The rotating turret had a 360-degree firing arc and a high firing rate. It was especially notable because its energy beams exploded upon impact with a target. This explosion damaged everything within an eight-meter radius of the target.

The DF.9/B's advanced targeting sensors could identify targets up to 16 kilometers away, though its optimum target range was three kilometers. This served it well in its role as an anti-infantry emplacement, as it could cut down advancing troops long before their weapons entered effective range. A skilled gunner could take advantage of the turret's advanced targeting computer and use it to destroy an army's support equipment and even some smaller vehicles. When powered by a power generator, the DF.9 had unlimited ammunition.

The Rebellion used a modified version of the DF.9 most notably during the Battle of Hoth. While the DF.9 posed a threat to the smaller All Terrain Scout Transports, its effect against the larger All Terrain Armored Transports was negligible.

As of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the DF.9 was more than forty years old. However, it was still in use by pirates and other various outlaws who found it easy to repair and maintain. It could also be modified to fire more devastating blaster bolts so it could be used against lightly armored vehicles.

Typically, Golan Arms marketed the DF.9 at 15,000 credits, though it could be obtained used at a discounted rate of 9,500 credits.

Behind the scenes
The November 2003 The Empire Strikes Back expansion set of the Star Wars Trading Card Game features an image of the DF.9 anti-infantry battery on the set's "Antivehicle Laser Cannon" card, which actually describes the Atgar 1.4 FD P-Tower laser cannon.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars game
 * Star Wars: Battlefront
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: Republic: The Battle of Jabiim
 * Star Wars: Republic: The Siege of Saleucami
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
 * Star Wars Rebellion: My Brother, My Enemy
 * The Paradise Detour
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Entrenched
 * Shadows of the Empire game
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
 * Star Wars: Force Commander
 * Dark Force Rising
 * Dark Empire II
 * Darksaber
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

Non-canon appearances

 * Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Notes and references
DF.9 Anti-Infanterie Geschützturm batería anti-infantería DF.9