Ax-108 "Ground Buzzer" surface-defense blaster cannon

The Ax-108 "Ground Buzzer" surface-defense blaster cannon was a type of blaster cannon and the primary antipersonnel weapon of the Millennium Falcon used during its ownership by Han Solo. It could be manually operated or set for automatic targeting. The blaster cannon was manufactured by BlasTech.

Description[]

The "Ground Buzzer" had a rate of fire of 12 energy-bursts per second.

The "Ground Buzzer" aboard the Millennium Falcon could be operated manually from either the cockpit or by a handheld remote, or automatically via the ship's computer. In the latter instance, the Ground Buzzer's targeting computer was programmed to not fire at the Falcon's crew or allied forces, and it was also programmed to avoid hitting any part of the Falcon, including the ship's landing legs. The weapon was included with targeting sensors that sought out energy signatures from enemy weapons, with the built-in computer also determining which targets pose the most immediate threat prior to opening fire. It was also installed with a dedicated generator that ran independently from the Falcon's generator, in order to ensure that the weapon is still operable even if the Falcon's other electrical systems were shut down or otherwise have been temporarily disabled.

History[]

Han Solo, when making preparations for the Millennium Falcon to escape Hoth during the Battle of Hoth with Leia Organa, C-3PO, and Chewbacca, utilized the "Ground Buzzer" to hold off an advance of Snowtroopers from the 501st Legion long enough for the take-off preparations to be completed. Just prior to activating the cannon, Solo, in response to Organa's protest that the Falcon cannot get past the Imperial blockade, commented that the ship still had its surprises. Solo had implemented the blaster cannon onto the Falcon as a concealed weapon specifically to discourage sneak attacks while the Falcon was grounded.