Technology of Robotech

Several fictional technologies are utilized in the Robotech adaptation of three Japanese animated series.

Reflex Cannon

In the science-fiction anime television series "Robotech", the Reflex Cannon is a super-powerful energy weapon, used as a heavy anti-spacecraft weapon to destroy enemy warships in a single blow.

The name "reflex" was derived from a mistranslation in the scripts (provided by Tatsunoko Productions) of "reaction," the shortened euphemistic term for thermonuclear reaction in "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross." [ [http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/encyclopedia/viewterm.php?id=66] ] Coincidentally, "Genesis Climber Mospeada" had a location crucial to its story named Reflex Point. "Macross" and "Mospeada" were two of the three Japanese animated series which were adapted into "Robotech." The term "reaction" is used in the context of power systems and warheads in the Japanese "Macross" series, whereas the term "reflex" is used in the context of energy weapons, in addition to power systems and warheads in "Robotech". In Robotech, the term "reflex" refers to any major power generation system that is Protoculture based. Protoculture based powerplants are sometimes called "reflex furnaces".

The first known usage of a reflex cannon on Earth was the firing of the SDF-1's gigantic main gun at the beginning of the First Robotech War in 2009. The front of the ship opened into two gigantic booms. The protoculture charge built up between these two points until enough energy was collected to fire. The range of this weapon was great enough to hit interplanetary targets and usually everything within the line of fire was vaporized. In a state of disrepair by 2014, the battle-ravaged main gun of the SDF-1 disintegrated after its final firing and was too weak to destroy just one Zentraedi vessel, its intended target.

ynchro Cannons

By the Third Robotech War, a new portable reflex cannon called the Synchro Cannon [ [http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/encyclopedia/viewterm.php?id=42] ] was introduced on Shimakaze-class battlecruisers, and later adopted by the SDF-3 and SDF-4 Izumo. A smaller unit was also hidden on Earth by Sue Graham of the Jupiter division. The smaller version was used by Rand as a prototype and was destroyed to keep it out of the hands of the invid in the Episode: Reflex Point.

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