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The M78 Phased-Plasma Infantry Gun (PIG) is an man-portable anti-armor weapon used by the United States Colonial Marine Corps that employs a vaporized plasma laser to burn through armor.[1]

Overview[]

The M78 consists of two parts: the launcher and its power pack, which together weigh 15.2 kg. The gun itself is a 15 mW phased-plasma system that fires vaporized cadmium telluride pellets from a 30-round feed.[1] The fast-discharge system powering the gun's laser and magnetic coil is fed from a 4 mW hydrogen fuel cell in the power pack. The firing cycle takes 3 seconds, most of which time is taken up by the powering up of the discharge generator.[1]

The weapon's penetrating power is considerable, and it is claimed to be able to breach the flank armor of a heavy tank at 1,000m.[2] However, many Marines show disdain for the weapon's considerable weight, and prefer the more conventional M5 RPG despite its reduced anti-armor capabilities.[1]

Appearances[]

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