The PWAC, or Particle Wave Cruise, Missile is a new type of guided particle warhead developed by Solan Starworks in the year AR 936. The PWAC was created due to the need for high-impact weaponry that could not be adequately provided by particle beam weapons such as the HCPA outside of 'knife-fight' battles between a handful of starships. During the Third Outer System Conflict ship-to-ship engagements between Astral Vanguard starships and cargo vessels retrofitted by the rebels into arsenal ships were common until the second half of the four-year conflict, as civilian backing and convertible vessels for Seperatist forces on the rim became scarce. Such vessels often carried hundreds of vertical launching cruise missiles with nuclear payloads, allowing for a single unit to soften up a full battlegroup for an ambush.

Although the concept was not usable for the rebels in the long term, cruise missiles using charged particle warheads similar to those on the PASD and PHID missile systems where ideal for Solan's next retrofit cycle. PWAC missiles are designed for long-range engagements against cruiser and capital-class ships, fired en masse by dedicated missile ships with specialized launching systems, or with more traditional broadside and vertical launch bays. The PWAC impacts at tremendous sublight speeds and saturates the point in a field of high-energy particles wear away at armor in a small radius, and cause additional electrical damage in the area of effect.

The PWAC-A weapon array is built around a MASC-based linear accelerator that encases the missile in a distortion field as it is fired out, allowing it to compress the distance between itself and the target. Because the missile lacks its own drive system, it begins to decelerate as the distortion normalizes it, generally within the span of 5 seconds, and continues towards the target using a conventional particle drive. No additional acceleration is necessary as the cruise missile has already achieved its optimal in-flight velocity.

Location: Starship Coaxial Array Purpose: Medium Anti-Capital ship Secondary: Anti-Shield Salvo Size: 1 Damage: T14, Electrical Damage

Range: 10.5 Light-Seconds Rate of Fire: 1 salvo every 10 Seconds Area of Effect: 15 Meters Muzzle Velocity: 4c, decreasing by half every second to .25c Ammunition 48 Missiles Ammo Replenish: Can refill capacity in hospitable conditions in about 2 hours outside of combat. Any further attempts to refill will require an external source of biomass.

The PWAC-V is a vertical and broadside missile launcher designed to fire the PWA-type Cruise Missile. It is a no-frills system that launches the missile at STL speeds, and is primarily designed to be equipped to vessels as close-in-weapons systems against vessels in the effective ranges of sublight weaponry.

Location: Starship Broadside or Vertical Array Purpose: Light Anti-Capital Ship Secondary: Anti-Shield Salvo Size: 1 Damage: T13, Electrical Damage

Range: 3 Light-Seconds Rate of Fire: 1 salvo every 15 Seconds Area of Effect: 15 Meters Muzzle Velocity: .25c Ammunition 8 Missiles Ammo Replenish: Can refill capacity in hospitable conditions in about 2 hours outside of combat. Any further attempts to refill will require an external source of biomass.