GENERAL DYNAMICS RSB-80 HEAVY PLASMA GUN

"Reese glanced up as he heard the security door being unlocked and opened.  Another patrol was coming through, visible in the distance under the dim portable fluorescents.  Two scouts.  The dogs were smelling their hands.  Then another man pushed through before the sentries could close the door.  He was a head taller than the others, and carried something bulky under his torn gray poncho.

The dogs began barking furiously at the last man.  The sentries were already going for their weapons.  One was yelling, "Terminator!  Terminator!"

Reese hung frozen for a half second as the terminator threw back its poncho and lifted the General Dynamics' RSB-80 to fire.  The weapon cracked, and the bunker was seared with light."

-Frakes and Wisher, "The Terminator"

HISTORY:

The RSB-80 was a support grade rapid pulse phased plasma gun intended for use with light as well as medium combat chassis equipped models, namely the Mark IV through Mark VI series.  Larger and heavier than the M95 series weapons, the RSB-80, produced at the General Dynamics Advanced Assembly Center (GDAAC) in Austin, TX, became the main weapon of most of SKYNET's light and medium combat models from 2015 to 2021 A.D.  The Westinghouse automated facility did not have the capacity to produce a high gain, high capacity plasma weapon like the RSB-80 but the General Dynamics automated installation, where most of SKYNET's heavy energy weapons were designed and manufactured, did.

The RSB-80 was long and heavy, nearly two meters in length and weighing in at over 40 kilograms fully fueled.  The RSB-80 excelled as a light rapid fire tactical support weapon and was used in a variety of different models and chassis combinations produced by SKYNET.  The rapid cycling Type 3 Level VII containment bottle gave the plasma bolts a greater integrity hand-off field envelope, producing a much stronger bolt over a longer distance.  In single shot mode, the RSB-80, when mounted to a stable chassis, could make precision shots out to maximum effective range.  The explosive decoupling of material struck by the high power bolt meant that there was less effective means of cover for human targets and that even a near miss might result in lethal plasma or fragment based spall.

The RSB-80 proved popular with the humans as well though its weight and mass was troublesome.  Too heavy for an average human to pick up and wield, the RSB-80, like most of SKYNET's other large frame high gain plasma guns, was easily adaptable to a variety of standard NATO support tripods and ad hoc custom built mounts, some powered, others not.  It was inevitable that the technology of the RSB-80 would fall into human hands and tentative deep penetration raids by Endoskeleton units often found captured RSB-80 guns mounted to where they could be used to defend avenues of approach to the human warrens and reserves.  The RSB-80 proved to be an effective anti-material weapon as well, as was documented by many instances of penetrating Endoskeleton units falling to rapid damage matrixes incurred from repeated hits at close range by the high gain plasma guns.

An example of a captured RSB-80 in human service, mounted on an old GM car (produced circa mid 1970's)
 which is itself serving as a mobile rapid deployment platform for the weapon.  

The Resistance operated many of these "technicals" though never in large numbers in either fleet or scenario situations.

The newer T600 series Terminators and later series of heavy combat bipeds were not only equipped with the enhanced hydraulics and reinforced frame / chassis to carry and brace the RSB-80 series weapons, but they were also programmed to take advantage of the RSB-80's unique operational characteristics.  The RSB-80 formed the core weapon selection of the heavy tracked HKs in the beginning, being the mainstay of the movement from the cumbersome and mechanically complex chain-fed heavy weapons to the more simple yet effective liquid fueled plasma weapons.  Only later in 2019 A.D. was the RSB-80 series weapon replaced in main attrition unit production by the higher capacity RSB-125 series of high gain plasma guns.  The use of the newer high gain plasma guns didn't remove the RSB-80 from active use, it was merely relegated to a secondary echelon of deployment, being used in many different roles from autonomous gun emplacements and pillbox type bunkers guarding key areas to being carried by individual Terminators and Infiltrators on deep penetration missions and underground bunker raids.  The power of the RSB-80 was incredible within its effective range and still had good anti-personnel capacity out to almost its maximum range.  This performance envelope allowed SKYNET's units to quickly eliminate any threat subjects in the effective range despite those targets being in relatively hard cover.

History shows that about one in twenty-five Endoskeleton units operating in coordinated effort on the battlefield was equipped with a RSB-80 weapon, and it seems likely that this was done more out of a squad support type role in the overall order of battle.  The RSB-80 was also used in a variety of static defense positions at SKYNET controlled installations, mainly in powered remote gun emplacements with independent sensor and scanner as well as target tracking and acquisition / engagement systems.  Power was usually supplied through dedicated ground lines along with fueling conduits for the plasma intake manifolds.  Backup power and fuel systems were also included in the design of the automated turrets.

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