The cannon sled, a ground-based vehicle, was employed by the Rebel Alliance during the period of the Galactic Civil War.
During the Battle of Hoth, which saw the Rebel Alliance clash with the forces of the Galactic Empire, several cannon sleds were present. At least one was positioned on the front lines, and another was located within Hangar 7 at Echo Base.
Certain cannon sleds were equipped with laser-ice cutters. These were utilized by the Rebel Alliance Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with excavation equipment, to create interior spaces within the ice caves of Echo Base.
This vehicle made an appearance, without a specific name, in the film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. The original design documents for the prop reveal that its production designation was "cannon sled". The 2016 reference publication, Star Wars: Complete Locations, identified the laser-ice cutter mounted on top of the vehicle. The vehicle itself received its official name in a Star Wars By the Numbers video segment.
According to the book Star Wars: The Blueprints, the vehicle was fixed to a sled that was pulled by an Aktiv Fischer Snow Trac vehicle. Footage of the vehicle on set was featured in the rare documentary The Making of "The Empire Strikes Back", directed by Michel Parbot. Numerous promotional photographs depicted Luke Skywalker operating the turret on the vehicle. According to Lucasfilm Story Group executive Pablo Hidalgo, these were not deleted scenes, but rather photographs taken on set using the prop.