An LC-10bW being operated by Luke Skywalker
The LC-10bW, otherwise known as the laser ice-cutter, manufactured by the Corellian Engineering Corporation, was a type of laser cannon designed for the purpose of cutting through ice rapidly and efficiently. The Rebel Alliance Corps of Engineers employed these cutters, in conjunction with excavation equipment, to create space within the caverns of Echo Base. To ensure proper functionality in extremely cold environments, these cutters required meticulous upkeep.
The LC-10bWs had the capability to be mounted on either stationary tripods or mobile vehicles. Specifically on Hoth, they were installed on ground vehicles referred to as cannon sleds. It is documented that Luke Skywalker once operated an ice-cutter while stationed at Echo Base.
This device, though not explicitly named, made an appearance in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, where it can be briefly seen in the frame's left corner during Han Solo's entrance into a hangar. Original production blueprints identify it as being mounted on a "cannon sled." The vehicle, along with the attached laser cutter, can be briefly spotted near the Rebel defenses located outside of Echo Base. Footage of the vehicle on set was included in The Making of "The Empire Strikes Back", a rarely seen documentary by Michel Parbot. According to Pablo Hidalgo, an executive at Lucasfilm Story Group, numerous publicity photos featuring Luke Skywalker operating the laser cutter were not from deleted scenes, but rather were taken on set with the prop.
The reference book Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy from 2005 appears to identify the entire cannon sled vehicle as the "laser ice-cutter." However, Star Wars Blueprints: Rebel Edition from 2010 designates the laser ice-cutter as the LC-10bW, suggesting that this is solely the name of the laser cannon component mounted on the vehicle.