The rapid frequency nadion-pulse cannon uses a rotating pulse frequency; each shot is actually millions of separate pulses, each at a separate nutation. The shots cause a defender's shields to modulate into a resonant harmonic field, which overloads the shield generators. These cannons were first proposed by Starfleet in 2366 as a defense against the Borg. Two prototypes were built, but the cannons were deemed too complex for rapid and widespread deployment. Although the firebases were staffed by forty-five personnel, each gun only had a handful of maintenance technicians on duty at any time.

Beginning in 2372, Prime Minister Kinchawn of Tezwa made an agreement with Federation President Min Zife to allow the Federation to build nadion-pulse cannons on Tezwa as a potential trap for hostile Dominion forces; in exchange, Tezwa received material aid, which Kinchawn later sold on the black market rather than aiding his own people. Thirty-six total cannons were placed around the globe. Each group of six cannons was powered by a remote firebase, which served as the power generators and fire control centers; these firebases were evenly spaced at sixty degrees latitude apart.

In 2379, Kinchawn almost sparked an interstellar war when he used those weapons against the Klingons, killing over 6,000 warriors after welcoming the fleet to Tezwa on diplomatic terms. While the Klingons prepared to send another fleet and conquer Tezwa, President Zife ordered Captain Jean-Luc Picard to destroy the cannons at any cost. Commander William T. Riker devised plans for six tactical teams to infiltrate the bases to capture and destroy the guns by exploiting a critical flaw in the prefire chamber capacitors; before the weapon could fire, it would build up charge in a restraining field until sufficient force was reached, but disabling these capacitors caused implosive destruction of the cannons. Each team was successful in their mission although Riker was captured in the process. (TNG novel: A Time to Kill)