Weapons platform

The weapons platform, also known as the shoulder platform or shoulder section, was the mid-section or middle section of the Dalek casing, located below the grating section and above the base unit, which typically featured two sockets; the left was occupied by the gunstick, while the right was occupied by the manipulator arm. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks, Mission to the Unknown, Engines of War)

The mid-sections of the early Dalek casings created by Davros contained the control chamber for the Dalek mutants. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe)

In one instance, the Daleks' arms were placed in opposite to the norm, with the manipulator on the left and the gunstick on the right. (COMIC: The Threat from Beneath)

Daleks assigned as suicide bombers during the Dalek-Movellan War had bombs attached to the slats of their weapons platform. (TV: Destiny of the Daleks)

Opening
What the First Doctor termed a "catch", similar to the docking clamp which connected the dome to the grating section, (TV: Resurrection of the Daleks) likewise connected the grating section to the weapons platform at the back. This catch could be released externally, and so tilted the top part of the Dalek casing forward, exposing their mutant form. (TV: The Daleks)

Should a Dalek chose to open up their casing, the weapons platform as well as the upper grating section would extend and split between their two arms, exposing the Dalek mutant inside. (TV: Dalek)

Characteristics
Following the early Dalek War Machines which were externally powered by static electricity transmitted through the metal floors of the Dalek City, (TV: "The Escape") later Daleks initially overcame this weakness by adding solar energy collection discs to their casing, at the back of the weapons platform, to receive power, (TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth) although even these were ultimately replaced by vertical rectangular slats around the midsection which absorbed other sources of power, serving as solar panels. (TV: The Chase, PROSE: Mission to the Unknown) From then on, the weapons platforms of most Daleks, with the exception of those of the New Dalek Paradigm, were studded by slats. (TV: Genesis of the Daleks, The Chase)

Bronze Daleks of the Last Great Time War and beyond were able to rotate their weapons platforms independent of the rest of their casings, enabling them to fight more efficiently. This ability was demonstrated by the "Metaltron" at GeoComTex in 2012, who was responsible for the deaths of 200 humans. (TV: Dalek) The Time Lords understood that this was a new property of the "Type VIII Dalek" which was not included in earlier models. (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual)

Together, both arms of the weapons platform were strong enough to lift an adult human male. (COMIC: The Dalek Project)

Daleks were capable of detaching their arms from their weapons platform. (TV: Twice Upon a Time)

Variants
Silver Daleks seen on Exxilon had black weapons platforms with silver slats and "arms". (TV: Death to the Daleks)

The Special Weapons Dalek was distinguished in that its weapons platform had no slats. Most importantly, however, was that it possessed a single, extremely powerful cannon in place of the two arms of a typical Dalek. This cannon was capable of utterly destroying a pair of Dalek drones with a single shot. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)

The Supreme Dalek of the Dalek Hive sported an additional ring of sense globes in place of the slats on the middle section. (COMIC: Fire and Brimstone)

The bronze Daleks, of the Last Great Time War and beyond, had weapons platforms with golden slats and "arm" sockets. (TV: Dalek) Contemporary Black Daleks, such as Dalek Sec, had casings coloured completely black, (TV: Army of Ghosts) while Dalek X, the Dalek Inquisitor General, was distinguished by his black casing with golden slats and sense globes. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks) One member of the Imperial Guard Daleks whom served the Dalek Emperor were distinguished by, in addition to the black dome, a black base unit with gold sense globes, whilst their weapons platforms remained bronze, (TV: The Parting of the Ways, PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual) appearing as a bronze-type equivalent of the earlier silver-type Black Dalek Leader. (TV: The Chase)

During the Time War, the Black Dalek overseer had several unique appendages attached to his weapons platform in addition to the manipulator arm. (AUDIO: Planet of the Ogrons)

While otherwise identical to the contemporary bronze Dalek drones, the Temporal Weapon Dalek of the Time War sported a weapons platform with a single cannon similar in appearance to the Special Weapons Dalek. However, these cannons utilised temporal radiation mined from the Tantalus Eye. It would flow into their targets' bodies through available orifices before erasing them from history. The results of these targets' actions would remain, and memories of them would not be wholly erased. The War Doctor noted their similarities to the Time Lord De-mat Gun and Rassilon's gauntlet which function on the same principle. (PROSE: Engines of War)

Red Supreme Daleks had unique golden frames which connected the grating section to the weapons platform. (TV: The Stolen Earth)

Post-Time War Daleks that posed as British Army Ironsides had dark green slats matching their disguised casings. These Ironsides were equipped with army utility belts housing useful battlefield accoutrements strapped to the weapons platform, obscuring their slats. (TV: Victory of the Daleks)

The larger Daleks of the New Dalek Paradigm had weapons platforms with no slats. (TV: Victory of the Daleks)

The bronze "Quasimodo Dalek", which was reconstructed by unfamiliar humans, had a weapons platform fitted with sense globes in place of the slats, which were here attached to the base unit, while the manipulator arm and gunstick were replaced with eyepieces, with a gunstick being fitted in place of the eyepiece atop the dome. (COMIC: The Dalek Project)

The dark green, robotic Proto-Daleks, which were constructed by the British and Germans as part of the Dalek Project during the First World War, had weapons platforms with manipulator arms mounted on a pivot rather than the balljoints of genuine Daleks, and machine guns instead of gunsticks. The British Proto-Daleks were distinguished by two bulky midsection rings which replaced the upper set of sense globes on the base unit, with a Union Flag at the back of the midsection. The German Proto-Daleks' midsection sported an Iron Cross emblem as well as metal slats mimicking the solar panels of a real Dalek. (COMIC: The Dalek Project)

Silver Dalek War Machines seen on the reconstructed Skaro had light blue weapons platforms with silver frames. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar)

As a target
Though the common weakpoint of the Dalek casing was understood to be the eyepiece, (TV: Resurrection of the Daleks, Remembrance of the Daleks, Dalek) numerous Daleks were destroyed upon sustaining hits, typically from energy weapons including Dalek gunsticks, directed at their weapons platforms.

On Necros, Daleks loyal to the Supreme Dalek destroyed Davros' Daleks by hitting their weapons platforms, resulting in their casings being blown apart. (TV: Resurrection of the Daleks)

Wielding a modified defabricator, Jack Harkness killed two Daleks during the 21st century Dalek invasion of Earth, first a Dalek that shot the Tenth Doctor in London, and then the Supreme Dalek aboard the Crucible. In both instances, he struck the weapons platform, resulting in the top half of their casings being blown off. (TV: The Stolen Earth/Journey's End)

The Daleks of the New Dalek Paradigm, when disintergrating their predecessors, targeted their weapons platforms. (TV: Victory of the Daleks)

Individual cases
As a result of his incursion to retrieve Davros from the time-locked Last Great Time War, Dalek Caan lost a substantial portion of the top of his casing, with the weapons platform being split in two. (TV: The Stolen Earth)

Both the gunstick and the manipulator arm were among the technology which was removed from a Dalek by a human guerrilla faction on Earth in the 2010s. (AUDIO: The Dalek Transaction)

Exceptions
Most Dalek Emperors did not have weapons platforms, instead being guarded by lower Daleks such as Elite Guard Daleks. These included the immense Emperors of the Great War, (TV: The Evil of the Daleks) the Time War, (TV: The Parting of the Ways) Kaalann (GAME: City of the Daleks) and occupied Earth. (GAME: The Eternity Clock) While housed in a casing of a similar size to his subordinate Imperial Daleks, Davros too lacked a weapons platform as his entire top half above the base unit consisted of a large, spherical dome. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)

Unlike most Emperors, the Emperor of the Restoration had a conventional weapons platform which was coloured gold like the rest of his casing. (PROSE: The Guide to the Dark Times)

Behind the scenes

 * The Daleks seen in the theatrical film Dr. Who and the Daleks (held to be an invalid source by this Wiki) all had weapons platforms with golden frames. The Blue Daleks had silver weapons platforms, while the Red and the Black Dalek had weapons platforms matching their wider casing.
 * In Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., all weapons platforms matching their wider casing, with silver slats.
 * In the video game The Last Dalek, based on the events of Dalek, the Metaltron gains the ability to rotate its weapons platform only after acquiring the gearing system.
 * In Dalek Hack, the player has the option to change the colour of a Dalek's casing which is divided into three sections, including the weapons platform.