Radar Polymers (Civ4)/Final Frontier/Civilopedia

The impressive visual range of modern Scout ships is based almost completely on the development of unique Radar Polymers. In essence, these transform the entirety of the ship's hull into a hawk-eyed radar array. While this gave the Scout yet unmatched visual range, the need for an uninterrupted hull from which signals could be sent and received coupled with deep-space life support facilities and powerful engines meant the Scout could have little to no armaments and defenses.