Light Craft Manufacturing (Civ4)/Final Frontier/Civilopedia

Coupled with negative-energy fields, the Ion Engine was the culmination of the IASR's faster-than-light travel research. It was the impetus for the majority of early spacecraft innovations, although not necessarily in a logical way. Misfiring Ion Engines, while significantly more reliable than their fossil-fuel brethren, had been noted to occasionally erupt into massive balls of heat and plasma, destroying anything within a kilometer radius. Harnessing the destructive power of the ion, the first Bomber craft were constructed, with Squadron Factories following not long after to aid in the mass production of these powerful new weapons. To defend against these new craft, the first integrated Squadron Defense Networks were developed.