With the resurrection by Oremin of the Dark Trooper and TIE Droid programs during the Xen’Chi invasion, a new type of ship was needed to effectively deliver these combat droids to a battlezone; enter the Arc-class Assault Ship. Heavy turbolasers and quad laser cannons are used mostly in a defensive role to protect the Arc against capital ships and fighters, respectively. The Arc's ion cannons can also be used in this capacity, but are more frequently used to disable smaller ships so its powerful tractor beams can tear them apart and use the dead ships to fuel its factories.