R&D

Chigara can upgrade various aspects of friendly units if sufficient funds are allocating to research. The cost of subsequent upgrades rise quickly but the player has a lot of flexibility as to what aspects of what units to improve. Perhaps one would rather cover weakness and focus on defense and HP, or perhaps another discovers powerful combinations of upgrades that synergize very well in battle.

Upgrades

Hull Plating

Increases maximum HP of a ship

Energy Reactor

Increases maximum EN of a ship

Evasion

Decreases the chance this unit gets hit by enemy attacks

Weapons

Kinetic, Energy, Melee and Missile weapons are upgrades separately from each other, but the effects are similar.

Damage

Each upgrades raises the base damage of affected weapons by 5% (10% for missiles). This increase is multiplicative with any buffs on the same ship, enhancing the effect of both.

accuracy

Each upgrade increases the base accuracy of affected weapons by 5%. This is not an added bonus to chance-to-hit like an accuracy buff is, and is therefore more effective the higher the base accuracy of a weapon is.

Missiles already have very high accuracy, so instead they have an upgrade that decreases the enemy's effective flak rating.

energy cost

Each upgrade reduces the EN cost of affected weapons by 5% (10% for missiles). Combined with extra EN upgrades this can give a unit the ability to fire her weapons multiple times during a single phase.

Shield Power

If the unit is capable of producing an energy field this upgrade can increase the strength of the generated field by 5 points. Every unit affected by the field gains the extra effect provided by the upgrade

Shield Range

A very expensive and very powerful upgrade that increases the range of the unit's shields by 1.

Flak

Increases the chance of intercepting an enemy missile or rocket by an additional 5% per upgrade

Armor

Decreases the damage received per hit by 5 per upgrade. This extra armor gets reduced in effectiveness relative to the unit's HP level just like the default armor is.

Repair Crew

it's a secret to everybody.