SIE-TIE twin ion engine

"Never before has such a radical approach to engine design passed all of our safety and performance requirements in its initial evaluation. It's hard to believe that this is a first-generation product."

- Etab Lapha

The SIE-TIE twin ion engine was an ion drive produced by Sienar Advanced Systems during the latter stages of the Separatist crisis. It was the precursor to the P-s4 twin ion engine used aboard TIE series starfighters.

Characteristics
The SIE-TIE engine was the brainchild of Raith Sienar. It utilized microparticle accelerators to agitate ionized gasses to relativistic velocities, and featured independently articulated ion stream deflector manifolds for pinpoint maneuvering accuracy. It also supplemented power yields through a set of solar gather panels that would become synonymous with TIE fighter designs for years to come.

History
Prior to the outbreak of the Clone Wars, the SIE-TIE design was endorsed and adopted by Republic Sienar Systems, in an announcement made to HoloNet News reporters on Lianna. The SIE-TIE was set to go into mass-production, and would be available for purchase by the governing bodies of Republic member worlds. News of the approval gave Santhe/Sienar Technologies stock an immediate 27.58 credit gain, and Raith Sienar himself was believed to have totalled a personal net worth of 640 million credits due to the stock increase.

Despite the success of the SIE-TIE, Republic Sienar Systems reported that power-yield compatibility issues with current hyperdrive, life-support and shielding technologies could prove prohibitive in incorporating the engine into their starship designs. This fault was not rectified with the later P-s4 model.