Armaments

Many militarily-inclined landowners produce their own weapons and ammunition on their colonies. This is more economical than buying equipment from the Empire, and often much safer than venturing into the vicinity of an Imperial yard when an enemy is lying in wait for you. An arms industry will produce three commodities of importance to the interstellar warrior, namely torpedos, missiles, and probes. Excess materiel can be exported, for a healthy profit.