diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/Agents/States/Combat.cs b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/Agents/States/Combat.cs
index 6feeed610..0450c50d7 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/Agents/States/Combat.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/Agents/States/Combat.cs
@@ -33,6 +33,25 @@ public class CombatState : BaseState
         
         var toTarget = target.Position - _agent.Ship.Position;
         var targetDistance = length(toTarget);
+
+        // Cut 2 (docs/fire-control-cut.md): aim at whichever revealed weapon on the target hits hardest at
+        // this range, or clear the aim point when nothing qualifies -- the same predicate
+        // (FireControl.IsRevealed) and the same writer (TrySelectTargetItem) the player path uses.
+        EquippedItem bestTargetItem = null;
+        var bestTargetDps = float.MinValue;
+        foreach (var targetItem in target.Equipment)
+        {
+            if (!(targetItem.Behaviors.FirstOrDefault(b => b is Weapon) is Weapon targetWeapon)) continue;
+            if (!FireControl.IsRevealed(_agent.Ship, targetItem)) continue;
+            var dps = targetWeapon.RangeDamagePerSecond(targetDistance);
+            if (dps > bestTargetDps)
+            {
+                bestTargetDps = dps;
+                bestTargetItem = targetItem;
+            }
+        }
+        _agent.Ship.TrySelectTargetItem(bestTargetItem);
+
         for (var i = 0; i < _agent.Ship.WeaponGroups.Length; i++)
         {
             var group = _agent.Ship.WeaponGroups[i];
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/LoadoutGenerator.cs b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/LoadoutGenerator.cs
index da432b7c2..242854d20 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/LoadoutGenerator.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/LoadoutGenerator.cs
@@ -258,6 +258,26 @@ public class LoadoutGenerator
         capacitor.Rotation = capacitorRotation;
         if (!entity.TryEquip(capacitor, capacitorPosition))
             throw new InvalidLoadoutException("Failed to equip selected capacitor!");
+
+        // Cut 2 (docs/fire-control-cut.md, Q4): required equipment for anything that can fire -- unaided
+        // fire is a last resort, not an alternative loadout choice. EquipHardpoints runs before FillInterior
+        // (OutfitEntity), so entity.Weapons is already populated here. Zenith and anything else with no
+        // weapon hardpoints gets none.
+        if (entity.Weapons.Any())
+        {
+            emptyShape = entity.UnoccupiedSpace;
+
+            var (targetingProduct, targetingData) = RandomProduct<GearData>(2, item =>
+                item.Behaviors.Any(b => b is TargetingSystemData) &&
+                item.Shape.FitsWithin(emptyShape, out _, out _), required: true);
+            if (targetingData == null) throw new InvalidLoadoutException("No compatible targeting system found for entity!");
+
+            targetingData.Shape.FitsWithin(emptyShape, out var targetingRotation, out var targetingPosition);
+            var targetingSystem = ItemManager.CreateInstance(targetingProduct) as EquippableItem;
+            targetingSystem.Rotation = targetingRotation;
+            if (!entity.TryEquip(targetingSystem, targetingPosition))
+                throw new InvalidLoadoutException("Failed to equip selected targeting system!");
+        }
     }
 
 }