An update to this, the 2.3.0 update adds parts of what was discussed above. This post will just talk about the turrets.
Turrets have been added and there are two ways you can see/use them now. They are statically placed in each factions shipyard and also in each asteroid base and are attached to each players command ship. They will fire on anyone who is not in their owners faction, within their firing arc, and within line of sight. The screenshots show the turret test scenen and also an in-game shot. The reddish arc is the field of view of the turret. The red line and dot are drawn to when a target is in the field of view but blocked by an obstruction.
Currently only beams are supported but missiles are 90% done as well. When a turret is attached to a object that has an owner, it will inherit that same owner. So once you capture a base, its turrets will stop firing on you and fire on your enemies. Currently they cannot be disabled, destroyed or constructed, but that is coming.
