Ion pulse missiles were warheads designed to disable craft in a similar way to Ion cannons or Conner nets. More comprehensive in their effect than magnetic pulse warheads, which simply knocked out weapons systems, they permitted craft without ion cannons to be used in disabling operations.
This was highly useful for a group such as the Rebel Alliance, who were often dependent on old or non-military vessels, in that they added immense flexibility to otherwise less-useful starfighters.
During the investigation into the TIE Experimental Project by cruiser Liberty, ion pulse warheads were successfully used by the Z-95 Headhunter Bandit Squadron to disable examples of a TIE BigGun, a TIE Warhead, and a modified Beta-class ETR-3 escort transport from Suluk group. The ion pulse warheads permitted undamaged enemy craft to be retrieved for later analysis by Alliance technicians.