WhenTanksFly Reactors are significantly higher targeting priority, and since they're close together, the AI will aim for the reactor instead, when it's not trying to kill the forward-most Ion Prism, which I'm PRETTY sure is also a high targeting priority over shields. Besides that, the only thing that can target the shields are Ion Beams, since there's also the Flak and Point Defense. It's not much in terms of defense, for its size, but it's not exactly poorly thought out either. I did keep targeting priorities in mind as well. Besides, those side shields are MOSTLY protected, at the end of the day.