X-COM is definitely a hunter/gatherer sort of economy, repurposing the salvage to serve against it's original users. That being said, I can't help but think that there isn't at least some research and development toward translating some of that technology into a form more capable of using non-E.T. tech. Five years is certainly not enough to create something like the X-COM lasers and plasma weapons, but if the scientists and engineers know that it works in a certain fashion, they can certainly try to work backwards. ("Okay, our prototype is five times as large and generates a huge amount of heat, but it is capable of a sustained reaction... as long as the coolant holds out. Step two: find better ways of keeping it cool.")

Ebony the Black Dragon

"Life is like an anole. Sometimes it's green. Sometimes it's brown. But it's always a small Caribbean lizard."