Oh my God everything is different... How do I get new robots?

Alright so on a whim I decided to pick up the game again. I haven't played since 2016 when I was in highschool, and after playing Armored Core for a while I remembered that I used to enjoy this game.

After clicking through what must've been thirty banners for premium shit, I think I am thoroughly lost on how to unlock new stuff. I think I remember having to research robots and weapons and THEN I unlock them, but this game's UI is so drastically different from what it used to be that I haven't the foggiest clue where I'm going.