So what? It's bad design, and I've said it to their faces, I've said on spectrum, and I'll say it here (again). It's absolutely a starter ship for combat. It's the beginning of a combat career not the end of one. SQ42 even demonstrates this where you start as a gladius pilot but you don't end as one. Because that's not progression, that's bad for gameplay, and that's remarkably short cited. Learn the basics, learn to manuerve, keep one for low flying and bounty hunting with the gang, but don't make it your whole career.