I do believe the addition of the Panther Clipper has completely eliminated the need to do these rankings. I for one will be selling my Cutters and Corvettes. I believe that these rankings are essential to gameplay. It creates content. Maybe you folks can re-work the ranking system to involve some more beneficial rewards. Or just add 2 new rewards for instance pre-engineered cargo racks at King and Admiral ranks, even though it's a grind it wouldn't be an utterly useless system that has gone by the wayside due to new ships if its abandoned.
The issue is that some powers in the galaxy have a military force for protection of their interests. Makes sense. Thugs use violence to take stuff, so in defense, some use violence as a response. So we have military ships and ranks. I think the ranking up takes too much effort. I'd vote for toning it down a bit.
BUT...we are talking ships that are locked, ships that are used by a military. Those ships should only be used by military personnel. Can a civilian buy and use a nuclear aircraft carrier? Of course not. You just don't put current hardware on the open market for your enemy to buy. So, it seems to me that those certain ships should be locked in a certain way relating to what the player does.
I do courier missions for Federation rank, and only when I have nothing else to do. It takes a lot of missions! The amount needed needs to be tweaked down. The issue is I'm not aligned with the Federation, I'm independent. I guess I'm a civilian private contractor, but should I be able to use the ships the military uses? No, not if I'm not a member of the Federation as a pilot.
Therefore, I can see it as work as a contrator using my own equipment for certain pay, but certain ships would only be available to those who are members of a group's military. You leave the military, you lose the ship. But, you get certain benefits as an "active duty" military member that a civilian contractor wouldn't get.
No need to get rid of ships, for the most part. Maybe tweak how they are used.