Are threat levels relative or absolute?

[kris44dad]

Is the threat level indicated on the hud a relative estimate based on your ship, or an absolute number?

 

[Bob Lighthouse]

Is the threat level indicated on the hud a relative estimate based on your ship, or an absolute number?

Neither, they are inconsistent.

But they are supposed to be absolute, in the sense that they don't change depending on the player/ship.

 

[Bob Lighthouse]

For example a wing assassination mission will be tougher than a pirate activity signal source of the same threat level.
But they'll always have the same threat levels no matter what ship you take or rank you are.
I've seen a few 0s with aggressive (but weak) hostiles too, but those are rare.
Most 0s are exactly that.