Its not a warship plain and simple. As you say. Description says some small navy's use them as frigates or light cruisers. See below.
Fair enough not a container ship. Just feels that way to me due to when elite first came out it was pretty much made out to be that way. Lol mind you the ship descriptions have changed a bit over the years. I cant find the original description from 2014/15 lol.
A warship is the corvette though.
The Anaconda is the pride of Faulcon deLacy's shipyards. The design was first manufactured in 2856 by RimLiner Galactic. After numerous mergers the template was eventually owned by Faulcon deLacy, who have made only minor changes to the classic design. The Anaconda is a versatile craft that can transport large cargos as well as pack a decent punch. Some smaller navies use the Anaconda in the light cruiser and frigate roles. The Anaconda can also be upgraded with a docking bay allowing small fighters up to Sidewinder-size to be carried and launched, however most are only capable of supporting short-range fighters.
And a thing to consider is the in the Elite Universe all ships are armed, rather than looking at then as Modern container ships that are unarmed, best to look back at the age of sail, when Merchant ships were armed.
The Python and the Anaconda are Freighters but armed freighters to deter pirates, and can be armed for conflict, just as a Carrack could hold a lot of cargo, or guns and soldiers or used for exploration.
The Differences in concept of the ships has been lost in changes of Game mechanics or ones that don't exist in game mechanics but do exist in the Lore of the universe.
The "Trade ships" Like the Lakon Type Series would be low cost ships in terms of running costs, maintenance, and crew to run them.
They carry lots of lower margin goods, but their low running costs allow them to still turn a profit and exploit A->B->A or such trade loops.
Their are lightly armed but carry low value cargo and likely run in secure space.
Economic Passenger transport on set routes would also be this type of ships bread and butter.
ZPGs Hauler also would fall into this Category
"Armed Traders" by comparison, are for high value and higher risk trade routes, and so carry better arms, but that comes at a cost of increased running costs and higher crew. For example of the EDRPG is to go by the Python needs a crew of four to the Type 7s three and the Anacondas eight to the Type 9s six.
With the higher running costs, they would look for the higher value higher margin goods, and so more susceptible to market fluctuations as so would be more of a Tramp trader operation, and would move about more, and in the passenger sphere be the Economy Charter runs
Local Militaries and Security forces can outfit them for combat by replacing cargo capacity for military and support equipment.
ZPGs Adder as the budget entry & Falcoun DeLaceys Cobra Mk.III and IV, Python & Anaconda Freighters
Lakon being the Industrial low cost player on the markets, has their Asp and Diamondback series, but are a step in-between the two, having lower crews and maintenance costs (due to being build for scouting and exploration so aim for easy field maintenance and redundency of systems).
The Gutamaya on the other hand is the Prestige Manufacturer , even more costly to run and maintain, would focus on high value contracts be it cargo runs or Business and First Class transport, as it cannot afford to run on basic market trading.
It is a high speed vessels with the Cutter, Courier and the Clipper, they would focus on either very high margin trading that would be short lived in any given market, or high urgency delivery and supply missions, and Corporate Charters, as well as for the Empire Diplomatic efforts.
Again both can be Set up for Military Service, with Lakon being the more economic choice.
On the Combat leaning side, where we should see versatility on cargo and equipment replaced with armour shielding, weapons and the top in systems to keep those system powered and fighting;
Core Dynamics naturally have all ships of war, with the Vulture Assault, Gun and Dropships and the Corvette, and in contrast to Gutamaya, are built around ease of maintenance and repair, but with extra crew than the minimum for redundancy.
Falcoun deLacy Entries of the Vipers Mk.III and Mk.IV fall in there as well as would the Eagle Mk.I but aim for the one crew System Security market so given the closer to home intended area of operations, are probably a bit higher on the maintenance needs as they would be expected to have short deployments when put next to a Federal battle group operating many jumps from home weeks on end.
Both Gutamaya and Core Dynamics have a flavour of Eagle Fighter, which is a copy of the Falcoun Delacy long Range Eagle Fighter (Mk.I) and I would imagine the Eagle Mk.I would sit between the Federal Eagle and Imperial Eagle in both running costs and versatility.
So the Federal Eagle Mk.II is tough cheap to run, the Imperial Eagle Mk.III is costly but has better components, and the Original whilst not as rugged as the Mk.II offers better core internals but not to the level of the Mk.III, showing off the different design philosophies of the Shipyards, just as we do with the SLFs
Saud Kruger as we know has the high end luxury Liner, that whilst paying a hefty fee for such luxury in terms of crew and maintenance costs, ne where it is at for High Ranking VIP Transport and Charter Cruises, as well as the Tours of the key sights in the Galaxy offering from Economy cabins all the way to luxury but still drawing top credit for even the economic cabins due to the prestige of the ship, and the facilities on board.
Whilst in Game transporting a Head of State may fill one Luxury Cabin, I would imagine it more that the HoS and staff takes that cabin but then there is also other Ministerial Staff in First Class, Reporters in business and security & sundry staff in economy filling an entire Beluga on a tour of Star Ports Controlled by the Faction the HoS belongs to or perhaps the Key Star Ports of Trade Partners.
The Fer Der Lance being an outlier as it is by ZPG who specialise in low cost ships but made in Collaboration of Saud Kruger for luxury, and it is a combat focus ship, but is not used by any Navy or Security force (Private/Paramilitary Power Play Agents aside), but really would end up being a Prestige ship, with high running costs, focused on high paying contracts, be it VIP Transport, small valuable cargo or data, or the clichéd for the FDL, assassinations.
So in effect you have a Matrix of sorts of ship Type be it, to given an idea of running costs, crew requirements, armament capabilities, and focus of Core and Optional internals
Trader
Armed Trader
Combat Ship
Passenger Liners
And then the Manufacturer who would modify the running costs of the ship
Low Cost easy field maintenance with redundency Lakon Spaceways
Entry Level & Budget Zorgon Petersen Group
Mid Range and Versatile Falcoun deLacy
Roust and Easy to Repair but for a Military Crew Core Dynamics
The High Price Prestige of Gutamaya
and the Costly Luxury of Saud Kruger
And Yes I left out exploration as a role, as the Lakon entries would tie it up nicely if you combine the Lakon Philosophy of low cost, easy field maintenance with redundancy, with the "armed Trader" suitability of leaving the safety patrolled space with the capacity to trade cargo capacity for exploration tools, just as they can be refit for war cover off the role well, but if you wanted more arms or luxury in your exploration, you have other Shipyards to turn to
and thus tying back into the mention of the Carrack at the start, a ship that could carry cargo, guns soldiers, and supplies for exploration, in what ever combination seemed suitable for the tasks.
