Ya know when I read that I could just imagine a US Army sergeant with signature stubble beard, half-burned cigar and squinting look standing in front of a map waving a rod, pointing at markings, while a military march was being played in the background
*****
To get back to the subject of fighters:
You're right, fighters aren't much use for much in stock SEIV. That's why so many mods make so many changes to them. Devnull's been mentioned here, Proportions, and not to forget SJ's Carrier Battles mod..... People are devising ways to improve fighters all the time. Including yours truly
No really I'm still kind of working on the End of Galactic Civilization mod (which is overdue for a rename) and I'm planning to give it the fighter combat system I was planning to give the Capship Mod. (Oh dear, he's going off on a rant again.) Don't worry, I'll keep it short. (Or at least I'll try.)
Basically, it revolves around the following:
Fighters are split up into three (four, if you count specialist and civilian craft) categories: Interceptor, Space Superiority and Bomber.
Interceptors are fast, small and very cheap and can be produced by the batch-load.
Space Superiority Fighters (SSF's) are expensive little buggers capable of carrying heaps of anti-fighter weaponry.
Bombers are large, lumbering craft capable of packing an enormous punch against capital warships. If you want to take out an annoying flight of orbital bombardment ships, send in a few flights of Bombers to dispatch them with impunity.
Interceptors must rely on two things to be effective; Speed and Numbers. They're used to overwhelm enemy SSF defenses and/or to make swift strikes at Bomber groups. Interceptors only carry light weaponry. SSFs on the other hand are more slow moving and are better suited in a defensive role, to screen your ships against enemy Bomber strikes. You can also send them to attack enemy SSF screens to give your Bombers a clear path. Bombers are the only fighters capable of packing anti-capital ship weaponry; and boy are they packing. A well-executed Bomber strike has the potential to cause more damage than an attack executed by a massive capital warship. A medium-sized flight of Bombers can easily wipe out a small ship.
Fighters aren't a requirement for effective combat; they're merely an alternative to the "big ships, big guns" approach which is also not without its own bulky, lumbering charms.