A couple of Component questions...

[jfp3]

Ah good to know ...ok another question:

I've seen some posts saying that later in game, smaller ships are almost worthless...does that mean there is rarely a time when let's say 10 Frigates can successfully take on a Dreadnought, all techs being equal?

[Suicide Junkie]

Those frigates will waste 900 kt of space on engines and bridge/lifesupport/crew quarters, while the dread wastes only a little over 100.

The dread also gets heavy mounts, so it gets a bonus 70% more damage per kt of weapons.

The little ships will pop one by one, reducing the firepower coming back at the dread, while the dread only loses shields.

So, the dread will blow them away.

[Joachim]

One use they have is as boarding ships as you dont wont to lose big ships trying to board. So you have a DD with shield depleters, lots of BPs, and stealth and scatter armour to make them harder to hit.

[Nodachi]

I've found that once there are dreads being built that the smallest ship I use is a light cruiser and even then only as part of a combined arms force.