Stations need not just large ships but small ones as well, the issue with pirate stations if you can land a ship that is just a core, a power generator, and one salvage beam, then mine the turrets to death by removing their connection to the station. the thing is, if you fly straight at the core of the station at full speed, the turrets will never hit you, and once inside your completely safe from the turrets, then all you need is one weapon/salvage cannon, and patience and you don\'t even have to kill the turrets right away either, just leave them floating in space and come back to them after looting the station then you can get EVEN MORE loot from killing the turrets, since any pirate ship including turrets drop loot when killed.
So to counter that, stations need small ships and large ships, large ships for fighting big threats, and little ships for buzzing about the inside killing tiny ships who mean to mine their way to riches, also shields. seriously. what kind of station does NOT HAVE SHIELDS and it\'s not exactly like pirate stations are hurting for space.